CEO & Founder of Elevate Dance Company, LLC/ Entrepreneur

With over 20 years of experience in the arts & entertainment industry as a performer, producer, screenwriter, company and studio owner, Edith Sumaquial has dedicated her work to help cultivate an inspiring art community open to innovative and inclusive opportunities.

In her earlier career, Edith had worked as a producer for Ryan Seacrest at iHeart Radio in Los Angeles, written, pitched multiple TV series and feature films to major networks and an On-Air personality at ABC’s News10 in Sacramento.

Once her two daughters were born and showed a passion for dance, she used all her marketing and brand experience to begin Elevate Dance Company in her hometown of Stockton, Ca. She was able to grow a positive dance environment and impact 600+ local kids since 2016.

Today she uses all of her experience to continue investing and looking for new business opportunities to continue her mission on breaking the financial and racial barrier within the dance industry.

Marketing Director at Joffrey Ballet

Sarah Fiala discovered her passion for dance at the age of three, immersing herself in jazz, tap, and ballet. Her dedication to the art form continued through her formative years and into college. She pursued her love for dance academically, earning a bachelor’s degree in dance from the University of Oregon.

In 2005, Sarah's career in dance marketing began with an internship at the prestigious Broadway Dance Center in New York City. She went on to pursue a master’s degree in Arts and Entertainment Management from Columbia College Chicago.

Upon completing her graduate studies, Sarah became a marketing intern at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2007 and went on to be the Program Manager at SeeChicagoDance.com for four years promoting and supporting the dance community in Chicago.

Sarah is currently the Marketing Director at The Joffrey Ballet, one of the most renowned ballet companies in the world. Over her 13-year tenure, she has significantly contributed to the company's growth and visibility, utilizing her extensive knowledge of dance and marketing to forge connections between the art and its audience.

Founding Member & Founder of "Move Right with Morgan”

Morgan Mulholand, MS, is the founder of "Move Right with Morgan," a company that empowers dancers with anatomical knowledge, promoting longer and healthier careers. This program offers individual or group sessions to help fix movement imbalances, increase movement efficiency and enhance dance and competition performance.

Morgan also helped build Heat Convention and Competition for the first four years of its existence as the Assistant Artistic Director and Director of Heat Force, a pre-professional dance company. She is a dedicated professional with a Master of Science in Applied Exercise Science, a BFA in dance from San Jose State University, and a strong background in fitness and movement.

Her extensive education spans multiple prestigious institutions, including Long Beach State University, Saint Marys, and the University of Colorado Boulder. As a certified Yoga instructor and NASM personal trainer, Morgan brings a unique blend of fitness expertise to the dance industry.

Content Creator & Industry Dancer

A Vietnamese-American dancer and content creator from LA, Jonny is celebrated on TikTok and Instagram for his athletic dance style and flawless transitions.

With over 15 years in the dance scene and collaborations with top artists like DPR Ian and Mark Tuan, he brings a rich blend of K-pop, dance, and fashion to the table.

Head of Hip Hop Department & Media at Elevate Dance Conservatory

Elliott Villanueva is a dancer and choreographer hailing from the Central Valley in California. Training within his Central Valley dance community he specializes in Hip Hop, Popping, and House! Elliott is also a K-Pop dance content creator with over 100k Subscribers on YouTube.

Always looking for new opportunities to cultivate his dance community, Elliott also hosts a pop-up class series, ".MOVE", whose mission objective is to help promote 209 dancers and harbor a safe space for his local community!

Head of Commercial Dance at Elevate Dance Conservatory

Jarod Smith was born and raised in Orange County, California, and began dancing at 9 years old. He has trained in all styles of dance. However, his choreographic styles employ a mixture and blending of genres of dance to create abstract art. He attended Orange County School of the Arts, where he studied Commercial Dance throughout middle school and high school.

He is furthering his training at Pace University in New York City as a BFA Commercial Dance major with a minor in Psychology as an Honors Student. He has worked with choreographers such as Billy Goodson, Lauren Gaul, Scott Jovovich, and Bo Park. Jarod has choreographed at studios across the country, providing many students with performance pieces that have earned choreography and overall awards.

Jarod consistently tries to enable and share his unique and artistic style of movement through his choreography and teachings.

Assistant Head of SF Opera & Ballet Prop Department

Freddy Wielandt has over 20 years experience with the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet stage crews and scene shops.

He is a member os the IATSE Local #16 Stagehands union in San Francisco for theater, TV/film, events and industrials. He is also a Union steward for Opera and Ballet crews.

Audio & Systems Engineer

Tyler Kunze stands as a luminary in the world of audio engineering, systems engineering, and music production, celebrated for his exceptional skills and profound expertise in sound. Throughout a nearly 30 year career, he has carved out a stellar reputation, becoming one of the most sought-after engineers in the industry.

Kunze's illustrious career is marked by international touring, where his talents have been showcased alongside some of the biggest names in music. He has toured as the head audio engineer with the iconic 80's rock band Ministry as well as acclaimed artist Jhené Aiko. His versatility and adeptness in mixing have seen him working with an array genres and distinguished artists, including Elton John, Porno for Pyros, I Don't Know How But They Found Me, Puscifer, Hollywood Vampires, The Last Internationale, XYLØ, Tender, Everclear, Todo, and comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Tom Segura.

In addition to his touring and mixing accomplishments, Tyler Kunze has made significant contributions to the festival scene. He has been at the helm of sound engineering for renowned festivals such as LA Pride, Lightning in a Bottle, Electric Forest, and Desert Daze, ensuring top-tier sound quality for attendees.

Keep checking in for our updated and new mentors joining the conservatory!