Meet the Staff
Carole Valleskey
Founder/Artistic Director
Carole Valleskey is the Founder and Director of the California Dance Institute, an affiliate of Jacques d’Amboise’s renowned National Dance Institute. Familiar with the NDI program since 1983, Carole re-connected with founder Jacques d’Amboise in 1998 and worked to bring this acclaimed program to Los Angeles.
Ms. Valleskey danced with the Joffrey Ballet from 1976-1991 and was a principal dancer from 1983 on. Receiving national and international notice, her most critically acclaimed roles were as “The Cowgirl” in Agnes deMille’s Rodeo, the title role of “Lise” in Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardee and “The Chosen One” in the re-creation of the 1913 Nijinsky-Stravinsky Le Sacre de Printemps. She also danced with Cynthia Gregory & Fernando Bujones; the Basel Ballet in Basel, Switzerland; Houston Ballet; and American Ballet Theatre II. Ms. Valleskey was Dance Captain with Phantom of the Opera from 1991-1995.
From 1998-2002, she was Director of Education and Outreach for the Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles, Prior to that she worked with the Music Center Education Division as a teaching artist and writer of their arts study guides, Artsource.
Founder/Artistic Director
Carole Valleskey is the Founder and Director of the California Dance Institute, an affiliate of Jacques d’Amboise’s renowned National Dance Institute. Familiar with the NDI program since 1983, Carole re-connected with founder Jacques d’Amboise in 1998 and worked to bring this acclaimed program to Los Angeles.
Ms. Valleskey danced with the Joffrey Ballet from 1976-1991 and was a principal dancer from 1983 on. Receiving national and international notice, her most critically acclaimed roles were as “The Cowgirl” in Agnes deMille’s Rodeo, the title role of “Lise” in Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardee and “The Chosen One” in the re-creation of the 1913 Nijinsky-Stravinsky Le Sacre de Printemps. She also danced with Cynthia Gregory & Fernando Bujones; the Basel Ballet in Basel, Switzerland; Houston Ballet; and American Ballet Theatre II. Ms. Valleskey was Dance Captain with Phantom of the Opera from 1991-1995.
From 1998-2002, she was Director of Education and Outreach for the Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles, Prior to that she worked with the Music Center Education Division as a teaching artist and writer of their arts study guides, Artsource.
Maya Estephanos
Managing Director
Maya Estephanos is an award winning choreographer and instructor from Atlanta, GA. She has over 15 years of industry experience and has taught dancers of all levels and genres including hip-hop, jazz, ballet and tap. Maya's experience includes: Training at Alvin Ailey and The Broadway Dance Centre (studying under Debbie Allen and Savion Glover); dancing with Beyonce, Usher and J.Lo; choreographing for P.Diddy, Nicole Scherzinger and The Second City; along with developing artists for Sony and Interscope records. Maya is passionate arts education and believes there is something to be learned in every moment.
Managing Director
Maya Estephanos is an award winning choreographer and instructor from Atlanta, GA. She has over 15 years of industry experience and has taught dancers of all levels and genres including hip-hop, jazz, ballet and tap. Maya's experience includes: Training at Alvin Ailey and The Broadway Dance Centre (studying under Debbie Allen and Savion Glover); dancing with Beyonce, Usher and J.Lo; choreographing for P.Diddy, Nicole Scherzinger and The Second City; along with developing artists for Sony and Interscope records. Maya is passionate arts education and believes there is something to be learned in every moment.
Kevin Bowers
Musical Director
Accompanist
Kevin Bowers, has a BA in music from Princeton University, a Masters in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan, teaches private lessons, and has accompanied dance classes throughout the Southland. Kevin develops, edits, arranges, and distributes music for all CDI programs. He recruits, trains and mentors all accompanists. With the Artistic Director and staff, he develops musical pieces for all culminating shows and hires and directs a 6- to 8-piece band for the Event of the Year shows.
Musical Director
Accompanist
Kevin Bowers, has a BA in music from Princeton University, a Masters in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan, teaches private lessons, and has accompanied dance classes throughout the Southland. Kevin develops, edits, arranges, and distributes music for all CDI programs. He recruits, trains and mentors all accompanists. With the Artistic Director and staff, he develops musical pieces for all culminating shows and hires and directs a 6- to 8-piece band for the Event of the Year shows.
Susan Gladstone
Assistant Artistic Director
Susan Gladstone, studied at the prestigious School of American Ballet, after which she joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle where she performed principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham and Lynn-Taylor Corbett among others. Susan was dance captain/ballet swing in both the national touring and Broadway casts of The Phantom of the Opera. In 2004 Susan completed the National Dance Institute’s teacher training program and began teaching for CDI shortly thereafter.
Assistant Artistic Director
Susan Gladstone, studied at the prestigious School of American Ballet, after which she joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle where she performed principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham and Lynn-Taylor Corbett among others. Susan was dance captain/ballet swing in both the national touring and Broadway casts of The Phantom of the Opera. In 2004 Susan completed the National Dance Institute’s teacher training program and began teaching for CDI shortly thereafter.
Jessica DeBolske
Teaching Artist
Jessica DeBolske trained at Motion Pacific Dance Studio in Santa Cruz, CA for 12 years. She received a Bachelor of Arts from UC Riverside in 2015, where she expanded her technique training into modern dance and improvisation and performed/choreographed for the department’s productions of Spring Forward and UCR is Dancing. She danced for the university’s Gluck Contemporary Dance Ensemble, where she toured schools in the Inland Empire to demonstrate the importance of dance and the arts to students.
Teaching Artist
Jessica DeBolske trained at Motion Pacific Dance Studio in Santa Cruz, CA for 12 years. She received a Bachelor of Arts from UC Riverside in 2015, where she expanded her technique training into modern dance and improvisation and performed/choreographed for the department’s productions of Spring Forward and UCR is Dancing. She danced for the university’s Gluck Contemporary Dance Ensemble, where she toured schools in the Inland Empire to demonstrate the importance of dance and the arts to students.
