The Staff
Mary Dousette-Marsh Ph.D.
Mary received a B.A. from California State University, Northridge in Fine Arts, her M.F.A. in a triple degree program from California State University, Northridge in Fine Art, Dance, and Community Clinical Psychology, another M.A. in Educational Psychology and a Ph.D. from Alliant University, Los Angeles. She studied modern dance with Dr. Paulette Shefranski and spent several years with her dance company as a performer and resident artist. In graduate school, Dr. Dousette was one of the first students to initiate a dual degree program for graduate students with her emphasis on developing and implementing programs in art, dance, and psychology, which were utilized by many residential treatment programs for children and adolescents throughout Los Angles County. She worked for years with UCLA's arts outreach program — bringing art and dance to incarcerated youth through the county probation department. Over the past several years she has directed and owned Generation Dance Center in La Cañada, maintained a private practice in psychology, lectured in Europe and Los Angeles on the importance of the expressive therapies of art, dance, and music for children and adults. More recently she has become a fellow in Sports Psychology and has been an active member of the Los Angeles-based Attachment Study Group, which places its focus on the quality of the parent and child relationship and the activities that support secure and healthy attachments in families. Dr. Dousette has also been a lecturer and part-time faculty at California State University, Northridge, in the Art and Psychology Department teaching the creativity of Psychology and the expressive therapies to graduate students in child development, kinesiology (dance), and clinical psychology. Dr. Dousette spent several years developing programs for youth in the South Bay area of Los Angeles under the Federally funded Juvenile Diversion Program. Dr. Dousette is married and has lived in La Cañada for twenty years with her family. She has three children who attend schools in La Cañada and Pasadena. Her daughter has been dancing since the age of four and has won numerous awards across the United States. She is currently in a conservatory program in Pasadena.
Susie Fioretti
Susan began her teaching career in New York in 1982 under the direction of Robert Blankshine. As a former scholarship student with the Houston Ballet, she studied ballet with Blankshine and jazz with Frank Hatchett. She toured Europe with various jazz companies and represented Nike in New York industrials. Her academic studies include child psychology and development. She holds certification in yoga and is currently training in Pilates.
Leigh Purtill
Leigh Purtill danced with Kathryn Anderson's (of the Boston Ballet) Commonwealth Civic Ballet in Massachusetts and with Stefan Wenta's (of the Warsaw National Opera and Ballet) Wenta Ballet in Los Angeles. On the East coast she trained at Jeannette Neill Dance Studio and with Margot Parsons in Boston, with Sara Neece and Giada Ferrone in New York, and with the Hartford Ballet, the New Haven Ballet, the Connecticut Concert Ballet and with acclaimed modern dancer Ernestine Stodelle in Connecticut. She has taught for Hartford Ballet and for Judyth Parks in Connecticut, for Jeannette Neill Dance Studio in Boston and at her own ballet studio, SRO Dance, in Connecticut. Leigh graduated from Mount Holyoke College where she studied dance with Hannah Wiley, Terese Freedman, Jim Coleman and Karen Dearborn. She is also a published novelist.
Jordan Wentz
Jordan moved to LA in 2007 to continue a career as a professional dancer and instructor. Since then, she has done film, television, live performances, music videos and commercials. On film she can be seen in “Bring It On: Fight to the Finish”, “The Comebacks”, and more. Jordan has also been on “1000 Ways to Die”, commercials for Tresemme, Del Mar, Irish Spring and much more. She recently performed live on Disney's "Sunny With a Change: So Random". Her dance credits include Cody Simpson and Lifehouse, to name a few. She’s a former member of Unity LA dance ensemble under the direction of Tessandra Chavez and can be spotted performing at any number of Carnival Choreographer’s Ball shows and other events. Jordan's drive for success is fueled by the teachers who both encouraged and pushed her, opening her eyes to a world of possibilities through dance. She hopes to pass along her motivation and support to all of her students. Jordan loves teaching not only movement, but an appreciation for dance as an artistic and enjoyable outlet.
Mary Rita Sarkissian
Mary Rita Sarkissian was born in Glendale, California and is now pursuing her professional dance career in Los Angeles. She has trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and hip-hop since the age of 5. Mary trained at Revolution Dance Center, in Montrose, CA, and at The Edge Performing Arts center in Los Angeles. In her senior year of high school, she got a full scholarship to attend the Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz&Contemporary dance program in Manhattan, NYC. On the East Coast, she spent a full year away from home training with some of the most famous New York City instructors known. She had trained with Alexandre Proia, Tyler Gilstrap, Dorrell Martin, Angelica Stiskin and many, many more. Mary has been competing for 7 years by being included in “Julie Kay’s Dance Company,” and has been performing for almost her entire life. She still is training in Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional choreographer. Mary believes that dancing allows her body to say what words cannot.
Andrea Marchese
Andrea Marchese is originally from Santa Cruz, California and is now pursuing a professional career in L.A. She has been dancing since the age of three and is proficient in ballet, tap, hip-hop, jazz and especially contemporary lyrical. She has been assisting and teaching nationally and has taught internationally in London. She has choreographed many top award winning competition numbers and has been awarded for her excellence in choreography. Andrea has worked with the Bette Midler Las Vegas show. She has also been a dancer for the ABA Basketball team, The Hollywood Fame, owned in part by Nick Lachey. She has appeared in several music videos including Cascada and Sum 41. She has modeled for Marcea Dancewear and has been featured on the cover for the past two years. She enjoys choreographing and teaching and loves working with Le Studio Dance/Studio 57
Tiffiny Wayland
Tiffiny Noel Wayland began her extensive training as a dancer at five years old with ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, hip hop, ballroom and gymnastics. For more than fifteen years, the top choreographers, coaches and trainers in Los Angeles including, but not limited to; Dee and Tina Caspary, Bob Woodard, Jason Beitel, Richard Kauzmtch, Preston Lee, Keli Wayland, Nancy Paradis, Onisha Moore, Suzanne Easter, Stacy & Francisco Martinez, Champion Gymnastics and Vernon Lee Gymnastics.
Over the past two decades she has competed at the highest levels, winning awards in jazz and lyrical solo performances. For thirteen of those years she trained and taught at her families dance studio, where she took numerous students to competition and conventions. Winning awards in; Showbiz, Showstopper, Star Power, Hall of Fame, Rainbow Connection, Dance Rave, Star Bound, Bravo IDC, Encore, KAR and many others.
In addition she is an instructor and choreographer at Crescenta Valley and Maranatha High Schools. Along With Flintridge Prep, Sharp International, Team Rave LA & San Francisco and Star Kids As well as working summer camps, teaching dance, cheer and gymnastics for all ages and experience levels.
Over the years she has directed and choreographed full length productions including; The Lion King, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan.
