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FACULTY & GUEST TEACHERS

The Rage Complex is committed to providing the best training in an empowering environment. The Faculty is at The Rage Complex is diverse, distinguished, and experienced to ensure that the students are getting the very best across the board.

Veda Burton | Founder & CEO

 

Veda Burton, CEO of The Rage Performing Arts Complex; Director of the World-Renowned Rage Crew and Company and Hollywood Launch Academy, has been in the dance industry for over 45 years.  Her talented dancers have been seen many times on So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Got Talent, The Tonight Show, The View, The Ellen Show, The Today Show, Maury Povich and Mad TV.  Her crews have taken the title of "Junior World Campions" at Hip Hop International, competing against 52 Countries and won the Industry Dance Awards "National Top Hip Hop Crew" for two consecutive years.  She is consistently sought out as one of THE Foremost Industry Experts in the Country.

Tiffany Rojas | Dance Director

Tiffany Rojas has been at The Rage Complex for 20 years. It’s not surprising that she is one of the top choreographers and performance coaches for today’s young talent.  She herself was SAG and AFTRA by the age of 8, performing and competing on such shows as Star Search, The Academy Awards, numerous national commercials, television shows and feature films.  She was the host of the Kids Songs television show, and worked for Disney for 4 years filming their Sing-A-Long series.  She also began competing in dance competitions at the age of 3, and holds numerous National titles.  Then at the ripe old age of 14, she was signed by MCA Records as a member of the group Girlz Society!  

 

Growing up with her family business being a performing arts complex, it isn’t much of a stretch to learn that she began choreographing at the early age of 12.  She has trained with the top triple threat coaches and instructors in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, lyrical, vocals and acting.  Incorporating all of this elite training with an innate quality that is all her own, she has a unique and nationally recognized ability to choreograph and coach today’s young stars, including well known superstars Ross Lynch from Austin & Ally and R5, Mitchell Musso from Hannah Montana and Corbin Bleu from High School Musical; Nick Cannon’s Nickelodeon Project School Girlz, Sony/Nickelodeon Artist Cymphonique (Master P.’s daughter), Universal recording artists The Stunners from the Justin Bieber tour, and choreographed the video and performance of Colton B who was recently awarded BET’s MVP All Star Artist of the Year.

 

Her choreography has won National choreography awards at dance competitions, and her clients have won titles such as Jr. World Hip Hop Champions and NBC America’s Most Talented Kid, and been seen on shows such as So You Think You Can Dance, America Got Talent, Star Search, The View, The Maury Povich Show, and The Ellen Show.

 

Tiffany brings out the best in each artist she choreographs for, with over 10 years of success in choreography, and almost 20 in the entertainment industry, talented young artists seek out her special blend of choreography and performance coaching to help make their dreams come true.

Dusty Button | Ballet Director

Dusty Button was born in South Carolina and began her dance training at the age of 7. At age 16, she moved to New York City to train at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. In 2007, Button joined American Ballet Theatre's second company, ABT II, were she performed the lead role in Adam Hougland's Vanished. She completed her training with London's Royal Ballet School on scholarship, graduating with honors and was presented with the Dame Ninette de Valois bursary. While at The Royal Ballet School she performed lead roles in David Bintley's Gallantries and Natalie Weir's Unwritten at the Royal Opera House. She also performed with The Royal Ballet in Sylvia and The Sleeping Beauty. Button was awarded the bronze medal at the Youth American Grand Prix in 2006.

In 2008, Button was invited to join Birmingham Royal Ballet where she performed principal roles in many ballets.

She has choreographed works for Birmingham Royal Ballet and Boston Ballet's BB@home series, as well as for various companies and organizations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, and London.

As Button has only begun to make her mark be sure to keep your eyes open while following along with this star in her inspiring journey of success.

Ava Bernstine-Mitchell | Hip Hop

Ava J Bernstine, affectionately called Flava, native to Los Angeles, is one of the Industry’s sought after dancers. She is a well-versed dancer whose dance style is influenced by, but not limited to her hip-hop, jazz, ballet and contemporary training.

