Our Dance Family

Alex+Burke — Alex Burke

Alex has been a social dancing addict since 2010. He tries to get his students hooked on it as well, whether he’s teaching East Coast Swing, Blues (yes, that’s a dance style) or Beginner Ballroom. He also had the privilege of developing the brand new class of Beginner Romantic Dancing For Couples (since covid wasn’t letting us swap partners).

Breonna J. Jordan

In 2018 Breonna was honored to be named a Frankie Manning Ambassador. As an ambassador, she has danced and studied Lindy Hop, along with Vernacular Jazz at many different festivals and workshops around the world including, International Lindy Hop Championships, Camp Hollywood, Herräng Dance Camp, and Fleur de Lindy, to name a few. As a New Orleans based dancer, she enjoys teaching various styles of swing dance and relating its rich history.

Carly Krulee

Carly Krulee was born and raised in Evanston, Illinois and began her dance training at Dance Center of Evanston under the direction of Beá Rashid. Her dance experiences continued with summer intensives at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Point Park University, and Toscana Dance HUB. Krulee received her Bachelor’s degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2016. Having moved to New Orleans in 2018, she found her home at NOLA Spaces/Dance Quarter immediately. She became co-director of DQ/Nola spaces in July of 2022.

Diedra Alexander

Deidra Alexander, was born in New Orleans LA, and began dancing at the early age of 3. Deidra, began her dance training at Helen Hartman Dance Company taking Jazz, Ballet, and Modern where she develops a strong technical base in Jazz. As a teenager Deidra, was introduced to dancing with the performing units at Gregory Jr. High, where she was directed by Mrs. Darlene Johnson, and had become captain of the pep squad. Later on, joining John F. Kennedy High School, cougarettes dance team performing with their marching units. Wining dance competitions to travel abroad visiting Paris France, dancing in the New Year’s Eve parades. After high school, she performed with many groups, while also becoming a professional dance teacher with the New Orleans School Board intense summer dance camps.
Giving the opportunity to be the dance director and instructor of Grotis African Dance Camp located in Wichita KS. A dance instructor/director with Young Audiences/City Works and ClarkHigh School located in New Orleans la. As an adult Deidra, was offered a full ride dancescholarship to Wiley College, The Home of the Great Debaters, which is where she received her bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. All while becoming the dance captain her sophomore year of the Renaissance Dance Ensemble. She joined a group called Casa Samba where she mastered the art of samba dance and was recruited to begin performing with the group professionally. Over the years she has received training and taught African, Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, Ballet, and Samba. Facilitated the promotion of physical fitness and healthy life choices through dance training. She has used this training to teach choreography with different organizations. Lastly conducted student teaching at Tulane University samba classes.

Ector Gutierrez

Ector Gutierrez, known for his smooth and seductive style, studied Argentine tango in the United States and Buenos Aires under the world's greatest tango masters. His personal style is heavily rooted in the techniques of traditional Salon tango and also utilizes some of the freedom and creativity of Tango Nuevo. Ector is based in the New Orleans area, but his dancing and teaching talents take him around the region and across the globe, including workshops as far away as Beijing and Hong Kong.
Ector's partners for performances include Chris Morris, Katarina Boudreaux, Michelle Erdemsel, Lesia Lebeaue and Sarina Cupo. With Susana Collins in Houston, Ector performed in Crisalis Music Project's Cuatro Estaciones Portenas in 2006 and Maria de Buenos Aires in 2007. Also in 2007, he was a principal dancer in Collins' stage show Luna Argentina and performed with her at Casa Argentina de Houston's Night of Tango.

Gabriel Cavallini

Gabriel started dancing Rock & Roll in 1997 and soon started learning different types of swing dances such as Lindy hop,Charleston,Balboa,Blues and Collegiate shag. In 2008 and 2009 went to Herrang Dance Camp to go further in his learning. In 2010 moved to New Orleans and since then has been sharing his knowledge to the local community. With more than 10 years of experience in teaching, he recently started a performance Troupe called “504 Lindyhoppers” spreading the joy of dancing throughout the city. As a performer, he achieved experience in contests; swing festivals; commercials, music videos and short films; social, private and corporate events and theaters including with some of the most recognized bands in the city.Throughout this time he also learn some other dance styles such as Tap; Argentine Tango and Flamenco. He also is a musician that studied few years at the conservatory and in the present he is playing jazz in the street.

Giselle Anguizola

Giselle Anguizola has twenty years experience in the swing dance community teaching, performing and organizing events to help preserve vintage jazz styles. She's passionate about jazz music and performs with a local band, “The New Orleans Swinging Gypsies". G loves working with the community, spreading her passion for live music and dance. As an active yogi, she offers flow vinyasa yoga - open to all.

