About
Michelle's Dance Academy offers classes in ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, and tumbling, as well as adult classes. The program’s main focus is ballet while still offering this variety of dance styles. Classes are offered to students 16 months and older.
• Ages: 1–18 years old
• Schedule: Kristin teaches Saturday morning tumbling, and Lydia teaches on Monday afternoons
Michelle's Dance Academy was founded by Michelle DeAngelis, who is the Founder, Director, and a teacher. The program states that each teacher has a professional dance background. Michelle DeAngelis is a professional ballerina and teacher who has been teaching ballet to students professionally for over eight years in various places throughout the United States, with early ballet and teacher training at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, Princeton Ballet School, and Ballet Central New Jersey; she began her professional dancing career with the Montgomery Ballet and Virginia National Ballet, later joined American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles as a soloist, and is now dancing professionally with Ballet Project Orange County. The studio manager, Marion Maclou, is also a teacher who began her dance journey at age five in Conflans Sainte Honorine, France, first trained in ballet at a local conservatory, spent over 13 years at USC Dance Academy mastering jazz, modern jazz, hip hop, and contemporary, later pursued a Bachelor's degree in Arts, moved to Los Angeles in 2019 to advance her professional dance career, and is a member of the dance company VASHT, collaborating on projects including commercials, shows, and music videos.
The teaching staff includes Kristin Steckman, who began her pre-professional ballet training at Allegheny Ballet Company and The HARID Conservatory, started her professional ballet career with the Richmond Ballet in Virginia, became a soloist with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles, and has taught in the Richmond Ballet's Children's Division in the Invitation to Dance, Pre-Primary Ballet, and Primary Ballet programs. Another teacher, Lydia McDonald, began her dance training at age 12 and has trained in modern, ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre, improvisation, and more; she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of North Texas in 2018, danced two seasons with imPULSE Dance Project during college, spent two seasons with Ad Deum Dance 2nd company after graduating, and is now a company member of Benita Bike’s Dance Art and Geometry 2 in Los Angeles.
Additional staff members include Annabel Macdonald, who started dancing at age 3, completed professional training at the Washington School of Ballet as well as at Miami City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the Rock School, recently graduated from USC with degrees in Business and Communication, and is now a professional freelance ballet dancer who has performed with The Washington Ballet, American Contemporary Ballet, and City Ballet of San Diego. Another teacher, Claire Bednarek, began dancing at age 4 at the Dance Conservatory of Denver, trained in a variety of dance styles, performed principal and soloist roles, emphasized choreography by setting numerous solos and group pieces, graduated cum laude from Butler University in 2019 with a BA in Dance Pedagogy, and is now a professional ballet dancer with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles. The staff also includes Carina Brunstein, who began dancing at age 3 at the School of Dance and Music, has been teaching and choreographing for children and young adults since age 17, performed at several halftime shows for the L.A. Clippers, danced for various theme parks across Southern California, attended The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2025 with a B.F.A. in Commercial Dance, worked for Embody Dance Conference as a master class assistant on their Emphasis tour from 2023–2024, worked for The Joffrey Ballet School as part of their administrative team in the summer of 2024, and now teaches and choreographs for several studios across Los Angeles County and works for Imagine Dance Challenge.
The program’s mission is to provide students with a safe environment to express themselves through artistry and creative movement and to strive to inspire a lasting love and appreciation for dance for the younger generation. Michelle's Dance Academy was founded by Michelle DeAngelis with the intention of creating and nurturing a community of people that share a common love of movement and dance. Inquiries submitted via the website typically receive a response within 24 hours.
Last updated May 13, 2026.
• Ages: 1–18 years old
• Schedule: Kristin teaches Saturday morning tumbling, and Lydia teaches on Monday afternoons
Michelle's Dance Academy was founded by Michelle DeAngelis, who is the Founder, Director, and a teacher. The program states that each teacher has a professional dance background. Michelle DeAngelis is a professional ballerina and teacher who has been teaching ballet to students professionally for over eight years in various places throughout the United States, with early ballet and teacher training at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, Princeton Ballet School, and Ballet Central New Jersey; she began her professional dancing career with the Montgomery Ballet and Virginia National Ballet, later joined American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles as a soloist, and is now dancing professionally with Ballet Project Orange County. The studio manager, Marion Maclou, is also a teacher who began her dance journey at age five in Conflans Sainte Honorine, France, first trained in ballet at a local conservatory, spent over 13 years at USC Dance Academy mastering jazz, modern jazz, hip hop, and contemporary, later pursued a Bachelor's degree in Arts, moved to Los Angeles in 2019 to advance her professional dance career, and is a member of the dance company VASHT, collaborating on projects including commercials, shows, and music videos.
The teaching staff includes Kristin Steckman, who began her pre-professional ballet training at Allegheny Ballet Company and The HARID Conservatory, started her professional ballet career with the Richmond Ballet in Virginia, became a soloist with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles, and has taught in the Richmond Ballet's Children's Division in the Invitation to Dance, Pre-Primary Ballet, and Primary Ballet programs. Another teacher, Lydia McDonald, began her dance training at age 12 and has trained in modern, ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre, improvisation, and more; she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of North Texas in 2018, danced two seasons with imPULSE Dance Project during college, spent two seasons with Ad Deum Dance 2nd company after graduating, and is now a company member of Benita Bike’s Dance Art and Geometry 2 in Los Angeles.
Additional staff members include Annabel Macdonald, who started dancing at age 3, completed professional training at the Washington School of Ballet as well as at Miami City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the Rock School, recently graduated from USC with degrees in Business and Communication, and is now a professional freelance ballet dancer who has performed with The Washington Ballet, American Contemporary Ballet, and City Ballet of San Diego. Another teacher, Claire Bednarek, began dancing at age 4 at the Dance Conservatory of Denver, trained in a variety of dance styles, performed principal and soloist roles, emphasized choreography by setting numerous solos and group pieces, graduated cum laude from Butler University in 2019 with a BA in Dance Pedagogy, and is now a professional ballet dancer with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles. The staff also includes Carina Brunstein, who began dancing at age 3 at the School of Dance and Music, has been teaching and choreographing for children and young adults since age 17, performed at several halftime shows for the L.A. Clippers, danced for various theme parks across Southern California, attended The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2025 with a B.F.A. in Commercial Dance, worked for Embody Dance Conference as a master class assistant on their Emphasis tour from 2023–2024, worked for The Joffrey Ballet School as part of their administrative team in the summer of 2024, and now teaches and choreographs for several studios across Los Angeles County and works for Imagine Dance Challenge.
The program’s mission is to provide students with a safe environment to express themselves through artistry and creative movement and to strive to inspire a lasting love and appreciation for dance for the younger generation. Michelle's Dance Academy was founded by Michelle DeAngelis with the intention of creating and nurturing a community of people that share a common love of movement and dance. Inquiries submitted via the website typically receive a response within 24 hours.
Last updated May 13, 2026.
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