Meet the Bonjour Ballet Team

Ms. Kayla is the Owner and Founder of Bonjour Ballet. Growing up, Kayla was immersed in the whole world of performing arts – ballet being especially close to her heart. She believes passion, beauty, strength, and inspiration, are found within ballet, and should be shared and taught in a supportive environment. She has always dreamt of sharing her passion with others and after having children of her own she decided it was time to make it a reality. With a background in business, she brings together her true passion combined with her experience to operate Bonjour Ballet. She believes that all children can learn not just movement from ballet – but also gain confidence, socialization, discipline, and an overall appreciation for the arts and culture. 

Ms. Kim is our Office Manager. She began dancing when she was eight years old and instantly fell in love. From that point forward, the dance studio was where she always wanted to be. By the time she was ten, she was competing in jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, and musical theater. She trained at The Talent Factory Dance Studio in Chino, California. Ms. Kim continued to dance and compete through high school and made Captain sophomore year. She continued to compete at the collegiate level at Fullerton College and from there studied Kinesiology and Health Promotion at Cal Poly Pomona with an emphasis in Pilates and Dance Conditioning. After settling down with her family in San Clemente, she is so happy to live the dance life through the eyes of her wonderful students. She gets to teach her own little girl and watch her grow as a beautiful dancer. Ms. Kim’s goal as a teacher is to build confidence and perseverance. She believes it doesn’t matter the age you start dancing, all that matters is the love for dance in your heart.

Ms. Kylie is the San Clemente Studio Manager and Special Events Coordinator. She has been dancing her whole life, and started taking it seriously in middle school, joining a competition dance team at San Clemente Dance. This journey led her through her time in middle school and on to high school where she expanded her creativity to theater and choir in addition to dance. She performed in numerous dance and theater shows. She was also the dance captain for many musicals at SJHHS. After this experience she began choreographing children theater summer camps and community theater shows. Following High School, she continued to follow her passion into college where she received a degree in theater. While at CSUF she explored all the opportunities the theater and dance department offered. This is where ballet became a passion and a place of joy for her. She has always loved working with children, and loves to watch them explore their creative side through dance!

Ms. Elizabeth is a professional dancer with over 18 years of experience and training from The Dancers Studio, Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensives, and Academy of Ballet Arts. She grew up doing all styles of dance, but favored ballet. She participated in The Nutcracker for ten years fulfilling roles of Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara, Dew Drop and more. She competed with dance extensively in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Elizabeth has also performed professional in musicals such as White Christmas, and Beauty and the Beast with the company Theatre Royale. Elizabeth received her Bachelors degree in Psychology from Cal State Fullerton which aides in her understanding of children and education in dance. She is currently continuing her education at CSUF for her Masters in Psychology to one day become a Clinical Psychologist (while still teaching ballet of course)! Her love of teaching ballet extends to all ages no matter their prior experience. Elizabeth is passionate about passing on the technique, beauty, and joy of ballet to all her students. She encourages each of them to reach their potential not only in dance, but in all areas of education!

Ms. Chloe is an accomplished dancer with over 10 years of experience, specializing in the Vaganova technique of ballet. Her passion for dance has taken her to summer intensives across the United States, including the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, American Ballet Theatre, and Master Ballet Academy. In addition to her training in the United States, Chloe had the privilege of attending the Nuovo Balleto Classico Summer Intensive in Italy on a scholarship, providing her with a new perspective on the beautiful art form of dance. She has also competed many pieces at regional competitions and has qualified for national competitions such as the Youth American Grand Prix Finals. Chloe has performed in ballets such as Swan Lake, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, and the Nutcracker dancing roles such as Sugar Plum Fairy and Clara. Chloe loves to share her passion for ballet with the next generation of young dancers. She creates a happy, positive, and joyful environment that fosters growth and builds a strong foundation for young dancers.

Meet Ms. Valerie, a dance enthusiast whose journey with dance commenced at the age of 4. The initial spark was ignited by a traditional ballet folklórico performance in pre-school, starting a lifelong love with the art form.

From those early days, Ms. Valerie embarked on a dance journey, exploring diverse styles in elementary school, including jazz, street latin, and hip hop. Middle school saw Ms. Valerie grace the stage, performing for the school district and setting the stage for a high school tenure marked by leadership as the co-captain of the dance team. Throughout those years, Ms. Valerie diligently honed her technique, particularly in the refined discipline of ballet.

College didn't mark an end to this dance era but rather a new chapter, offering Ms. Valerie opportunities to dive deeper into various dance forms. The passion that germinated with a folklórico dance blossomed into a multifaceted commitment to the art.

Beyond the stage lights, Ms. Valerie seamlessly merged her love for children with the world of dance. With experience as a nanny and a dedication to community service, Ms. Valerie found joy in sharing the gift of dance with preschool and elementary students during her teenage summers.

In Ms. Valerie’s world, dance isn't just a series of movements; it's a language, a form of expression, and a source of boundless inspiration.

Ms. Amanda has been dancing since the age of six and started competing at age seven. She is trained in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary and acrobatics. Originally from Michigan,  she has trained with top choreographers such as Sonya Tayeh, Tony Tesla, and Will Loftis. Her passion for ballet has never stopped and she continues to take all the valuable lessons it taught her through her formal training. She hopes to pass on the life lessons she has learned from ballet to all her students. Bring a mother herself, she especially loves being able to share her passion and joy of ballet to all her students and their families!

Ms. Vivian been dancing ballet the past ten years, specializing in the Vaganova method. She currently attends South Coast Conservatory and has performed in ballet productions such as The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Swan Lake, and more, including taking on the role of Clara, Spanish soloist, and more in The Nutcracker. She has competed many times at YAGP and was also invited to participate in YAGP Finals twice with their ballet ensemble. Working with kids has always been a dream of hers since she was little and she hopes to create a positive learning environment for all her students!

Ms. Natalia, originally from Southern California, received her training from Southland Ballet Academy, ABT Gillespie School, and Westside School of Ballet. During her training, Natalia attended summer intensives at the Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and Chautauqua Dance Institution on scholarship. In 2021, Natalia joined the Professional Division At Pacific Northwest Ballet, where she performed in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Giselle, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon. Additionally, Natalia has performed leading roles as Waltz Girl in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Tarantella coached by Patrica McBride, Who Cares, and originated roles in Amanda Morgan’s Unfinished Symphony and Melissa Barak's Cylindrical Forces. Natalia was a part of the 2024 Contemporary Ballet Ensemble at Jacob’s Pillow where she was mentored and debuted in works by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Silas Farley. Natalia is a National YoungArts Award Winner in Dance and Youth America Grand Prix Finalist. Natalia is a Dancer with the Los Angeles Ballet, and has worked with other companies, such as The Realm Company, around the Los Angeles area.

Ms. Yana has been dancing since she was four years old and has pursued most of her dance career through Laguna Dance Theatre. There she has been skilled in a variety of styles such as contemporary, lyrical, and character dance, while mainly focusing on ballet. She has performed in countless shows and ballets such as Don Quixote, Swan Lake, and the Nutcracker, dancing roles such as Clara, Spanish Soloist, and Arabian Soloist. She has also participated in several competitions such as the Youth America Grand Prix in San Diego and Los Angeles. As she heads into college next year she hopes to continuously incorporate dance into her life while majoring in Psychology or Neuroscience, hoping to become a children’s therapist. Overall, she encourages others to use dance to help serve others as she has done, volunteering at various dance events through her studio and community. She hopes to create a lifelong love of dance in each one of her students and foster a fun, caring spirit in each one of her classes.