Team Members

Barbara has taught ballet, modern dance and choreography for over thirty years. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet from the North Carolina School of the Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Michigan. She was Assistant Professor of Dance at Towson University in Maryland for six years where she also served as Chairman of the Dance Department. Barbara has received choreographic grants from the Michigan State Council for the Arts, Towson University, Meet the Composer, Inc and Morningside Festival in New York City. She was a Teaching Artist for the Visual and Performing Arts Department of San Diego for ten years and for Young Audiences of San Diego.

Bex Walker started dancing when she was 5 years old. She danced her way through school at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and graduated with honors in 1997. She went on to minor in dance at San Diego State University while she continued training and performing with Unity Dance Ensemble from 1997-2004 under the direction of Tessandra Chavez. She has also trained with Culture Shock under the direction of Sherman Shoate (2010) and performed in Afta Shock under the direction of Trina Lyons (2009). In 2005, she joined the performing group Eveoke Dance Theatre and became a Master Teaching Artist as well as a concert company member and choreographer. She has performed in multiple shows in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Becky also toured as a performer in the Dominican Republic.
She had the honor of co-choreographing the hip hop workshop production Refuge with Myriam Lucas in 2011. The choreography was extended into a full production for La Jolla Playhouse titled BREAK in 2012. Break won the 2012 Bravo SD Award. Bex now teaches outreach for La Jolla
Playhouse, is Program Director for Creative Stages of San Diego, and hopes to further grow as a choreographer while creating a group of expressive dancers at San Diego Danceworks.

Lindsay Brzenski has been dancing since the age of nine. She teaches jazz, contemporary, ballet, ballroom, salsa, lyrical, and tap. A San Diego native, she has studied at various studios throughout the city. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego and received a bachelor’s degrees in both Theatre and Dance. While at school, she studied and performed with Patricia Rincon, Allyson Green, Tony Callahan, and Jean Isaacs. In addition to dancing, Lindsay also works in the San Diego entertainment industry, specializing in lighting, audio and costuming.

Josie Murphy has been dancing at San Diego Danceworks since the age of two, where she found her love of ballet very young. She has received her training from Barbara Rinaldo, Sasha Gutman, and Katie Ryan, all of whom emphasize a strong foundation in artistry. Performing in many years’ worth of San Diego Danceworks’ productions, she has most notably embodied Swanhilda from Coppélia (2024), Clara Valle (2019) and the Sugarplum Fairy (2024) from The Nutcracker, and soon, the Snow Queen from the studio’s original production, Nutcracker in Wonderland. Her philosophy is a culmination of teaching the details of ballet, as well as the beauty that comes from the unique nature of each dancer’s movement. Miss Josie feels very lucky to teach ballet and pointe at the studio that she loves so dearly!

Peyton Wright is originally from Burlington Washington. She started dancing at 5 years old at “Skagit Valley Academy of Dance” where she then became a student teacher at just 15 years old. Throughout high school, she choreographed for competition numbers at her home studio, as well as dance numbers for her cheer team as a co-captain. She also helped with choreography for many musicals at her school including “Bye Bye Birdy”, “Shrek the Musical” and “In The Heights”. As a senior in high school, she became “Miss DEA” for her solo performed at Dance Educators of America. After graduating, she went on to become a part of the Hip Hop Dance Team at Western Washington University. She then went back to her home studio where she became a full time teacher and choreographer. She has a certification under “Dance Educators of America” as well as “Acrobatic Arts”. She has gone on to receive multiple judges awards for her music, choreography and costuming at various competitions and conventions. She is thrilled to be a part of the San Diego Danceworks Team and inspire the next generation of dancers.

Mikel McCurdy Weigel started dancing at the age of three and it’s been a true lifelong passion. She grew up dancing at Classical Ballet Academy and competed with Massay’s Dancestars and Kim Massay Dance Productions, all in Oklahoma. She participated on the Senior Company at dozens of dance conventions and competitions yearly. She was a member and captain of the varsity high school pom squad where they placed in the top of the state and national competitions. She went on to be a member and captain of the University of Oklahoma Pom Squad where she performed at the National Championship Orange Bowl in 2000, the Final Four for both the Oklahoma Men’s and Women’s teams in 2002, and NCA/NDA Collegiate Dance Team competition in Daytona Beach, Florida. She participated in show choir and musicals in both high school and college playing the role of Gloria in the production of Damn Yankees. She also spent years training in acting for theatre and film and appeared in dozens of commercials and independent films.
She began teaching dance in college and spent hours in the studios instilling passion in dancers across Oklahoma. She has choreographed and coached numerous varsity and junior varsity pom squads. She was assistant choreographer and dance instructor for The Rousabouts, a performance group, at Northern Oklahoma College and the musical show at Six Flag’s Frontier City. She has been a judge for high school and college dance team auditions and currently acts as a judge for the Oklahoma State Dance Team Directors Association, which is the premier state competition for Oklahoma dance teams.
She currently works in marketing for a software company and serves as a Public Affairs Officer in the US Navy Reserve.