Ava has toured the world with artists such as Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears.  Some of her other credits include Usher, Chris Brown and Nikki Minaj and the feature film “ LaLa Land.”  

Around 2010, Ava took her passion for dance and became an activist for dancers joining like minded individuals of the Dancers’ Alliance committee.  In 2012, she sat on the panel representing DA when they won the decades-long campaign for an industry-changing union music video contract through SAG-AFTRA.  She is committed to the continual growth and change of the dance industry and the education of dancers. 

Ava has also worked along side Debbie Allen since 2001, assisting her in multiple projects and teaching at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.  She is a young, energetic, and passionate dancer who, although teaches, is humbled and considers herself to still be a student of the art.

She enjoys teaching and believes that it is important as a dancer to know your history, and because dance is ever evolving, know where it’s going. Her style is fun, hard-hitting and funky and often has influences from her modern and jazz training. Although feminine, she can get down just as hard as the guys. Ava's favorite quote: "Why Walk, When You Can Dance?"

Hailee Payne | Jazz Funk

Hailee began dancing at age 4 and hasn't stopped since!  She received most of her training at Infinity Dance in Ogden, Utah where she competed until she graduated high school. All the while, she travelled on the weekends to assist at the conventions, Hollywood Connection and Radix. A fan of Odyssey Dance Theater from a young age, she was privileged to be a part of the company and perform in the hit Halloween show, Thriller. From there, Hailee competed on “So You Think You Can Dance” season 12 “Street VS Stage” where she placed in the top 4. Some of the choreographers Hailee worked with included Mandy Moore, Brian Friedman, Travis Wall, Luther Brown, and Tessandra Chavez to name of few. Immediately following the end of the show, Hailee went on the SYTYCD Tour which included 70 cities in the US and Canada. After the tour, she made the move to Los Angeles! Most recently, Hailee has been performing with Jojo Siwa on her D.R.E.A.M Tour. Other stage performances include: Backstreet Boys “Larger Than Life,” Florida Georgia Line Smooth Tour, performing an original piece created by Mia Michaels honoring Dick Van Dyke and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Wango Tango, and many other radio shows across the country. Besides SYTYCD, you may have spotted Hailee on the AMAs with Taylor Swift, The Soul Train Awards, The Ellen Show, Good Morning America, and @Midnight with Chris Hardwick. She has even began to establish herself commercially by shooting a print ad with BMW. Hailee has also been teaching since she was 16 years old and has found that her passion for performance is matched by teaching. She is proud to be a faculty member on NRG Dance Project where she teaches multiple styles. Hailee is honored to be represented by Bloc Talent Agency!

Alexia Meyer | Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop

Alexia Meyer grew up in Utah where she trained intensely in many different styles of dance. Starting at a young age, Alexia performed in the 2002 Olympics, was Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and won the National Sr. title for New York City Dance Alliance. After attending Pace University as a Commercial Dance Major in NYC, Alexia was a contestant on Season 12 of So You Think You Can Dance and performed in the national top 10 tour. Since then, she has been featured in commercials for Samsung, Uno, SoFi, and Vlado Footwear and has performed for companies such as Nissan, DoTERRA and Nu Skin Alexia has performed with Phoenix and Pharside’s, Academy of Villains and is currently in her 4th season as a company member with Jaci Royal’s, Royal Flux. Alexia also loves to share her passion with aspiring dancers across the country by teaching, judging, and assisting for the traveling convention, New York City Dance Alliance. Alexia has found a love for sports psychology and is happy incorporating that as she continues to teach, choreograph, and pursue her professional dance career in Los Angeles.   

Micah Walters

Micah Walters is a movement coach specializing in flexibility,

acrobatics, and handstands. He has been a facilitator of physical

training since 2006, working across numerous fields including

gymnastics, ballet, yoga, hand-balancing, and most recently

with special focus, flexibility. His firsthand experience as an

athlete and professional artist, along with two decades of

education and exploration, fuels his passion for coaching and

passing on his knowledge.

