Teachers

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Director 

Melinda Neal, a Bay Area Native, received her early ballet training from Yanina Cwyinska, who trained at Russia's renowned Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. She was privileged to further her training under the tutelage of Ronn Guidi, founder of Oakland Ballet Academy and Company. Later on, she earned her BA in performing arts from St. Mary's College of California LEAP program for professional dancers. She is also a certified Pilates Instructor. Melinda danced professionally for 16 years with companies such as Oakland Ballet Company, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, was a founding member and Soloist with Napoles Ballet Theatre and Bay Pointe Ballet. She has also guested with California Youth Ballet and Milissa Payne Project. Melinda danced many classical and contemporary roles as a Soloist and corps member. As well as co-owned "The Dance Network" for nine years and was the Artistic Director for their Non-Profit youth ballet company. In addition, she's served as Children's Ballet Mistress for State Street Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, and Bay Pointe Ballet. Melinda has taught in the Bay Area for 20 + years with various schools, including Alonzo King Lines Dance Center, Alameda Civic Ballet, ODC Dance, SF Arts Education Project, Peninsula Ballet Conservatory, Bay Pointe Ballet, as well as served as Ballet Director and teacher at Roco Dance in Mill Valley. Her students have gone onto prestigious ballet schools, major dance programs, summer intensives, and colleges such as San Francisco Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Training Program, Alvin Ailey Training Program, Rock School of Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet, UCLA, Fordham University, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She has a passion and love for training future generations, focusing on the dancer's physical, emotional, and mental health. This passion and love for the Arts instill a fresh outlook on ballet, passion, creativity, discipline, and individuality in her students.  

Children's Program Director 

Leilani Neal began her training at “The Dance Network” under her mother Melinda Neal in Fairfield, Ca. She continued to train with schools such as Contra Costa Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Academy of Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and received scholarships with Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Miami City Ballet. She graduated from the dance department at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in San Francisco, and was hired by her high school shortly after to be the ballet instructor for the musical theatre department.  Leilani has danced professionally with Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Bay Pointe Ballet,Labayen Dance sf, and most recently Oakland Ballet. In addition to dance, she is currently a signed model with Marla Dell Talent Agency which has given her opportunities to be in commercials with Intel, Nikon, Microsoft,Visa, and Ford Go Bikes. She was featured in the Mr.Carmack 2016 Coachella set and danced in the “Romance” music video for island artists CRSB that hit #1 on top charts in Hawaii. Leilani recently was signed with talent agency  "Clear Talent Group" in Los Angeles, Ca. 

 Leilani shares the love of dance with her students and aspires to give them the tools to succeed in the dance world and commercial industry.   

International Guest Teacher 

was born in Brisbane, Australia, where he trained with Betsy Sawyers and Beverly Flanagan before entering the Australian Ballet School. After graduation he danced with The Australian Ballet for six years, before dancing abroad with Le Grand Théâtre de Genève, Gothenburg Ballet, Croatian National Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Since moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, he has taught youth and adult classes at ODC, Berkeley Ballet Theater, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Smuin Ballet, Menlowe Ballet, Bay Pointe Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Shawl-Anderson Dance Center and Jessica Lang Dance. We are honored to have Christopher Lam guest  teach at MCD.  

Hailing from Maysville, Kentucky, Calvin Thomas received foundational training at the Otto M. Budig Academy of Cincinnati Ballet. He has supplemented his studies at Boston Ballet School, The School of American Ballet, Ballet Austin Academy, and The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre. His career start began with the Cincinnati Ballet and Ballet Austin. Since moving to the Bay Area in 2011 he has performed with Company C Contemporary Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet, Oakland Ballet Company, Dance Theatre of San Francisco, Kiandanda Dance Theater, Mark Foehringer Dance Project, and Garrett Moulton Productions. His repertoire includes works by Thang Dao, Gregory Dawson, Yuri Zhukov, and Maurice Causey among others.  When not dancing he still enjoys time in the studio sharing knowledge and teaching the next generation of dancers. He has recently developed a passion for coaching from the inspiration of his mentor, Shannon Bresnahan.  Calvin most recently danced with ODC/Dance for the 2019-2020 season.

Marinna was born and raised in South Florida. She began her formal ballet training at Ballet Palm Beach under the direction of Colleen Smith. During her training at Ballet Palm Beach, she

also received coaching from Ruth C. Petrinovic and Marshall Levin. Upon graduating from the trainee program in 2010, Marinna joined the company at Ballet Palm Beach. During that time,

she performed many roles. Her favorites include Mazuka Variation from Les Sylphides, Myrtha from Giselle, Dawn from Coppelia, and Flower Girl from Don Quixote. In 2013 Marinna joined Ballet 5:8 in Chicago, where she had the opportunity to perform soloist roles in several original

works, collaborate on choreography, teach in the academy, and tour nationally with the company. In 2016 Marinna joined Charlottesville Ballet, where she expanded her classical repertoire by performing in Charlottesville Ballet’s Firebird and original work by Maggie Small (Richmond Ballet). In 2017 Marinna moved to California to join City Ballet of San Diego. She participated heavily in the organization’s outreach programs while performing roles in Paquita, Swan Lake Corps, and several original works. She also fulfilled a career dream of performing

Balanchine’s Serenade. In 2019, Marinna moved to San Francisco to pursue a growing interest in freelance work in the San Francisco dance community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Marinna co-founded Digital Dance Project, where she serves as artistic director.

 Resident Choreographer

Charles Torres Born in Mesa, Arizona, he began his ballet training as a young boy.  Charles received full scholarships to San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and others as well as earning his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree from St. Mary’s College. He is currently a ballet master/coach in demand throughout the country. He was a principal dancer and guest artist with Ballet West Arizona, Smuin Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, and San Francisco Opera Ballet. He has danced all the full length ballets, a full Balanchine repertory, and a vast repertory of contemporary works. Charles received his Masters degree in 21st Century Leadership from St. Mary's College and is Floorbarre certified through the Zena Rommett foundation.
He is currently A free-lance guest Dancer, Ballet Master, Coach, Mentor, and is at San Francisco Dance Center (Lines), DSG studios in San Francisco.