Meet Our Staff...
Julie Hamill~Director
Julie Hamill has taught dance in the Orange County area for over 35 years. She is the founder and director of Fine Arts Academy of Dance. Established in 1979, Fine Arts Academy of Dance was the first dance school in Diamond Bar. Growing up in Orange County she was able to study with L.A.'s and Orange County's finest teachers including Linda Sohl-Ellison, Leann Alduenda, L.A's classics such as Jimmie DeFore, Stefan Wenta, Roland Dupree, Gus Giordano, Stanley Holden, and Joe Tremaine. Professionally Julie has appeared in many theatrical productions she was a principal dancer with the Orange County Dance Company in which she performed roles in Swan Lake, West Side Story, Oklahoma, and The Nutcracker. Of the thousands of students that have come through Julie's classes, many have gone on to professional careers and have appeared in all facets of the business. Her students present and past have appeared in music videos with Usher and Justin Bieber, danced in the Macy's Parade, Pro Bowl, and Super Bowl, appeared on The Emmy Awards, VMA's, and The Oscar Awards, danced in Balley's Jubilee in Las Vegas, performed with Cirque du Soleil, also have appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, Professional Cheerleaders with the Los Angeles Lakers, danced in films Man in the Moon with Jim Carrey, and What Women Want with Mel Gibson, the television shows on Nickelodeon, Kids Incorporated, and many national commercials. Specializing in the area of Tap dance, Julie has been an award-winning choreographer, Julie's own choreography has been performed in the Pro Bowl, Hula Bowl and Macy's Day Parade and has won high honors on the state and national levels.
Jana Faustino-Watkins~Ballet Director
Jana Faustino-Watkins is a native of Brazil where she studied extensively with Luis Nogueira of the Ballet Municipal of Rio De Janeiro, and taught at the Mariana Natal Academy in Sao Paulo. She also appeared in numerous stage and television shows and movies as a member of the Corpo Companhia. After immigrating to the United States she studied with Lois Ellyn and Stefan Wenta, and joined Lois Ellyn's ballet company, Noveau Chamber Ballet where she appears as a principal ballerina and choreographer. Jana's students have appeared in film and television including the hit movie The Princess Diaries. We at Fine Arts are very proud of the fact her students have been accepted to the one of the worlds most prestigious performing Arts Conservatories Juilliard in New York. Jana's beautiful dancers have performed with Cirque du Soleil. Each year many of her students are accepted into the schools of the Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre (ABT), Milwaukee Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Houston Ballet. Jana is currently the artistic director of Fine Arts Academy of Dance's nationally award winning ballet program.
Michael Van Patten
Michael Van Patten has been teaching in the Southern California area for 20 years. His teaching credits include Jimmie DeFore Dance Center, Tremaine Dance Center (North Hollywood), University of California, Irvine, University of Northern Colorado(Guest Artist), Synthesis Dance Studio (North Hollywood), Spector Dance(Marina, Ca.), Greeley Conservatory of Dance(Greeley. CO.), the Orange County High School of the Arts (Los Alamitos), he is currently on staff at Santa Ana College. Michael has run a nationally award winning jazz dance program here at Fine Arts Academy of Dance since 1992. His professional credits include Star Search (CBS TV), Orpheus in the Underworld with the Los Angeles Opera, Disney's Motor Car Mania, Bon Voyage show at the Queen Mary/Spruce Goose Complex, and local dinner theater productions of Mame, and Cabaret, the dance companies Marla Bingham Contemporary Ballet(Principal), Impulse(Director and Choreographer), Noveau Chamber Ballet(Guest), Jazz Spectrum(Guest),Pat Carney and Company, and his own MVP dance project. Many of his former students have gone on to successful careers in the dance industry and have appeared in the films Man on the Moon with Jim Carrey, and What Women Want with Mel Gibson, world wide cruises, theme parks, Las Vegas Revues, Britney Spears video (Crazy), national tours with Smokey Robinson and Shanice Wilson to name a few. He has choreographed for the Los Angeles Laker Girls and Los Angeles Clipper Girls. After twenty years in the dance industry Michael returned to school and has earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from UCLA.