Jamie Donovan I Contemporary, Ballet, Lyrical

Jamie Donovan is an L.A. based dance teacher and choreographer. A native of Southern California, Jamie found a home as a young dancer between the nationally acclaimed competition studios of Orange County and the world famous training ground of Los Angeles. After years of success in both the competitive world and commercial industry, she set out to broaden her dance education at Chapman University on full scholarship. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degrees Dance and PR, Jamie chose to further her professional dance career under representation at Bloc Talent Agency. Since her time at Bloc, Jamie has been given the opportunity to use her talent on a wide range of projects. Her collection of professional credits includes dance work for: Selena Gomez (SNL),  the GRAMMY's with James Corden (Mandy Moore), Robin Thicke (Rich + Tone), Years and Years (Ryan Heffington), Massive Attack (Hiro Murai), BANKS (Nina McNeely), Rhye (Lisa Eaton), Major Lazer (Eric Wareheim), Toyota (Vincent Paterson), and Nike (Bryan Anthony). Jamie has also spent time in L.A.'s underground sector of dance as a member of Denna Thomsen and Zak Ryan Schlegel's contemporary dance company, AXIOM Dance Theatre, as well as Tracy Phillips and Dominic Carbone's burlesque shows, Harlow and Blind Tiger. As of late, Jamie has embraced work as an assistant choreographer to Bloc's own Denna Thomsen (Lululemon Athletica) and Nina McNeely (PVRIS). 

Bailey Holt

Bailey Holt has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She is trained in all styles including contemporary, hip hop, ballet, jazz, and even tap! She also did gymnastics throughout those years and brought those skills into her dance. She has competed since she was 5 years old, and received many award winning titles throughout the years, including 1st Place National Title at Kar Nationals her senior year here at the Rage! She also has trained with many choreographers including Tricia Miranda and Brian Friedman! She now is assisting Zoi Tatopoulos here and around the world! Bailey really enjoys teaching and seeing kids progress through her classes and private lessons. She loves sharing her huge love for dance.

Karly Regueiferos | Ballet & Contemporary

Karly started dancing at the age of 5 at Dancetown, in Miami and at the age of 13, Karly quickly became familiar with success when her dance team “The Untouchables” made 6th overall in America’s Got Talent, season 7.   A few months later she was flown to Beijing, China to represent the USA on CCTV.   Karly’s dedication to her craft was evident as she studied Ballet at the New World School of the Arts (High School), where she danced for 6 hours per day studying Modern and Ballet, and ended her day at Dancetown where she rehearsed until 10PM.  During her last year competing for Dancetown, her studio received the Studio of the Year at the Dance Awards which was an amazing way to end her competition years.   Upon graduation from High School, Karly relocated to Los Angeles where she has found her love of teaching and inspiring children, as she pursues her dreams of becoming an actress.

Guest Teacher: Zoi Taopoulos | Contemporary

Zoi Tatopoulos started dancing at the age of 3 in LA. She was part of a competitive dance team, and competed for many years. As soon as she reached her teen years, she left LA and moved to Athens, Greece. She took part in the competitive dance series "So You Think You Can Dance, " placing 3rd. As soon as the show had ended, many doors had opened for opportunities working as a dancer/choreographer. Ultimately she then her passion as a full-time choreographer. At the age of 23 she started her very own dance company "Knockturnallheads "featuring 11 professional dancers of Greece. The dance company was given the opportunity to perform the show at the well-respected theater of Kakogiannis, in Athens, Greece. Since then, she has worked as a choreographer for music celebrities in Greece, including Anna Vissi, choreographing music videos, and theatrical performances.  In 2013, Zoi was hired as the main choreographer of the well-known musical "Daimones." She has traveled around Greece, teaching seminars and workshops, introducing the foreign  "american jazz technique." Zoi previously taught and choreographed at Adage Dance Center and Studio 13. She adores working with young talents, and will continue doing so for a while. In the meantime, Zoi plans to put together dance video projects and special performances. 

Jonathan George I Guest Vocal Perfomance Mentor

Jonathan George, C.E.O. of JG Entertainment, has been creating rock stars in the entertainment world for over 20 years. His success comes from his unmatched ability to identify the talents, gifts, and abilities in people and his ability to cultivate those into greatness. Jonathan is a regular master class teacher in our Hollywood Launch program.

