After being named the first U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts in Hip Hop Dance by the White House, Ernest choreographed the award-winning short film, JONAH, Off-Broadway play One Nation, One Mission, One Promise, HOME – a musical theater production commissioned by Harlem Arts Festival, and the Netflix Original series Explained, “Dance Crazes” episode. In addition to teaching at Colburn, Ernest has also held appointments at Debbie Allen Middle School, LACHSA, CalArts, Glendale Community College, and Santa Monica College.
After high school she began dancing with Atlanta Ballet under John McFall. Since her time with Atlanta Ballet, Nayomi has danced with New York Theatre Ballet, Wonderbound, and L.A Dance Project. She has had the pleasure of performing in works by Christopher Wheeldon, Val Caniparoli, Victor Quijada, Janie Taylor, Charm La Donna, Pam Tanowitz, Gemma Bond, Bobbi Jene Smith, Or Schaiber, Dimitri Chamblas, Charm La Donna, Madeline Hollander, and Benjamin Millepied. Nayomi has had the opportunity to perform at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and the Vail International Dance festival. In addition to her classical concert dance career Nayomi has also worked in the commercial dance world. She has opened the show for Hermes women’s FW21 runway show, danced in Richard Mille’s WITHIN commercial, modeled for Rodarte’s FW21, danced for singer Remi Wolf on Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show,” modeled for Everlane’s “Releather” campaign and has been featured in St. John’s “FOUNDATION” campaign. Most recently Nayomi had the opportunity to perform in Shanghai for Bulgari’s gala choreographed by Madeline Hollander. In addition to teaching at Colburn Nayomi is a freelance performing artist.
Zoe Lesser is a Los Angeles based artist working across dance, opera, and theater. She is an alumna of Jacob’s Pillow and was a Performing Apprentice with Chicago Tap Theatre. She has presented original work at Keshet Dance and Center for the Arts in Albuquerque, NM and at Detroit Dance City Festival in Detroit, MI.
She was previously on Dance Faculty at the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, where she taught ages 5 to adult in their after-school program. She choreographed new works and revived company choreography for the company’s productions of The Little Prince, Route 66: Legends of the Road, and annual recitals. She has also taught workshops at Common Ground Tap in Denver, Summit Studio in Aspen, Dance Arts in Los Alamos, and at several studios in the Chicagoland area.
She has directed and supported work with Denver Center Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, Aspen Music Festival, Santa Fe Opera and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. She is a co-founder of The Exodus Ensemble, an immersive theater company in Santa Fe, NM.
Join world famous tap dancer, Sarah Reich and her esteemed faculty for the Tap Music Project Intensive! Students will collaborate with professional musicians studying music theory, improvisation, and choreography while writing original music accompanied by a music video shoot. Students in the Juniors and Supremes programs will also perform in a concert on July 19.
Program Overview Information coming soon!
Dates: July 14–19
Summer Dance Camps Los Angeles
This is a two-week comprehensive study of Colburn’s dance genres with a ballet emphasis for students ages 9–14. Dancers will take ballet technique and pre-pointe/beginner pointe classes daily, plus modern, tap, jazz, hip hop, and stretch/strength.
Join us for an opportunity to enhance a student’s training experience with Colburn’s resident faculty.
Schedule
July 7–18 Monday-Friday 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Age Range
9–14 years old
Faculty will include (but not limited to):
Kelly Ann Sloan Amy Schadt Flores Tamsin Carlson Denise Scheerer Ernest Felton Baker II
Student Requirements
Approximately one year of classical ballet training
Tuition and Fees
$1,050
Audition Requirements
No audition required; placement class recommended for new students.
Registration Deadline
June 16, 2025
Register Now
The Teen Tap Intensive is designed for serious tap students aspiring to take their skills to the next level. Focused training in technique, improvisation and repertory is taught by our world class faculty and guest artists.
Monday July 7–Friday July 11, 1 pm–6 pm
13–18 years old
Denise Scheerer Johnnie Hobbs Joseph Wiggan Aaron Williams Sarah Reich Gisele Silva
Approximately 3 years of formal tap training
$600
No audition required
Current and new students can join us for this four-week program on select Saturdays in June and July to keep up their training over the Summer.
Classes include Creative Dance, Modern, Tap, Pre-Ballet, Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop.
