Instructors

Briana East has 14 years of comprehensive dance training and on-stage experience.  Working under numerous valley and world renowned teachers, she has studied ballet, pointe, contemporary/lyrical, hip hop and jazz.  She was a member of KDC’s Ballet Ensemble and Show Team at which time she received the “Most Graceful” ballet award.  She has performed as a soloist at several KDC year-end productions, community events and national dance competitions.  In addition to recently receiving several Hollywood connection scholarships, Briana is a 2008 High Point Soloist, winning 1st place gold awards for a contemporary performance from Hollywood Connection and Starbound National Talent Competition.  She participates in continued education several times a year by traveling to dance conventions and teacher intensives.  She also maintains her dance technique and performance skills by mentoring under several valley master teachers on a weekly basis and is a member of “Altered Modalities” contemporary dance company.  Briana has been teaching at KDC since 2004 and is currently choreographer/coach for several KDC competition teams.  Briana is committed to excellence and teaches the importance of stage presence, body awareness, and self-confidence to her students. 

Briana teaches Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet and is a Dancers Unlimited team coach.

Carly Wells has been dancing with Kings Dance Center for 15 years. She will be attending College of the Sequoias in the Fall.  She was a member of the KDC competition team for nine years.  She has previously served as a demonstrator and has been a teacher’s assistant for the last four years.  Throughout her years of dancing, Carly has studied many different disciplines of dance, including ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, lyrical, hip hop and tap.  She has also assisted with the READY program and the Cultural Center hip hop classes. 

Carly teaches Hip Hop, Jazz and Hanford Mall Kids Club

Erin began teaching at Kings Dance Center in 2008, traveling from her home in Fresno, California. She began her dance training at the age of 7 at Cynthia Merrill's School of Performing Arts.  It is here that she acquired the bulk of her ballet knowledge in the Cecchetti method of ballet, as well as the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum.  In addition to ballet, Erin has training and performance experience in many genres of dance including: ballroom, tap, jazz, musical theater, modern, and contemporary.  Erin began her teaching career after graduating high school from Roosevelt School of the Arts.  She also went on to continue her dance training at Fresno City College, through the college's well-developed dance department that focuses on modern styles and artistic choreographic expression.  At the age of 20 Erin found herself wanting to increase her dance knowledge and abilities in more contemporary styles.  She sought out to train under Martha Kelly-Fierro and ultimately was invited to be a member of the contemporary dance company Altered Modalities. It is during those 8 years of training, master classes, rehearsing, traveling and performing with the company that Erin gained invaluable experience and opportunity that resulted in a true passion and love for dance. It is that same passion and love that has caused Erin to shift her focus from training in dance to teaching dance.  While Erin loves to teach young aspiring dancers, it comes second to her love for her family; husband Ivan, and children; Liam and Camille. 

Erin Teaches Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical and Jazz.

Layne Rodrigues has been dancing with Kings Dance Center for the past 14 years. She has performed in every KDC recital since 1993 and appeared as  Clara and Dew Drop Fairy in the Nutcracker.  Layne loves all forms of dance and has received numerous accolades for her abilities, including Miss Senior Spotlight, Miss Teen Spotlight, Miss Teen Photogenic, High Point Soloist, National Teen Dance Down Winner, a LADF scholarship for a 4 week summer session, and Encore’s Elite Dance Team. She was a High Point Soloist and won the Senior Photogenic Award for Starbound.  Her Hollywood Connection awards include the Photogenic Award, the National FAME Award, onstage assistant for the regional convention and she is a two-time regional ICON winner.  Layne has also earned an LA Dance Magic National Finals Scholarship.  She is currently a freshman at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.  She represented by DDO Artists Agency, and most recently performed at the Mtv Video Music Awards on stage with singing star Rihanna.

Layne is a Guest Teacher/Choreographer.

Martha Kelly-Fierro has training in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, modern, and hip-hop. She has studied with Jeff Amsden, Keith Clifton, Winifred Harris, Mia Michaels, Jenn Ballard, Stephan Wenta, and Sue Sampson-Dalena. Some of her career highlights include: Director and choreographer of MKF Altered Modalities, a modern/contemporary dance company (1999 to present), Master Teacher and Choreographer for West Coast Dance Explosion National Tour (2002 to Present), Featured Choreographer for the Arizona Jazz Dance showcase 2000, LA Dance Invitational (2001), Dance in Action tribute to Grover Dale at Fullerton College (2000), and Choreographer for The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company (2001). She was also a company member for Between Lines, Angel City Dance Company, and the Jazz World Congress (1998). Martha was awarded the Gold Leo Award for Choreography at the Jazz World Congress (2000). 

Martha teaches Modern/Contemporary, Jazz Progressions, Tap and is a Dancers Unlimited team coach.