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pRESENT

STAFF

ALL OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS HOLD COLLEGE DEGREES; MOST HOLD TEACHING DEGREES AS WELL. WE ARE MEMBERS OF DANCE MASTERS OF AMERICA, ACROBATIC ARTS, AND MORE.

WE CANNOT WAIT TO DANCE WITH YOU!

Miss Jordan | Owner

Miss Jordan has danced at San Juan Dance since age 3. She is a former San Juan Sensation and assisted Mrs. San Juan & Miss Suzanne for several years before taking over her own classes as a teenager. 

Jordan grew up participating in an incredible amount of sports, extracurricular activities, and community service outlets, though dance has remained her true passion. She is well-rounded in many styles of dance and brings an abundance of knowledge and energy to her classes, including particular focus on technique & athleticism. 

While attending Loyola University Chicago, Jordan was a force in their athletic department as a 2-year captain & 4-year member of the collegiate dance team.

She brought those skills home 10 years ago to her roles as Director of the San Juan Sensations and the Sparkles Enrichment Program. Additionally, hired by Los Altos High School to run their dance team, Jordan added "Coach" to her resume for 12 seasons. She is also an eighteen-year certified member of Dance Masters of America, and achieved Acrobatic Arts Module 1 certification in 2015 and Module 2 certification in 2024. Miss Jordan completed Progressing Ballet Technique certification in 2018.

In 2021, Miss Jordan took over as owner of the studio and re-branded as Los Altos Dance Academy. It is her intention to carry on the San Juan Dance legacy while enhancing our commitment to raising good humans through dance in the Los Altos community. With her academic background as an educator, and her love of helping children grow on their path to adulthood, she places great emphasis on supporting the whole child. Miss Jordan creates strong & long-lasting relationships with each student to help them become the best they can be, both in and out of the studio. 

Jordan proudly taught 2nd grade for four years, but then made the decision to jump into the "grown-up" world. She experienced life at 5 startups and is now working at Sequoia Capital Global Equities. 

Miss Cheryl | (Stanford; 23.24 Stanford Dollie) Alumni & Instructor

 

Miss McKenna | (University of Notre Dame; Current ND Leprechaun Mascot) Alumni & Instructor

Miss Janie | (UC Berkeley) Alumni & Guest Instructor

Mika Tanimoto | (Duke) Alumni & Advisor

Francisco Gella | Advisor

Jason Coosner | Advisor

Drew Burgess | Advisor

Kaneidra Everson | In Memoriam (1983-2017)

Loyola University Chicago Spirit Teams Coach/Coordinator

San Juan Dance & Los Altos High School Dance Team Guest Teacher/Choreographer

PAST

THE SAN JUAN DANCE LEGACY

Our dearly beloved Mrs. San Juan passed away November 9, 2019.

Through her gifted teaching, genuine caring, and wonderful humor, Mrs. SJ touched so many lives and is deeply missed. It’s comforting to imagine her in Heaven, seated at her piano happily teaching again, smiling and encouraging the angels to try the exercise, “One more time!” Mrs. San Juan loved to teach, and she loved us, her students. The memories we made, the lessons we learned, and the happy times we shared with her and one another will hold a special place in our hearts forever.

Mrs. SJ started dancing in England at age 4, and began attending a boarding school for Ballet at age 9. When she graduated at 15 she had obtained the advanced degree in Ballet from The Royal Academy of Dancing, London, as well as her advanced in National dancing, Tap, and Natural Movement (Greek) for the Imperial Society, Teachers of Dancing. She opened her first school at age 18, and after moving to the United States as a new bride, began her family, giving birth to her son Mark in 1960, and to Miss Suzanne in 1963. In 1966, she opened the 3rd St. studio we dance in today. Due to her 40 year record of students receiving the highest attainable level in the RAD exams, Mrs. San Juan was appointed as one of the original four “splinters” — the first ever RAD examiners residing in the United States. In 2004, Mrs. SJ proudly added “Nana” to her resume, when Suzanne's son Jake was born. 

Mrs. San Juan taught and inspired three generations of dancers, both young and “not so young!” and at age 80, had no intention of stopping, coining the phrase “I will never retire, but rather expire here at the studio doing what I love.” Unfortunately in 2012, a stroke forced her in a new direction, whereby Miss Suzanne & Miss Jordan vowed to carry her legacy forward with everyone who attends San Juan Dance, and we will continue to honor her memory in this way.

-- Miss Suzanne

Miss Suzanne grew up in the 3rd St. studio, and much to Mrs. San Juan's delight, she absolutely fell in love with all things performance related. She maintained her membership with the Royal Academy of Dancing (London) and Dance Masters of America. Skilled in all facets of Theatre Arts, Suzanne performed extensively throughout the Bay Area in dance, drama, and music before moving to Los Angeles in 1983. There she worked in commercials, film and television, as well as writing and performing Country music. When she returned to Northern California in 1990, Suzanne was in constant demand as a choreographer for the Los Altos Youth Theatre, countless Castilleja school events, fashion shows, and more. In 1994, Suzanne opened an additional San Juan Dance location (SJ Dance Express) in Willow Glen, which was in business for an extremely successful 18 years; SJ Dance Express was closed in 2012 after Mrs. San Juan's stroke.

She completed two years as President of Dance Masters of California, Chapter 13, and also served as a National Delegate for the 2010 and 2011 Dance Masters of America conventions held in San Antonio and Orlando.

"Raised in Los Altos, growing up at the studio and offering my first classes at age 16, I am so grateful to have called Los Altos my home and for the 42 years spent as a teacher of dance. As it was for my Mom and the generations of students she taught, it has been my privilege to share what I am so passionate about and witness the joy, creativity, and expressive fulfillment it has brought to so many lives. To leave the studio is bittersweet, but I do so knowing it will be in very capable hands, dedicated to nurturing and inspiring the dancers now and for generations to come." 

-- Suzanne San Juan

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