CSJ Instructor Bios
 
Christine Baker (Jazz)
Christine has been dancing her whole life but started taking it seriously when she tried out for a dance team her sophomore year in high school. She hasn't stopped dancing since. She continued with this dance team throughout high school and college performing Hip-Hop, Jazz and Pom. During that time, she participated in multiple competitions in Iowa, Texas, and South Carolina, and choreographed routines for her team. She also spent three summers teaching dance camp at high schools around the MidWest.
Christine moved to the Bay Area from Iowa in January 2008, and soon after found Community Street Jam. She started out as a member and became the Jazz instructor in September and now also teaches Hip Hop. She has been loving it! For her, the best part about being an instructor is watching her students really enjoy themselves after they've worked so hard to learn a routine. Her favorite part about dancing in general is performing. There's nothing like the rush of being in front of an audience and letting the music move through you.
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Joanne (JoJo) Mulson (Hip Hop)
Joanne "JoJo" Mulson began her dancing career on TruElement in 2001. Since then she has been an Artistic Director for Culture Shock Oakland and trained with Phoenix Dance Company out of Fremont, CA. Her current involvements include being an Event Coordinator/Dancer on Groove Against the Machine and Artistic Director for Expressive Doubt SF. She began teaching Hip Hop classes at Community Street Jam in July of 2008 and has also been involved in the After School Program as well as Summer Camp.
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Renee Puckett (W. African Cardio Dance)
Dance Experience: Fua Dia Congo (Congolese)
Artistic Director: The late Malonga Casquelourd
Position: Assistant Director, Production Assistant, Lead Dancer. 1977-2004
Ceedo Senegalese Ballet (West African)
Artistic Director: Allassane Kane
Position: Assistant Director, Production Assistant, Lead Dancer. 1987-1999
Founder and Artistic Director of the
Ballet Lisanga Congolese Performing Arts Company and
Ballet Lisanga II West African Performing Arts Company
35 Dancers, 6 Drummers. Since2004.
Appearances: TV Documentary “And Still We Dance”, Nationwide TV show Northern Exposure, Stevie Wonder Dark and Lovely Video.
Performances: The world renowned Jacobs Pillow, The Lincoln Center N.Y., The Kennedy Center Wash. D.C., Palace of Fine Arts, Herbst Theatre.
San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. Many more.
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Nora Colin (Zumba)
I have been a fitness instructor for 17 years and continue to make this my passion along with my beautiful family. Aside from my teaching career that I do part time, I take care of my wonderful family. When my three kids were toddlers, all close in age, I wanted to be healthy, active and be a great example for them as they grew up. So, I joined the YMCA. We became a Y family and I became a fitness instructor. That is where it all began for us. What a deal. I now work for the Y, CSJ and Every Woman Health Club. I have also learned to live with this motto: To make a difference in anything I do, is to do everything I do with a passion every day. I teach Zumba, Body Sculpt, Spinning, Water Aerobics, Gliding and Kickboxing. I am currently working on Pilates and Yoga Instructor Certifications.
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Ivonne Tamariz (Zumba)
Dancing has been the most important and rewarding aspect of my life. Over the years I’ve studied numerous dance forms such as Nicaraguan Flor Klor, Modern Dance, Flamenco, Salsa, Ballroom, Belly Dancing and Afro-Brazilian to name a few. I have been teaching Salsa and cardio-dance classes all over the Bay Area for the last 5 years. My passion for dance, fitness and having fun is never-ending and I do my best to make sure my students have fun, learn new dance moves and party in my classes! Join the party and get a great work-out… Let’s Zumba!
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Sudeep Johnson (Belly Dance)
At 4 years old Sudeep started taking ballet classes and never looked back. In 1993, after trying many different dance forms, she discovered Middle Eastern dancing. Dancing, choreographing and teaching Belly dancing has been her passion ever since. “Middle eastern music speaks to my soul and transports me to another world. I love all aspects of this evolving dance form.”
Sudeep has studied under several teachers, including Helené, Gabrielle, Palika, Malia de Felice, Yolanda and Sabiba, each with their own unique style. She has danced with several troupes, and currently dances with Troupe Zambalita from Redwood City.
As well as dancing with Troupe Zambalita, she dances solo, teaches and continues to write choreographies for the troupe.
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Sandrine Cornet (Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical Jazz)
Sandrine is a native of Mountain View, California. She began dancing classical ballet at the age of 6 years old with the Pacific Ballet Company. She then proceeded to receive a B.A. in communications while studying dance. Once back in the Bay Area she began dancing with Bubba Gong as a member of Foothill Community College Dance Company in 2005. She was graciously asked to begin instructing classes at CSJ and is delighted to become part of our community.
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Julie Dakin (Yoga)
Julie has been practicing Yoga for 10 years and her practice has led her to a deeper connection with the body, mind and spirit. After studying many different styles of Yoga, Julie became very intrigued and felt a great affinity with Anasura Yoga which translates to "the soul in the flow of the Universe," "following your heart." Her passion has led her to the path of sharing her knowledge with others so they too can know the wonderful benefits of Yoga.
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James Badia (X-Biking)
James Badia started racing BMX at the age of 11 and didn't stop until his mid twenties. He holds multiple state and national titles in this arena. In 2003 James transitioned to road and MTB racing and adapted quickly moving from Cat 5 to Cat 2 in 16 months. James is now a Category 1 racer with the Webcor/Alto Velo Men's elite team. James currently races all 4 disciplines of XC, Cyclocross, Track, and road with an emphasis on the latter. James is very knowledgeable in the science of training for performance sports. James has been teaching X-bike at CSJ since it opened March of 2007. Outside of cycling, James has a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He currently works for a medical device design firm in Los Gatos.
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Stan Horspool (Step)
Stan started dancing at the age of 16 after becoming involved in High School gymnastics and realizing that with dance you could perform anywhere, anytime and with no equipment other than one's own body and mind.
His first experience with dance was a Jazz class that took place within a gymnastics studio in Southern California. He quickly realized that ballet would give him the much needed technique for serious dancing. He began his ballet training in Lancaster, California with the Zella Andreski School of Classical Ballet. This continued until age 18 when he moved to Berkeley to attend UC. His training continued with Oakland ballet, Oakland Civic Ballet, Oakland Theatre ballet and Pacific ballet in San Francisco. Stan began his dance instruction career by teaching beginning Jazz at age 22.
His dancing career has continued with: modern, jazz, tap and ballroom dance. Currently, Stan teaches Broadway Jazz classes as well as group exercise classes in Step, Interval Training and Latin Aerobics.
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Barbara Miron (Cardio Fitness, Step, Hip Hop/Funk)
My professional dance training began in 1989 at Step 1 Dance Academy in Sacramento and the first Community Street Jam Dance Group was formed in 1990. Soon after, local Parks and Recreation Departments and schools saw the potential value of my combination of fitness, dance and mentoring ideas and approached me to offer classes during and after school.
Since then I have been working full time, combining personal and group fitness with dance and community involvement. I founded Community Street Jam in 1989, because I believed that I could create long-term relationships with the families in my community through my dance programs. I strive to provide as much mentoring as a child or family needs by providing group support of problem areas of life as well as healthy celebration of accomplishments.
By creating a long lasting program that can change and adapt with the student and their families as they navigate the passing of time and the milestones of the human lifespan I can help through my mentoring style to come up with strategies for positive outcomes to times of transition.
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Laura Ordonez (Youth Jazz, Youth Hip Hop)
Laura was a competitive figure skater for 11 years, starting from the
age of 4. Started ballet at age 7 and continued intensive ballet
programs for 7 years, as well as taking jazz and lyrical for 5 years.
In high school she was a Varsity Cheerleader for 3 years, where she
started Hip Hop classes, and realized her dream of being a
choreographer. She is also an aspiring actress, which has helped her
performance, and strives to pass along everything she has learned from
her mentors and life experience in dance on to kids who want to grow
as dancers. She hopes to become not only a dance choreographer, but
also a figure skating choreographer, and her current goal is to learn
many different styles of dance in order to make her choreography more
distinct and versatile.
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Genaro (“Junior”) Sanchez (Zumba)
It all began at birth. My parents are great dancers and dancing is in my blood. Many years later, I became the entertainer and dancer at family gatherings. Dancing has become my passion, addiction and my life! I have choreographed many show pieces for private parties and public events. I have worked in many local gyms and one recent accomplishment was the creation of a Zumba Club at Sequoia High School. Now, I look forward to working and growing at Community Street Jam. “So, let’s Zumba baby!”