Keonna Evans | Vocal and Acting Coach

“Acting and singing are powerful. You can inspire people and make them feel something new. I like to push boundaries and push my students to reach their full potential. It’s all about the journey!” Keonna Evans says.

 

Keonna’s artistry has caught the attention of many people including sponsors, labels, even American Idol Judge Steven Tyler– “This girl is destined to make people remember her name”– where she auditioned and landed in the Top 80 on Season 10 of American Idol. Her vocal ability is undeniable, especially when she commands ballads, and showcases her vulnerability and range. She sang backup for many artists including Wayne Brady and Broadway superstar, Tracie Thoms. Keonna's debut single, "Love Somebody” is a thrashing pop anthem ripe with sweeping hooks, blistering vocal runs and the type of pulsating baseline that DJs, and listeners in their car, will dial up to the max. This Sony Music collaboration is the perfect introduction and incredible tease to what’s in-store for Keonna’s debut.

 

She has toured all throughout California, Arizona, Texas, Washington and even as far as Central America on International Schools Tours.

 

Keonna has also appeared and worked on various different commercials and shows ranging from Nike and Gatorade all the way to working on set with Ariana Grande and Victoria Justice on Nickelodeon! She is no stranger to this acting game! This SAG/AFTRA member obtained a collegiate level of acting training, improv and scene study being her specialty and has trained with various acting coaches around Los Angeles including Graham Shiels.

Brittany Burton | Vocal Mentor

Brittany is one of our most requested and loved vocal and songwriting master class coaches for the last 10 years. She has recently worked with Laura Marano from Austin and Ally, Kevin McHale from Glee, Annika Rose, and many other artists and producers. She signed her publishing deal this year and is negotiating multiple major label offers for her solo artist project!

Colton B | Hip Hop & Breakdancing

Colton B is an accomplished dancer and  R & B solo artist. Winner of BET 106 ‘N Park’s Wild Out Wednesday All Star Artist of the Year, Colton has toured with Bow Wow, Mindless Behavior, The Rangers, The Rejects, Cali Swag, and many, many more!  Colton B also performed with Mary J. Blige on the Halo Awards, with Kevin Hart on the BET Awards, with Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars and Far East Movement for Macys Passport. A veteran entertainer, Colton started his career at the young age of four!  He performed with Jennifer Lopez in AMA’s, Outkast on the Grammys; Missy Elliot on the AMA’s, in her Work It Music Video and with her at MTV Spring Break. He appeared with Missy Elliot on Mad TV and the Tonight Show, and with Lil Romeo and Master P at the Teen Nick Concert!  He went on to film numerous videos with artists such as Jay Z, Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez, and more, including an appearance with Will Smith at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards! One of his big dreams came true when he was chosen by Prince to play him at a young age in his Musicology video, an unforgettable experience.  

Cotlon won NBC’s Most Talented Kid In America in his age division which prompted guest appearances on shows such as The Maury Show, the Today Show and The Ellen Show.   After winning the title of Jr. World Hip Hop Champion he went on to appear on The Maury Show again and also The View. He then went on to the finals in Las Vegas at America’s Got Talent!

This busy entertainer was also busy building his impressive resume working in television, film and commercials.  To his credit he has worked on numerous Disney and Nicklodeon shows, BET Awards and three times on So You Think You Can Dance! and several national commercials.  He was also featured twice on BET’s 106 N Park Wild Out Wednesday and voted winner of the Coca Cola sponsorship with BET for best Indie Artist and went on to win the BET Wild Out Wednesday MVP All Star Artist of the Year!   

The world knew Colton as Lil’ C for most of his life, but as he grew older, from being interviewed by the likes of Barbara Walters, performing with the top industry icons, and for literally millions of people, nothing about his career has been little.   

He has his own album What you Got. Colton now divides up his time between writing and recording, getting ready to tour, teaching dance at The Rage Entertainment Complex, and lending his talents to many worthwhile causes in support of issues close to his heart including raising money to help underprivileged kids.  As a former foster child himself, he performs and speaks regularly at various charity events having to do with the causes of foster kids and adoption.

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