Mindy Love Watkins

Owner/Artistic Director/Teacher/Choreographer

When you enter the studio you can’t help to notice Mindy’s love of dance. She thrives herself as offering a unique program for both her tiny tots and her advanced dancers. Each and every class is geared toward a very creative method of teaching where every dancer can get to know and love dance at any age.

Classically trained from the age of 2, Mindy has studied ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and modern dance. Mindy is very proud of the opportunities she has encountered through the years. Her expertise in growing dance programs on the East and West coast has brought her to where she is today. Mindy has taught and judged all up and down the east coast for dance teams and dance competitions. She has choreographed a few musicals including, "Babes in Arms" and "Anything Goes". She is honored to have trained with a number of choreographers, including Dawn Crafton, Jane Bittner, Dr. Gail Minor Smith, Alvin Mayes, Joe Tremaine, Dr. Nancy Wilz, and Roger Riggle. She has won many national and state awards competing on the Eastern Seaboard.

Mindy has been teaching dance since the early 90’s and although she appreciates the competitive dance environment her passion is to teach dance to everyone in a safe, fun, atmosphere. Six years ago Mindy moved to San Diego and developed a dance program locally here in Carmel Valley. After opening her new modern dance studio back in September 2007, she pledges to create a place where each student has the opportunity to know and love dance, create and record memories, and explore their artistic passions. Her vision has and will be the same for years to come in hopes of creating a dance family in this wonderful community where every student has fun while receiving the best dance instruction. This is our goal and always will be!

I welcome you to our dance family!

Jenny Glenn

Jenny is originally from Michigan and has recently relocated to San Diego with her husband. She is a graduate from the nationally recognized Oklahoma City University Dance Program under the direction of Jo Rowan where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts. Her experience ranges from working on popular TV shows to performing with professional sports networks and performing on a cruise ship. She has also had the privilege of dancing for recording artist, Natalie Loftin. Jenny is a dancer, a performer, and a teacher and we are delighted to have Jenny share her love of dance with our students!

Kelley Purkey Vacheron

Kelley began studying dance at the age of 15. She joined her school Junior Orchesis modern dance team and danced as a member of the Redwing drill team. She continued studying modern dance at West Virginia University where she was a principal with Orchesis, the university’s modern dance troupe. She earned her degree in Industrial Engineering and moved to the NYC metro area. Working by day as an engineer and going to engineering grad school at night, she continued to study and perform modern dance and hip hop. Kelley continued her engineering career in Ohio and performed at Dublin Dance studying modern, hip hop and tap. Kelley and her family recently moved to San Diego and she’s happy to join the staff at Love to Dance as a modern dance teacher.

Brittany White

Brittany White has fifteen years of teaching experience, a diverse dance background, and lived and danced in five countries. Studying with acclaimed dance instructors, she attended Gus Giordano Jazz Chicago and was awarded a dance scholarship from the nationally recognized dance program at The University of Arizona. Brittany also holds an MBA in International Management. She directed Ceroc the largest UK partner dance company and started Dance for Love, an amateur dance group that enabled dancers to share teaching and dance knowledge among one another. Brittany has most recently started EVOLVE Dance, a program to develop dancers’ character, academics, and creativity through dance. She currently teaches a diverse range of jazz and hip-hop at multiple studios in San Diego, takes advanced jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and ballet, and does salsa and tango. Brittany creates a positive and dynamic class, combined with heartfelt energy, excitement, and a love for teaching.

Felicia Helsel

Loading...Felicia began her training at Dance Arts Academy, under the direction of Betsy Carr, in Traverse City Michigan. She trained for 12 years in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Modern and Hip Hop. Soon after graduating from High School, she began her teaching at Dance Arts Academy. Later, she relocated to Los Angeles California where she received a scholarship to the Edge Performing Arts Center. This program was filled with extensive training and endless opportunity. Her extensive training also consisted of voice lessons, acting and gymnastics. Felicia has worked, assisted and trained with Lauren Adams, Terry Beeman, Terri Best, Eddie Garcia, Nicole Harlan, Denise Leitner, Malaya, Leslie Scott and Suzi Taylor. Now, happily married and living in San Diego she often is a guest choreographer, teaches master classes and judges throughout the US. Her passion for dancing, performing and teaching is to the extreme. She is a driven individual who always promotes a positive learning environment and is never short of energy. We welcome her and her husband to our dance family and look forward to her sharing her knowledge and love of dance with her students.

Lanette Foglesong

Lanette’s love of dance began at the Tallahassee Dance Academy under Director Melinda Allen.  During her youth, she won numerous regional and national awards and scholarships at competitions, workshops and camps she traveled to around the country.  In New York, Lanette trained with the Alvin Ailey Company, at the Broadway Dance Center, and Stepps on Broadway, and in Los Angeles at the Edge Performing Arts Center, Moro Landis/Millennium Dance Complex, and MaDonna Grimes Fitness Center in a wide range of dance disciplines and under some of the biggest names in the dance industry.  In Los Angeles, she was also a full-time student at USC, and a member and co-captain of USC’s dance team, the “Trojan Dance Force” (1998 National Champions). After graduating with a Psychology degree, Lanette moved back to Florida and began sharing her love of dance through teaching and choreography. She has won numerous high awards for her work, as well as a large fan club of loving and grateful students.  Lanette is also the founder and owner of Stage Couture (www.stagecouture.com), a dance costume company which she operates full time.   We are so thrilled she has joined our dance family!