Teachers

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Co-Founder (with Ehud Krauss)

Co-Artistic & Executive Director

JAZZ

Daynee received her primary training as a dancer and choreographer at Zohar Dance Studio and has performed with and choreographed for Zohar Dance Company since 1983. In New York, she studied at the Martha Graham School, Broadway Dance Center, and with Luigi. She has taught jazz and ballet in Europe and was a charter and principal dancer with Zohar Dance Company. Daynee’s jazz style is based on Ehud Krauss’s technique that is influenced by Luigi, Graham, and Ballet. When not teaching, Daynee loves spending time with her daughter and granddaughter in SoCal.

Co-Artistic & Executive Director

JAZZ, MUSICAL THEATRE DANCE

Vivian studied with Hama (Luigi’s protege) in Los Angeles and was his assistant for 5 years. After dancing professionally in Los Angeles, Vivian moved to the Bay Area and started teaching at Zohar. Her shared heritage in the Luigi technique made her a natural addition to Zohar’s dance family. She left to perform on Broadway in Miss Saigon and continued onto the 2nd National Broadway tour as the Dance Captain/Swing/understudy for Gigi and Ellen. After touring, she settled back in the Bay Area and taught Musical Theater and Dance at The American Conservatory Theater. She has performed throughout the Bay Area (TheatreWorks, Woodminster, AMTSJ) and choreographs for local high school musical productions as well as the first musical for ACT/YC at The Strand (original production of I’m Still Standing). She teaches her private dance clients Musical Theater Dance for pre-screens for college applications/auditions. Her past students: Darren Criss (Glee, etc); Ari’el Stachel (The Band’s Visit & Tony Winner); Laura Corina Sanders (Eastman School of Music; Wolftrap Opera Company; and others. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending her time with her two sons and husband.

MODERN

Lisa holds an MA in dance education from Stanford University under the tutelage of Inga Weiss and an MFA degree in dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts under the tutelage of Larry Rhodes. She has studied and performed with Doug Varone & Dancers and Aaron Osborne. In addition to her teaching at Zohar, she has a private pilates practice and teaches Pilates through the HIP program at Stanford. Lisa has been blessed to be teaching modern at Zohar since 1986 and has great appreciation for the community that has come together through her class. 

BALLET

Charles was born in Mesa, Arizona. He began his ballet training under Judy Churma and Florence Davich. Charles received full scholarships to San Francisco Ballet School, Cleveland Ballet School,
Royal Danish Ballet School Workshops, School of American Ballet, Arizona State University, and has earned his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree from St. Mary’s College. His wide range as a performing artist encompasses the contemporary
works of Balanchine and other 20th century choreographers as well as the full-length classics.

Charles currently is a guest artist, teacher, and ballet master in demand throughout the country. Since 1998, Charles has been a principal guest artist with several Bay Area companies; Peninsula Ballet
Theatre, Diablo Ballet, and with Company C under Charles Anderson. He has danced or created principal roles for Smuin Ballets/S. F. for internationally renowned choreographer and director Michael Smuin. These include “Cyrano”, “Q. a. V.”, “Carmina Burana”, “Starshadows”, “Bouquet Pas de Deux”, “Christmas Ballet” and the memorable “Pierrot” in “Hearts”. In
December of 1996 Smuin Ballets/S.F. performed at Carnegie Hall for Ira Gershwin at 100-A Celebration at Carnegie Hall; broadcast on PBS National Television. In addition to his work with Smuin Ballets/S.F. he danced as a principal with Ballet West Arizona, Ballet Austin, The Carlisle Project, Chautauqua Ballet under the direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, and with the Sacramento Ballet (as Principal Dancer and Ballet Master). He also is a frequent guest artist with several companies in the Los Angeles and bay area.

ACTING/VOCAL TECHNIQUE/VOICE COACH

Chris Vettel - A performer and teacher for over thirty-five years, Chris grew up in the shadow of New York City, on the north shore of Long Island, in the small village of Oyster Bay. Receiving his master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music in Vocal Performance, he sang for four seasons with the Opera Company of Boston, its touring branch, Opera New England, and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (in the final concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein). His musical theater performing credits include National Broadway Tours (Annie, Sunset Boulevard), the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Santa), Off-Broadway (Cactus Flower, Wanda’s World), at many regional theatres across the U.S. (Papermill Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, Stages St. Louis, etc.) and in the Bay Area (TheatreWorks, San Jose Rep, Berkeley Rep, San Jose Stage, etc.) As a teacher, he has been a private voice instructor for forty years, was on the faculty of the State University of New York, taught musical theatre workshop for ACT’s ‘Young Conservatory’ and has, for the past eight years, taught in the music department at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill.