Melodie Nay Danley

Melodie Nay Danley is one of the founders of Melodies’ Dance Theatre. She bought the studio with her mom, Eleanor, when she was just 21 in 1977. Prior to owning MDT, she had studied styles of dance including tap, jazz, ballet and acrobatics. She has been teaching dance for 45 years at Melodies’ Dance Theatre. While Melodie and Eleanor are the original owners of the studio, Melodie sold the studio to Kimmi Barnett and Heidi Santillan-Fong in 1997 while she continued to teach and choreograph here to present day. Melodie has received numerous awards at competitions for her teaching and choreography at Melodies’ Dance Theatre. Through the years Melodie has taught all styles of dance and used to be the studio’s main instructor. Now Melodie only teaches tap to both kids and adults since tap is her true passion. Melodie is the heart of this studio, and has always been successful in making Melodies’ Dance Theatre a family studio where long lasting friendships are made.

Kimmi Barnett

Kimmi is another past student of Melodies’ Dance Theatre who began dancing at the age of 6. While continuing to dance at Melodies’, Kimmi began her professional dance career at the age of 9 by performing all over Los Angeles as a member of Cor-Vic Hollywood Entertainers. After her time with Cor-Vic Hollywood Entertainers, she started competitive dancing through Melodies’ Dance Theatre. Kimmi has trained in various styles of dance such as tap, jazz, musical theater, acrobatics, Hawaiian dance, and Ballet Folklorico. She also competed on her high school gymnastics team and Song team. Kimmi has been teaching dance for over 30 years at Melodies’ Dance Theatre. Here she teaches acrobatics, tap, and musical theater. During her time at Melodies’, Kimmi also became co-owner of the studio alongside Heidi Santillan-Fong from 1997-2019, and she continues to teach at the studio to this day.

Rafael Austria (Ace)

Ace fell in love with dance when he was in High School, but didn’t start taking dance classes until he became a dance major in Cypress Community College. From there, he practiced classical, multicultural, and social dance styles, joined a competitive Hip-hop dance crew, dance ensemble, and ballroom team. He transferred to California State University Long Beach where he graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance. As a professional dancer, he is actively involved in performing and teaching for multiple dance companies such as with Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, as well as the street dance communities in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Orange County to continually expand his movement vocabulary.

Madie Coryell

Madie is a trained dancer of 14 years. Her styles include: jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, modern, hip hop, heels, Latin, ballroom, swing and more. She is another former dancer from Melodies’ Dance Theatre, and competed with MDT for several years. Following her training at Melodies’, she danced at Cypress college. More recently she has trained and competed in Miss Canyon Hills, where she won the title from 2020-2021, as well as competed and won the title of Miss Anaheim in 2022. During her pageant training she learned hula hoop dancing. She is also a former Disneyland parade performer of 3 years, and she currently performs dance professionally with fire.

Audrey Williams

Audrey is proud to be teaching at her childhood dance studio, Melodies Dance Theatre. She began dancing at the age of 3, but took on strictly ballet at Long Beach Ballet at the age of 12. There, she competed annually at the Youth America Grand Prix, choreographed for The Ballet Alliance Dance Festival, and participated in productions such as the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Cinderella, and Coppelia. In 2022, she began taking singing lessons and was cast in her first musical, Spring Awakening, with El Camino College theater. She then was cast in the spring of 2023 for her first professional show, A Little Night Music, at the Tony Award Winning Pasadena Playhouse.

Nick Young

Nick Young is a dancer and choreographer born and raised in Orange County, California. While at Los Alamitos High School, he devoted three years to the show choir program, performing with “SoundFX” across Southern California and Nashville, Tennessee, as well as assisting with the intermediate choirs as Dance Captain. Shortly after his second year of high school, Nick began his extensive training in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, and Hip-Hop dance at several dance studios. In his last year of high school, he joined the dance program working with the intermediate 3 and advanced groups as well as starring in their Spring 2022 production “The Ghost Light”. Right out of high school, he was recruited to join the professional dance company “The Young Americans” to perform at their dinner theater in Harbor Springs, Michigan. He also worked with them to produce “The Magic of Christmas” at the La Mirada Theatre. In January of 2023, Nick began performing in Disney’s California Adventure Lunar New Year Procession. There he acquired professional training in Chinese dragon, lion, and martial arts dance. Currently, Nick furthers his knowledge in an industry prep program, Lume Dance Collective. Nick continues his aspirations to dance professionally. Alongside teaching at MDT, he is currently dancing at Knotts Berry Farm in the new Fiesta Village show “Calle Celebracion”.

Matalina Levi

Matalina Levi is a current student of Melodies’ Dance Theatre who often teaches as a sub for younger kids. She has been dancing under Melodies’ for about fifteen years in styles such as tap, hip hop, jazz, and lyrical. Dance is Mati’s favorite outlet of freedom and expression. She also has trained as Polynesian dancer and teacher who performs and instructs the beauty and knowledge of the different cultures.

Phia Sucevich

Phia’s bio coming soon!