Amanda Ginella is a dance teacher from San Diego County with experience in ballet, pointe,
contemporary, lyrical, jazz, tap, hip hop, musical theater, modern, and acro. She began her
teaching journey as a teacher’s assistant when she was in middle school at her dance studio
and continued to TA as a highschooler at her school. She danced competitively with studios in
San Diego for seven years and performed and competed with her high school’s varsity dance
team, including three years in the choreography and production class. She earned Associate’s
Degrees in Dance, Kinesiology, and Global Leadership from Santa Barbara City College, where
she trained and toured with the SBCC Dance Company, worked as the Teachers Assistant of
the modern and jazz dance classes, and choreographed a company piece. Since 2021,
Amanda has taught at dance studios and after-school programs in Santa Barbara and Goleta.
Now back in San Diego, she teaches in person at dance studios and virtually over zoom,
working with dancers of all ages in group and private lessons, as well as choreographing and
cleaning competition routines. She is passionate about helping students build confidence and
enjoy dance.

Hello! My name is Maya Howard, and I am a 20 year old dancer and teacher. I grew up dancing competitively in Colorado, and I have been dancing for 14 years! I am a Kinesiology student at SDSU, where I was also on the D-1 Dance Team. I've gotten to work with some of the most amazing choreographers throughout my career, as well as being able to work with a variety dancewear companies. Now, I'm all about sharing my love of dance with younger generations, and theres nothing better than seeing someone light up when they find their groove. I am so excited to be teaching and can't wait to dance with all of the students here at SDDW!

Hi! I’m Elena Voytilla, a dedicated dance educator with a passion for helping young movers find joy, confidence, and creativity through dance. I hold a degree in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University, where I trained in Horton technique under Ray Tadio and studied classical ballet with Wendy Diamond.

I specialize in teaching foundational dance to children ages 6 and up, offering age-appropriate instruction that evolves as dancers grow. For my younger students, I focus on creative movement, musicality, and playful exploration. As dancers advance into their preteen and teen years (10–18), I help them develop stronger technical skills, artistic expression, and body awareness—all while nurturing their individuality and confidence.

My classes are rooted in a deep understanding of movement and development, blending structured technique with encouragement and imagination. I strive to create an environment where dancers of all ages feel seen, supported, and inspired to move with purpose and joy.

In addition to dance, I’m also a certified Pilates instructor. I previously worked with Aphrodite Fertility Clinic, supporting women undergoing IVF and hormonal challenges. This experience expanded my appreciation for how movement can heal and empower, a perspective I bring into every class I teach. I now work closely with Crave Community here in San Diego to help foster pop-up wellness classes and community based events all over the city.

Erin’s devotion for dance began in 1998 at James Hubert Blake High School in Maryland. She learned from K-12 Dance Specialist Sandra Perez and performed works by Choreographer Krissie Marty at the Kennedy Center. Erin continued her education at DeSales University, training under Department Head Tim Cowart and Joffrey Ballerina Trinette Singleton, earning a BA in Dance and induction into the National Honors Society for Dance Arts.

After graduation, Erin moved to New York City, interning with Tiffany Mills Company, apprenticing under Choreographer Sasha Welsh, and working as a Production Assistant for Choreographer Tamar Rogoff on “Edith and Jenny” featuring Claire Danes at PS 122.

In 2007, Erin relocated to San Diego, where she became a Teaching Artist with the San Diego Unified School Districts and connected with Barbara Rinaldo. This collaboration led to her role as an instructor and production assistant at SDDW. Erin also co-founded Dark Horse Dance Productions (DHDP), showcasing her choreography at various venues in SD and LA.

In 2016, Erin returned to the East Coast, enhancing her technique under Dance Master Elbert Watson in Virginia Beach. She became a certified yoga instructor and taught at Studio Bamboo and Exos Corporate Wellness. Her musical theater choreography "Jet Set" earned third place at the Elite Performance Dance Competition in 2022.

In 2023, Erin returned to San Diego, reuniting with Danceworks as office manager and a dance/yoga instructor. Grateful for this second act, she continues her artistic journey with boundless enthusiasm and dedication.

Hope Worth is a San Diego Danceworks alumni who has trained primarily in ballet, modern, contemporary, and jazz. Hope attended Central Washington University where she received a BFA in Graphic Design and a minor in Dance Performance while being a member of the school’s Orchesis Dance Company. During her time on the company, Hope cultivated her love for dance and teaching through performing in a multitude of showcases, choreographing for the company, and working with the company’s directors to produce the Orchesis Dance Concert. One of Hope’s biggest passions is sharing her love for dance through teaching. Open communication is the foundation of her teaching philosophy and she encourages students to use their voice and listen to their body.