Classes are held the following Saturdays: June 21, June 28, July 12, July 19
Pre-Ballet: 9–10 am Creative Dance I: 9–10 am Youth Hip Hop: 9–10 am Ballet Prep I: 10–11 am Tap I: 10–11 am Creative Dance II: 10–11 am Ballet Prep II: 11 am–12 pm Modern I: 11 am–12 pm Tap II: 11 am–12 pm Beginning Ballet: 12–1:30 pm Modern II: 12–1:30 pm Beginning/Intermediate Tap: 12–1:30 pm Beginning/Intermediate Jazz Dance: 1:30–3 pm Intermediate Hip Hop: 3–4:30 pm
Creative Dance I ages 4.5–6 Creative Dance II ages 7–8 Pre Ballet age 4 Ballet Prep I age 5 Ballet Prep II age 6 Beginning Ballet ages 7–10 Modern I ages 7–8 Modern II ages 9–10 Tap I ages 7–8 Tap II ages 9–10 Beginning/Intermediate Tap ages 11–13 Youth Hip Hop ages 7–10 Intermediate Hip Hop ages 11–15 Beginning/Intermediate Jazz Dance ages 9–12
Julianna Bulgarelli Tamsin Carlson Zoe Lesser Denise Scheerer Kelly Ann Sloan Ernest Felton Baker II
Students must be the required age for the class by the first day of summer classes.
$110: Pre Ballet, Ballet Prep I, Ballet Prep II, Creative Dance I, Creative Dance II, Modern I, Tap I, Tap II, Youth Hip Hop
$130: Beginning Ballet, Modern II, Beginning/Intermediate Tap, Intermediate Hip Hop, Beginning/Intermediate Jazz
No audition needed, based on age.
Pre Ballet
Ballet Prep I
Ballet Prep II
Beginning Ballet
Creative Dance I
Creative Dance II
Modern I
Modern II
Tap I
Tap II
Beginning/Intermediate Tap
Youth Hip Hop
Intermediate Hip Hop
Beginning/Intermediate Jazz Dance
This is a two-week exploration of Colburn’s various dance genres for young dancers.
Each day will include classes in ballet, tap, modern, jazz, and hip hop to unlock the joy of dance and explore each dancer’s creative voice. Come dance with us!
July 21–August 1 10:00 am–4:00 pm
7–14 years old
Kelly Ann Sloan Tamsin Carlson Denise Scheerer Amy Schadt Flores Ernest Felton Baker II
No dance experience required
The Modern Dance Intensive will focus on repertoire inspired by th the various works of Merce Cunningham, Lucinda Childs, and Rudy Perez.
The workshop begins with a 90-minute modern class, with repertory for the remainder of the day. Dancers will be challenged to enhance their technique, strength, artistry, and confidence in their abilities and learn the joy of working in an ensemble.
June 15–27
12–18 years old
Tamsin Carlson Yuka Fukuda
Approximately two years of modern/contemporary dance or classical ballet training.
Robyn Gardenhire is a Los Angeles native who began her dance training with former Los Angeles Ballet, with Irina Kovsmoska and Tatiana Lichine. Gardenhire continued her studies throughout her teenage years at the San Francisco Ballet School and in New York at the American Ballet Theatre School and New York City Ballet’s School of American Ballet (SAB). At age 16, Gardenhire became the youngest African-American to be offered a contract with Joffrey II where she performed at City Center and Jacobs Pillow. She later joined Cleveland Ballet under the direction of Dennis Nahat, and had original works created on her and performed principal roles such as “Choleric” in Balanchine’s Four Temperaments, “Arabian Princess” in The Nutcracker and “Russian Girl” in Serenade.
In an effort to expand her artistry, she joined the company of avant-garde choreographer Karole Armitage, touring all over Europe. Upon returning to the United States, Ms. Gardenhire was personally invited to join American Ballet Theatre by Mikhail Baryshnikov and later performed with his White Oak Project working with choreographers Lar Lubovitch and Mark Morris.
During her time at American Ballet Theatre, Ms. Gardenhire was the driving force behind the company’s diversity committee, which introduced minority children to classical dance through their “Build a Ballet” program. Ms. Gardenhire was instrumental in providing many scholarships that were given to minority students to study at the school. Its first student, Misty Copeland, became the first African American women principal dancer at ABT. Ms. Gardenhire is also an alumnus of SAB School of American Ballet (New York City Ballet) and is a founding member of its diversity committee and recipient of the New York City Ballet Fellowship Award.
Ms. Gardenhire has developed and overseen City Ballet of Los Angeles for the last twenty years and has created a dance institution that’s curriculum covers Classical Ballet, Modern, Theater and World Dance and oversees students ages 3yr. and up. Developing and allowing students to develop and grow into ambassadors of art and able to cross through any cultural barriers they may encounter.