Hawaii Dance Arts Staff

Director

Vanessa Brooks

Born and raised in Carlsbad, California Vanessa Brooks has had a passion for dance and movement since a very young age. Brooks grew up performing and competing in dance and has won several awards and accomplishments over the years. Brooks has danced and performed with the CHS Lancer Dancers, Culture Shock, Pulse Hip-hop Company, Unity Dance Ensemble, PAC Modern, and Malashock Dance. Brooks performed in the movie trailer “Dance Ten” by Johnny Smith, Maya’s music video “Like Whoa”, and in Super Bowl XXXVVII pregame and half-time shows.
Vanessa has had the privilege to train under multiple professionals such as: Tessandra Chavez, Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo, Brian Friedman, Mark Meismer, Susan McClain, and Lorin Johnson, from American Ballet Theatre. In the summer of 2006, Vanessa received her Pilates Certification through B.A.S.I. with an emphasis on Dance Specialization, under the direction of Karen Clippinger. In 2008 Brooks, received her Bachelors of the Arts degree in Dance from California State University Long Beach. Brooks has taught Pilates for multiple gyms, Pilates studios, and dance intensives/workshops, such as California Ballet.

Vanessa has taught dance for twenty plus years at several dance studios and college campuses throughout southern California, including Mira Costa College and Cal Poly Pomona. Her unique choreography has been featured by high school dance teams, collegiate shows, dance competitions, dance showcases, and musicals. Brooks’ choreography has won many awards in jazz, tap, contemporary, and acro. Since moving to Hawaii, Vanessa has taught P.E. and dance at Lanakila Elementary school and dance to several dance studios on Oahu. Vanessa also teaches Pilates at her home studio. Through movement she hopes to spread creativity and inspiration to her students, and is honored to be a part of your dance Ohana.

Teacher

Tessa Rudig

Tessa Rudig started dancing when she was three, training in a multitude of styles, including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, and fusion styles. Tessa grew up in the competition dance world, where she trained with various industry professionals, including Dez Soliven, Janelle Ginestra, and Chelsea Thedinga. She also danced and choreographed for High School Pom dance. Tessa has both competed and performed on many stages, ranging from local Nutcrackers and showcases to national competitions. Tessa currently attends the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa as a BFA dance major, where she also dances for the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warrior Dancers dance team. Tessa has always had a strong passion and vibrant love for dance, music, and the arts and honored and inspired to be involved in the journeys of other dancers.

Teacher

Kaitlyn Bowen

Kaitlyn began dancing at the age of five, training in a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, and modern. She obtained her education and technique at La Danse Academie in Crest Hill, Illinois through the age of 18. In her collegiate dance career, she was a member of the BOSS Dance Company at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where she performed in various styles, and took master classes from industry professionals including Michael Galyean, Lindsey Bacon, and Jaime Borkan. She then went on to dance and choreograph with the Velocity Dance team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She looks forward to continuing to share her passion for dance with other young, aspiring dancers.