Jana Blakes

Jana teaches group classes in Salsa on 2 (NY style) and private lessons in salsa and bachata.

jess leigh.jpg — Jess Leigh

Jess grew up in Ohio and danced as a little girl. Eventually, she moved to Jacksonville, Fl and started to hear about Dance Trance. She was originally too scared to try it because she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep up after not dancing for so many years. She was completely hooked and barely missed even one Dance Trance class. After about six months of attending Dance Trance, she was asked by the owners to train to be an instructor. She has loved every second of it! Jess says, ” I’m so happy to be dancing every day and I’m so excited to share this program with a city I love!”

Joshua "Juice" HernandezJoshua "Juice" Hernandez has been dancing Hip-hop for over 15 years. He brings his raw street style to the classroom. He is also proficient in many partner dances like Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Merengue, & Brazilian Zouk. … — Joshua "Juice" Hernandez

Joshua "Juice" Hernandez has been dancing Hip-hop for over 15 years. He brings his raw street style to the classroom. He is also proficient in many partner dances like Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Merengue, & Brazilian Zouk. He has a unique style and is known for fusing Hip-hop with other genres of dance. He creates a friendly, safe, & fun environment for everyone to be confident and learn.
"If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong"

Katarina Boudreaux

Katarina is the current co-director of Dance Quarter. She is a writer, dancer, teacher, and musician. Credits include Casa Mañana, TC Dance Club, New Orleans School of Ballet, Fort Worth Opera, Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner awards, the New Orleans Fringe Festival, and Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominations. Her novel "Platform Dwellers" is forthcoming from Owl Hollow Press. She teaches ballroom, Argentine tango, country, Louisiana heritage classes including zydeco and Cajun jitterbug, and wedding couples.

Kodhai Thirumalai

Kodhai has been immersed in the arts her entire life; she is a documentary filmmaker by profession, an impressionist painter, an Indian classical music singer and a dancer. She is tri-lingual, and speaks fluent English, Tamil and Hindi. Kodhai grew up in Bangalore, India, where she grew up dancing a variety of styles of dance; most notably, she was trained in the South-Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam for 10 years, and grew up dancing Bollywood at many school and family events. She moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane University, where she was part of a competitive Collegiate level Bollywood dance team for 4 years. She seeks to spread her love of dancing Bollywood with those around her. She has also dabbled in many other styles of dance during her time in New Orleans including ballet, modern dance, hip hop, and most recently Cuban salsa. She is a dancer at heart and hopes that others will find the same love for dance that she has.

Nathalie Gomes Adams

Nathalie is originally from France. She is a World Swing Dance Champion and a Master Teacher. She has repeatedly won every major U.S. swing dance title. Known for her gravity-defying aerials, Nathalie has taught and performed in more than 23 countries. Her vibrant performances have earned Nathalie many stage, film, and television appearances. She performed and served as a consultant in the original Broadway production of Swing!, and has appeared at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. She was a featured dancer in the 2003 Julia Roberts film Mona Lisa Smile and was a model for the dancing elves in Robert Zemeckis' 2004 animated feature The Polar Express with Tom Hanks. Her national television appearances include repeat engagements on The Today Show, as well as Entertainment Tonight, The View, Good Morning America, and on MTV. Nathalie founded Dance Quarter, and created and coordinates Mindsteppers where 700 children learn how to dance weekly!

Ray Armant

Raymond Armant is a born and raised New Orleanian and grew up with a great appreciation for many forms of artistic expressions, especially music. His dance life began while on winter break from college in 2004, when asked by his sister to join her for a salsa class. While he had never tried anything like that before he quickly fell in love with this style of dance and also acquiring a special affinity for the Latin Rhythms. He immersed himself in learning all he could from local instructors around him including, Troy Anthony & Jorjet Alcocer and eventually began traveling to salsa congresses to learn from other national and international instructors.
Upon graduation from college he returned home with a drive and passion for dance more than ever. This passion brought him together with Jana Blakes , Oscar Ramirez, Jonte Thibodeaux, & Tumay Tunur to form Mambo Orleans. They began teaching locally as well as performing at multiple National and International Congresses including, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Cancun, & on the high seas at Aventura Dance Cruise .

Sergio Zelaya

Sergio Zelaya, Director of Bayou Movimiento, brings 19 years of dance experience and studying into the studio! With a diverse knowledge of dance styles including: salsa, casino, bachata, cha cha, kizomba, semba, son, rumba, cumbia, and many others, he has developed progressive courses that maximize your development as a social dancer!

Shae Thomas

As a Louisiana local, New Orleanian Shae Thomas is no stranger to the dance world. For over 25 years she's danced a variety of styles. Initially she started in: ballet, jazz, character, lyrical, contemporary, tap, and eventually pointe. Over the years she performed in several productions with the Delta Festival Ballet Company and many other dance companies. As a teenager she fell in love with hip-hop and latin music and dance. Since then, she's become certified in Zumba and Zumba Toning, teaching dance for fitness for over eight years. Moving more into the latin world, she's attended, performed, and taught at multiple dance congresses and events. After training to learn several styles of social dance, it's hard to say which is her favorite. She can often be found dancing: salsa (On1 and On2), bachata (traditional and sensual), kizomba, semba, and tarraxinha.