Applegate Dance Studio
At Applegate Dance Studio their biggest pride is in creating an affirming, friendly, fun, family-like atmosphere. It is important to them that their dancers are challenged and flourish both physically and mentally. It is important to them that each student at their studio feels special and well taken care of. They believe and practice that a soul’s artistry flourishes best if it is nurtured by a sense of accomplishment, confidence, self-esteem, and joy. Their studio provides a home for both the professionally oriented dancer and the recreational dancer, in the most suitable milieu for each. Their ballet program is the mainstay of their studio. Developing strong classical technique is encouraged before or while exploring other dance forms. Their ballet technique is based on a mixture of the three main schools of ballet: Vaganova, Checetti, and The Royal Academy. They use exercises and theory from all three schools, adding in a modern understanding of kinetics. They are very conscientious in providing their students with sound technique that prevents injury and promotes many years of dance enjoyment.
Lisa Applegate- Zimanyi
(Director/ Teacher/ Choreographer)
Lisa is the director of Applegate Dance Studio. She has taught, choreographed and directed dance performances in the area for over 25 years. Lisa’s warm, optimistic nature can be seen in the classroom. Lisa strives to form strong relationships with her students. Her aim is to both inspire and draw out the special talents of each dancer. Lisa is very passionate about dancing and teaching, always eager and enthusiastic to pass on her knowledge. As Artistic Director of Applegate Dance Company, she stages one or two dance performances for the community of Davis a year. Lisa has taken regional amateur dance theater to a new level. Her ability to provide exceptional performance experiences for her dancers and high-quality theater for the community is undeniable. Lisa trained and performed with the Phares Theater Ballet and the Sacramento Ballet. She has taken classes with renowned teacher Finis Jung. She has also attended teacher’s training courses at the National Ballet School of Canada. Lisa continues to dance in the Bay Area at various Berkeley and San Francisco Dance Schools.
Jean Snyder
(Adult Division Teacher)
Jean Snyder teaches Teen/Adult Intermediate to Advanced Ballet. They feel very fortunate to have Jean on staff. Jean brings years of professional experience to Applegate Dance Studio. Jean was a professional dancer touring internationally with the Marquis de Cuevas Ballet and also danced in European films and TV. She took her teacher’s training courses at the Royal Academy of Dancing, and at the Marin Ballet School, and has been teaching and choreographing for over 35 years.
Anthony Canarella-Andersen
(Guest Teacher)
Anthony grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and received scholarships to study at the Rock School and the Nutmeg Conservatory in Connecticut. Anthony has competed in the YAGP Finals in NYC, was a Tremaine Dance Convention Dancer of the Year, and was on “So You Think You Can Dance” during Vegas Week. Anthony also comes with a lot of musical theater experience including being Don Lockwood, (Gene Kelly’s role) in Singin’ in the Rain. Anthony currently is under contract with The Sacramento Ballet.
Stephanie Baltz
(Teacher/ Costume Designer)
Stephanie has been dancing and performing for most of her life, taking a break at one point to get married and start her own family. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Mills College and brings to Applegate Dance Studio both a passion for the ballet as well as knowledge of history and costume.
She began her training with the Collenette School of Ballet in San Marino, CA and continued on with the Pacific Foundation for the Performing Arts, Beth Hoges while at Mills College, and currently with Applegate Dance Studio.
It is Stephanie’s goal to provide a solid technical and artistic foundation for students as they advance upwards in the studio. Stephanie is the director of the K-3rd-grade children’s program and is one of Applegate Dance Company’s extraordinary costume designers!
Sonja Brodt
(Guest Teacher)
Sonja is a guest instructor for Teen and Adult Intermediate and Advanced Ballet. She has trained in classical ballet and modern dance for over 3 decades. She has also studied Japanese butoh, Hawaiian hula, and East Indian dance. She has performed with a range of companies, including Iona Pear Dance Theater and Dances We Dance in Hawaii, Applegate Dance Company and Blueprint Dance Company in Davis, and her own company, Ecokinesis Dance Company. Her ballet teaching focuses on combining the core control and isolation of classical technique with the enhanced fluidity and upper body expression commonly found in more contemporary styles.
Tony Nguyen
(Contemporary Teacher)
Tony Nguyen obtained a BA in Dance at CSU, Sacramento. He has furthered his artistic and performance voice locally in the Sacramento Community and in the Bay Area performing with: Bandaloop, Paufve Dance, Mid to West Dance, Joe Goode Performance Group, Nolan T’Sani, Lisa Ross, Red Bucket Dance Theatre, DIG, Lori Bryhni, Felipe Barrueto, Shakiri, and many other movers and shakers.