Penny Fisher Collins
Penny began her dance training at Fine Arts at the age of six. She continued her instruction under Julie Hamill, Jana Faustino-Watkins, and Michael Van Patten and turned that into a successful career as a dance instructor and performer. Penny taught at Fine Arts while appearing in films such as Man on the Moon with Jim Carrey and What Women Want with Mel Gibson. Other credits include the 55th Annual Emmy Awards alongside Conan O’Brien and Disney’s Animazement and Snow White: An Enchanting New Musical. Regional theater credits include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Wizard of Oz, Me and my Girl, Crazy For You, La Cage Aux Folles, Guys and Dolls, Never Gonna Dance, and Pajama Game. Penny also studied dance at Cal State Fullerton where she earned a degree in Television and Film. She returns to Fine Arts, now as a parent, to continue her love of teaching dance. Her 4 year old daughter, Audrey, is enjoying her own tap classes instructed by Julie Hamill.
Meghan Guzman
Meghan Guzman has been training at Fine Arts Academy of Dance since the age of six, and is a graduate of the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts. She was a principal dancer in Fine Arts nationally recognized Competition Company. She has been teaching at Fine Arts Academy of Dance since 2002. Meghan has now started her 2012 competitive team at Fine Arts along with Michael Van Patten. Meghan teaches Jazz, Ballet and Childrens Tap. Meghan is proud of the work she does with her own children Alyssa and Roxie both train at Fine Arts since the age of 2. She works hard managing her busy schedule which includes managing her daughter Alyssa's career whose credits include television appearences on Nickelodeon's Fresh Beat Band, Cookie Fureal Friends, Sharkies Fruit Snacks, and Party City Commercials.
Kristen Holleyman Kristen is from Boulder/Denver, Colorado, and has relocated to Hollywood to further pursue her dance career. Her teaching credits include teaching at Westwoods Center of Performing Arts, and Elite Dance Academy. She enjoys teaching all ages and levels and specializes in Jazz, Contemporary and Hip Hop. Kristen has danced with Todrick Hall's musical OZ, the professional company Dream Project, John Gilettes music video "Struck" made top 20 finalists of ABDC with The RockStarz, the Denver Nuggets Dancers, MC Hammer, Coolio, Tone Loc and Otis Day. She has choreographed for studios and high schools all over the state of Colorado, as well as for Dream Project and The RockStarz, Kristen Komen, Alpine Rescue among others. In addition she is an undergraduate from the University of Colorado where she studied Spanish Literature, Secondary Education, and minored in dance. Kristen is very excited to be a part of the Staff at Fine Arts Academy.
Lauren Snook
Lauren Snook is a member of Fine Art's staff since 2003. She has trained at Fine Arts since the age of three, studying all styles of dance. Lauren has studied with Julie Hamill, Jana Faustino-Watkins, Michael Van Patten, Lisa Smith, Joanna Vargas, and Carlee Puffer, and has attended many dance conventions and master classes including the Tremaine, and LA Danceforce conventions. In addition to being a four year song leader at Diamond Bar H.S., she has competed extensively on Fine Arts competitive dance teams and worked with cheer/dance Company US Spiritleaders. As a college freshman Lauren was a member of Cal State Long Beach's Dance Team, now a Senior at Long Beach State,she is currently part of the the Pac Modern Hip-Hop troupe and is working on her dance degree. Lauren teaches jazz, hip-hop, and combo classes here at Fine Arts Academy of Dance.
Julie Giovannoni
Julie joined The Fine Arts teaching staff in 2004. Julie has danced at Fine Arts since age 3. Julie is a Senior attending Cal State Fullerton working on her Bachelors Degree in Child Adolescent Studies. She is teaching in both Orange County and L.A. County in Jazz and Children's Tap Combo. Julie was a principal dancer in Fine Arts National Award winning Jazz and Tap troupes. She was a member of the team that went on to win honors in dancing in The Macy's Day Parade and the Hula Bowl. Julie was also an award winning Cheer Leader in 2000 competing in Orange County. She has studied with Jana Watkins, Michael Van Patten, Julie Hamill, Lisa Smith, Linda Simmons.
