Meet Our Team!

**Jessica Vela**
*Director*

Jessica Vela is an award-winning choreographer and director renowned for her innovative and compelling dance compositions. In 2025, her exceptional talent was recognized with choreography awards at the Rainbow National Dance Competition. Her latest piece, “Eleanor Rigby”, has garnered significant acclaim, earning a nomination for the People’s Choice Award at the Industry Dance Awards 2025.
Born and raised in Orange County, California, Jessica began her dance training at the age of 13. She honed her skills as a member of the Tustin High Dance Team, training in various styles including jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, prop, pom, and kick. Jessica competed in numerous prestigious competitions such as USA Dance Team/Drill Nationals, NDA Dance Nationals, Jamz Dance Nationals, and Miss Dance Team Drill Nationals. Her performance repertoire also includes appearances in the annual Tustin Tillers Parade, assembly and football dance performances, and a special guest performance at a Los Angeles Clippers halftime show.
After high school, Jessica continued her dance education at Orange Coast College, diversifying her training to encompass ballet, modern, hip-hop, West African dance and drumming, Latin styles, jazz, dance composition/repertoire, and improvisation. She studied under esteemed faculty members such as Linda Sohl-Ellison, Amelie Hunter, Jose Costas, Monti Ellison, Shana Menaker, Amythyst Fritzler, Kathy Kahn, Kari Jensen, and Jeff Mayor. Jessica actively participated in fall and spring dance concerts, showcasing both faculty and student works, and premiered her first college choreography during this time.
Jessica furthered her education at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), where she trained under distinguished professors including Debra Noble, Alvin Rangel, Muriel Joyce, Gladys Kares, and Lisa D. Long. Her choreographic works were featured in both fall and spring dance concerts at CSUF, and she had the honor of presenting her piece, “The Dogma Affect,” as a guest performance at Fullerton College. In 2017, Jessica received the Outstanding Student Scholarly and Creative Activities Award. She also participated in the American College Dance Festival Association, performing “Windows and Doors,” choreographed by guest artist Leslie Scott, and engaged in workshops led by numerous university professors.
Currently, Jessica leads an award-winning competition team, performs at the Disneyland Resort, and is a cherished instructor within the dance community. She is also a certified Bounce Fitness instructor, bringing her passion for movement to the fitness community. Jessica’s profound love for dance, choreography, and teaching has inspired her to pursue her greatest aspiration: establishing her own dance studio, Dance 4:13, where she continues to empower her students to discover and develop their unique artistic voices.

**Evan martorana**

Evan has been tap dancing for nearly 20 years and has been involved in the performing arts since the age of six. Originally from El Dorado Hills, a small town near Sacramento, Evan’s early years were filled with theater and stage productions. His journey has taken him from local stages to performances in major cities like New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Tap dancing has always been Evan’s passion—from the golden era of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly to modern icons like Savion Glover and the Arnold sisters. He’s known for bringing a fresh twist to the artform, often tapping to unexpected genres—from classic rock to pop hits. His goal is to keep the legacy of tap alive and accessible to those who appreciate raw talent and rhythm.
Evan’s performance credits include 42nd Street with Musical Theatre West, The Polar Express at the Sacramento Railroad Museum, and a wide variety of musical theater productions. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from California State University, Fullerton, and is currently a performer in Entertainment at the Disneyland Resort.

Andrea Cerda

Andrea was born and raised in Orange County, California, where she began her dance training at the age of 4. Andrea started dancing at local recreational centers once a week, doing only ballet. By age 7, she started training in different styles at The Learning Spot Dance Academy.

Andrea has performed in several recitals for The Learning Spot Dance Academy, performing in lyrical, contemporary, ballet, pointe, jazz, and jazz-funk pieces choreographed by Lauren Charman and Jessica Vela. She’s competed in many dance competitions, such as Spotlight, Showstoppers, and Kar, where she was the runner-up for America’s Favorite Dancer and a Dancer of the Year finalist for Rainbow. She has also performed at The Festival of Children at South Coast Plaza, Día del Niño at the Orange County Fairgrounds, and the OC Fair during the summer. Andrea was also part of a music video, alongside Jessica Vela, for upcoming artist Yasmeen.

At 16, Andrea started working as a substitute dance instructor. She is currently teaching PreBallet and Strength, Turns, and Flexibility classes. Working with Jessica and Lauren, Andrea has learned many styles, and most importantly, she has been inspired to continue with her dance training. Andrea is attending Santa Ana College, where she continues to enhance her dance training and further her career by transferring to a 4-year university and working towards her Bachelor’s degree.

**Toni Nava**

Antonio Nava is an award-winning choreographer and dedicated dancer whose artistic journey has been shaped by years of immersive training, powerful performances, and meaningful community involvement. Under the mentorship of renowned choreographer Camron Lee, Antonio has cultivated a dynamic and expressive movement style rooted in authenticity, versatility, and intention.
He has performed with acclaimed teams such as Fidelity, Hyphen, Project Z, and Espíritu, each contributing to his evolution as both a performer and artist. His unique style is a fusion of strong foundations in popping, whacking, and housing, blended with a deep commitment to expressive storytelling and emotional connection.
In addition to his performance accomplishments, Antonio has taken on leadership roles across multiple teams, contributing choreography, creative direction, and mentorship. His dedication to empowering others through movement reflects his belief that dance is not just performance—it’s a vehicle for storytelling, healing, and community connection.
Antonio continues to inspire dancers of all levels through his powerful work, commitment to growth, and passion for creating spaces where authenticity thrives.

Isabella Harris

Izzy is originally from Sacramento, California, where she began her dance training at the age of 5. She began to take her training seriously when she joined Leighton Dance Project’s pre-professional company in 2013. In this program, she focused on competition dancing and concert work, training in jazz, contemporary, ballet, modern, tap, and hip-hop. She believes it is important to be trained as a versatile dancer; however, her passion and expertise lie in contemporary jazz and ballet.

At 15 years old, she began to work as a teaching assistant for beginning and intermediate jazz, contemporary, and ballet classes. At 17, she joined a professional dance company, CORE Contemporary Dance, as an apprentice. During this time, she developed her artistic voice and choreographed her first pieces for Leighton Dance Project. Izzy continued her dance training at the University of California, Irvine, where she was able to continue performing and exploring her choreography. She recently graduated from UCI with a B.A. in Language Science and plans to pursue a career in speech pathology. Now, Izzy plans to continue her education, continue growing her experience as a dance teacher and share her knowledge and love of dance with her students.