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John Rosenstein (Personal Trainer, Body Sculpt)
John has been teaching fitness classes since 2000. He started as a Kick Boxing instructor yet soon transitioned into teaching many different types of classes.
John holds certifications in Group Exercise, Personal Training, Practical Pilates, Injury Prevention & CPR / First Aid, as well as a B.F.A. from San Jose State University.
Previous to John’s career in the fitness industry, he was both an Artist and a Dot.comer. He was instructing Glass Blowing at S.J.S.U. as well as selling internet solutions in Silicon Valley.
John’s teaching philosophy is to make it fun and keep it safe. Often John will distract his class with questions or stories, in order to keep their minds off the pains associated with exercise, at the same time checking the form of his students to prevent injuries.
When John is not working, he can be found snowboarding, camping, writing poetry, shooting digital photography, making art, traveling internationally or preparing for Burning Man.
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James Spencer (Personal Trainer, Cardio Mix)
A15 years fitness professional who attended Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. James served 3 years in the US Army and is a Certified personal trainer, through ACE. A Certified Spinning Instructor. And hold his CPR/AED certification. James has taken accreditation courses in TriDoma Functional Training, Sole Synthesis, X-Biking, and is an avid cyclist / triathlete. His hobbies include traveling, theater, dancing.
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Ruby Chance (Hula)
They say “Those who can’t do, teach”. I strongly disagree. I teach because I love dancing so much, and I want to share what I’ve learned over the years. What I do believe is this: "Find a job you like, and you never work a day in your life". At age 16, I auditioned and was accepted at a talent agency. I trained in many different types of dance from Philippine Folk, Hawaiian and Tahitian to Broadway. I danced all over Japan as part of the agencies dance troupe for 6 years.

Two years ago I discovered and fell in love with Belly Dancing, Jazz and Hip Hop.
Dancing is a huge part of my life. The first time I broke a rule was because of dance. I remember sneaking out of the house at night to go to a disco, and my father would catch me and have to go pick me up.

When I’m not dancing, I love spending time with my family and taking care of my son.
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