College Dance Program

David McMahan is a graduate of the University of Arizona School of Dance and received his Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine. During his professional dance career in New York and San Francisco, he studied at the Martha Graham School and the Merce Cunningham Studio. David performed and toured with Orange County modern dance company, The Assembly, which collaborated with multidisciplinary artists to create site specific dance performances. A member of the Dance Faculty at Orange Coast College, he teaches a range of classes in ballet, modern, and jazz technique as well as Pilates apparatus and teacher training courses. David also teaches at DanceLabOC in Irvine.

Through the influence of first-generation Pilates Elder Ron Fletcher and the mentorship of master teacher Kyria Sabin, he discovered his passion for empowering bodies through movement. As Fletcher Pilates Director of Continuing Education, David has taught educational programs throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, and South America, as well as currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Pilates Method Alliance. Through his multifaceted background, David integrates dance, Pilates, kinesiology, and neuromuscular conditioning to highlight the importance of correct body alignment and solid technical training to support dancers toward achieving their full potential.

Monik C. Jones is a dance educator and choreographer who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in World Arts and Culture, concentrating in Dance, with a minor in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles. She received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance from University of California, Irvine. Early on, Ms. Jones trained at the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts. She danced with the Ka-Ron Brown Lehman Dance Company and she studied West African dance under Nzingha Camara. Monik also performed with UCLA’s African Art Ensemble and Modern Dance Group. She was a principal dancer with Dancer’s Array “N” Christian Evangelism, The Gospel Music Workshop of America Liturgical Dance Company, Unit Choreographers of Liturgical Movement, and LIQUID Production Ministry, where she showcased her jazz and hip-hop skills. Monik’s hard work and dedication has led her to teach and perform nationally and internationally from Washington D.C., Arizona, Kansas, to Brazil, Ghana and Croatia.

Since 2005, Monik has served as an adjunct professor of dance where she teaches African, Afro-Caribbean Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Social Dance, Rehearsal and Performance courses. She continues to work for several community colleges including: Cerritos College, Cypress College, Irvine Valley College and Santa Ana College.

Monik is the founder and director of Monik’s Creative Movement Education Program​, where she provides quality dance instructions to school children who reside in underserved areas and do not have access to arts education. The program is designed to provide mentorship opportunities to college students who are interested in being dance educators. She also offers training in entrepreneurship development, financial literacy and curriculum development. Monik manages a small team of teachers who work in schools, churches and the community throughout the Los Angeles area.

Ms. Jones is passionate about her work; especially, her role as Artistic Director of the Liturgical Dance Ministry of Judson Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor T.L. Brown Sr. She has developed a liturgical dance curriculum that she teaches across the country. The research for this curriculum is based on her graduate thesis “A Comparative Study on Pedagogical Techniques of Two Liturgical Dance Instructors in African American Baptist Churches” which has been published.​

Kira Bartoli, a Southern California native, began her dance training at the age of four. She furthered her studies at Chapman University where she received a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Business Administration. She is proud to be back at Chapman, now as faculty in the dance department. Kira served as the Dance Manager and a performer at Teatro Martini Dinner Cabaret Show and has performed in multiple Disneyland parades. Her most recent choreographic endeavors include music videos for JORDY, Cory Wong, and Cyrus Reynolds. Kira has performed works by choreographers Dwight Rhoden, Mauro Astolfi, FLOCK Works, Peter Chu, Ido Tadmor, Ching Ching Wong, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Jhonathan Soutchy, and Shay Kuebler, among others.

In 24-25 Kira will be starting her seventh season as a professional company member with Backhausdance, Orange County’s award-winning contemporary dance company, founded in 2003 by Jennifer Backhaus, artistic director and Chapman University dance faculty member. Kira is part of the faculty for Backhausdance’s annual Summer Intensive program, July 15 – August 3, 2024 at the Sandi Simon Center for Dance, Chapman University, teaching Backhausdance repertory, Pilates, and partnering to teens, advanced/college level and professional dancers.

Interested in injury rehabilitation and cross training for dance, Kira is also certified in Balanced Body Pilates Mat 1/11. She shares her expertise and joy for helping students develop a deeper understanding about their bodies in her Mat Pilates strengthening and toning classes at Sunspark Yoga in Orange.

Professor ANDREW VACA has served CSULB for 26 years as an instructor of jazz and modern dance, a creator of 26 concert dances, faculty Production Coordinator, and Department Chair, and he was a 2023 recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Achievement. Andy is proud to direct Masters Pro Dance Workshop, an annual fundraising event he created for CSULB Dance scholarships, and CSULB Dance’s High School Dance Day.   Andy began dancing at Sacramento State University under Dale Scholl and later completed an MFA in dance at UCLA where he studied with Ronald E. Brown, Pat Catterson, Sharon Kinney, Angelia Leung, Risa Steinberg, Dan Wagoner, and many others. He has danced in Jazzworks, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Keith Johnson/Dancers, and was Assistant Project Coordinator for Twyla Tharp’s, THARP!   With 35+ years in the sports entertainment industry, Andy’s choreography has been performed by almost every NFL and NBA dance team. He has choreographed televised halftime shows, choreographed for 20+ years for the Pro Bowl Cheerleaders, and is the Director Workshop facilitator and a choreographer with Pro Action Dance (www.proactiondance.com).  Andy is the former President of the American College Dance Association, and this summer celebrates 20 years teaching for the LA Music Center’s Dance DTLA community events (join Andy August 16 for Disco Night on the Jerry Moss Plaza of the LA Music Center, www.musiccenter.org).