Becca began dancing at age 3 and trained in the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus in Great Britain and continued dancing at Creative Dance Arts in Tucson. She has earned numerous awards while intensively studying, performing, and competing in ballet, tap, and jazz. She has been affiliated with Creative Dance Arts since 1997.

Bringing more than a decade of teaching experience, a passion for education and a love of dance to the classroom, Becca seeks to foster children’s natural creative movement and excitement for dance within a classical technical framework.

Additionally, Becca studied at the University of Arizona and earned a Masters of Arts degree in Latin American History. She is the mother of two girls and works alongside her husband at the Javier Garcia American Family Insurance Agency.

Barbara Schuessler has been teaching for Creative Dance Arts since 1995 and offers instruction in flamenco dance, as well as, castanets. Barbara, "La Flamencista", began her dance training in Tucson with Tere Aguirre and continued with Patricia Mahan and Olivia Rojo. She traveled to Washington state to study with Teo Morca and that is when her pursuit of the flamenco art form truly blossomed. Her passion for flamenco has taken her to the Festival Flamenco in Albuquerque where she studied with many great masters of flamenco. Attending the festival regularly for over 15 years, she studied with masters like Antonio Canales and Yolanda Heredia.

Also, attending workshops by “La Tania” and Maria Benitez, she had the pleasure to study with many artists from Spain. She then traveled to Spain to study. Studying in Sevilla, her heart opened with the incredible instruction of dancers that include, but are not limited to, Belen Maya, Carmen de la Torre, Maria Angeles, and, most importantly, Georgia, “La Candela”. These are but a few of the people that she has studied with and feels fortunate to have been exposed to such artistic masters. She has performed with Aires Flamenco, Flamenco Y Mas and her own troupes. She continues to perform at festivals and private functions with “Las Flamencistas” and as a solo artist. But, teaching and sharing her passion for flamenco are what she truly enjoys and continues to pursue.

Marquez Johnson graduated in December of 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance and Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Arizona. After graduating, he decided to go back to school to achieve his teaching certification in Secondary Education. He was a SYTYCD contestant in Season 6 where he made it to Vegas Week, and he was the former president of the Tucson based hip-hop group Culture Rhythm.

As well, he has performed with many groups in and around the Tucson community. Currently, Marquez is one of the dance teachers at Flowing Wells High School while directing the Pulse Dance Company, and performs with Artifact Dance Project. After many performances with Creative Dance Arts, Marquez is excited to be a part of this studio where he hopes to spread the love and joy of dance to many aspiring dancers.

Melanie Hufford grew up in Thousand Oaks, California and is now attending the University of Arizona. She began dancing at age thirteen and started to teach at age fifteen. Her training includes top choreographers such as Shane Sparks, Nick Lazzarini, and Dee Caspary. She has performed in numerous companies and hip hop crews. She has worked extensively with high school teams in both Southern California and Arizona. She has won top choreography awards at showcases and competitions and was recently selected to choreograph for the Civic’s Arts Plaza.

She loves bringing different art forms together by helping direct a play and staging dancers in a vocal show. She is currently apart of the United Spirit Association. She travels across the Western United States teaching at Middle School and High School Dance Team camps. She is excited to be working with Creative Dance Arts for her fourth year. Melanie loves sharing her knowledge with students and watching them improve.