Charlotte Beadle
Charlotte Beadle is another of our distinguished faculty at Fine Arts Academy of Dance, now teaching tap and jazz. Charlotte specialty is children’s classes and high level tap, Charlotte has studied with Julie Hamill, LJ Tashiro Nafarette, Jana Faustino-Watkins, Michelle Clow, Michael Van Patten, Dana Dalpiaz, Marie De La Palme, Elizabeth Parkinson, Jose Costas, and Linda Sohl-Ellison, here at Fine Arts Academy of Dance, and also Jimmie DeFore Dance Center, and Orange Coast College. Her music and vocal training has been with Jan Dayne, Robert Olinger, Bill Hamill, and Theresa DeJong Pombo. Charlotte’s performing credits include Tap performances with Pulse, along with the Biola Theater and Southern California Youth Theater, in productions of When You Wish Upon a Star, Beauty and the Beast, Annie Get Your Gun, The Wizard of Oz, Annie, Hello Dolly, and Honk. Charlotte is also involved with a competitve Salsa Company. Charlotte currently attends Orange Coast College, where she is working towards a degree in dance with a minor in musical theater.
Kassy Francis
Kassy Francis specializes in the styles of Jazz, Modern and Hip Hop. Kassy has trained in the Inland Empire with Brandon J, BJ Basier and Michele Jenkins all on staff with Chaffey College. She currently is a principal dancer for Envy, an Inland Empire Hip Hop Company, and has been dancing for this Hip Hop company for the past two years under the direction Brandon J. Credits include the Upland Music and Arts Festival of 2009, Chaffey College Spring Dance Concert '08, '09, and '10, and various venues and events in the Inland Empire. Kassy has been teaching Hip Hop and Jazz throughout the L.A. County and the Inland Empire working with all age children, teens and Adults. Kassy’s first love is dance and sharing her knowledge of dance with her students. She is a multi talented individual and is currently an LVN while still working towards her RN. Kassy plans to transfer to UCLA and obtain her BA and Masters in nursing as well as a minor in Dance. Kassy will be teaching Jazz and Hip Hop at Fine Arts Academy.
Bobby Tarighi
Fine Arts Academy of Dance would like to welcome our newest teacher Bobby Terighi. Bobby was the co-captain of the Upland high school Hip Hop team as well as an instructor for the Dance/P.E. dept. in 2007. Bobby will be teaching children, teen and adult hip hop and jazz funk (a fusion of classic jazz styles combined with the urban influence of hip hop and Latin dance). Bobby is currently a member of the Hip Hop Company, Envy, an Inland Empire Hip Hop Company, and has been dancing for this Hip Hop company for the past two years under the direction Brandon J. Bobby is currently a student at Mt. San Antonio College where he is majoring in Speech Therapy, as well as studying dance. In addition to teaching dance Bobby works as a rehabilitation aide.
Office Manager/Assistant to Director
Julie Giovannoni.
Call for all class times and policies and general information.
909.594.4583 Mon-Thurs. 3pm-9:00pm Fri. 3pm-7:30pm and Saturdays 8:30am-1:30pm
Leave message on voice mail if not available.
Assistant Manager
Denise Beadle
Hector "BEAN BOOGALOO " Flores
Bean has been teaching Hip Hop for several years in the Inland Empire area, He is currently a member of the well known Hip Hop Crew FunkDation and appeared on MTV's popular series, America's Best Dance Crew Season 7. He also has danced with Sickstep Crew of Los Angeles and Hip Funk out of Monterrey. He has trained has with some of L.A.'s Top Funk and Hip Hop Choreographers at L.A. Dance Center, Millenium Dance Complex and Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio just to name a few. Bean is well versed in all styles, Street Funk, Breakdancing, Locking, Popping and Whacking. He is known for his fluid smooth style, and is very excited to be a part of the FAAD team.
FINE ARTS ACADEMY OF DANCE • 3205 SOUTH BREA CANYON ROAD DIAMOND BAR, CALIFORNIA 91765 • 909-594-4583
