Caitlin Phillips has been teaching at Oaks Christian School since 2012 and is the current Oaks Christian High School Dance Director and Director of Dance for The Institute of Arts and Innovation. Caitlin has danced professionally throughout her career – showcasing her talents and passion in live performances and videos. Caitlin was a member of professional dance companies - Mischief Makers, Asylum Dance Company, and CSUN Hip Hop Team. She has taught and choreographed for local high school dance programs and dance teams. She has also been on faculty at various dance studios, ranging from recreational to competitive/pre-professional classes. Caitlin has received her B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise science from California State University Northridge. She also received her master’s in education technology and her teaching credential from Azusa Pacific University. Caitlin has a serious passion for dance and strives to share that love with her students. Caitlin hopes to create an environment where students feel comfortable growing in their artistry and finding the joy in dance.
Ashley Paige Gomez is the current Oaks Christian High School Dance Company Director and high school dance teacher. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a B.A. in Dance, she has been professionally dancing since the age of 18, when she was signed with the Los Angeles agency McDonald Selznick and Associates. Since then, she has worked commercially with Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nip/Tuck, MTV, Tina Landon, Les Girls, Wayne Brady, and Rihanna, among others. Ashley was a principal dancer with BARE Dance Company, directed by Mike Esperanza, and a principal dancer with ENTITY Contemporary Dance Company, directed by Marissa Osato and Will Johnston. She also holds a certification in pilates from the Pilates Institute of America. Professionally working since 2004 has taught her multitudes about passion, consistency, and preparation. She is constantly training to pass on her growing expertise to her dancers. Ashley desires to encourage students to grow deeper in their art and find the connection between dance and faith. Her dance lessons, camps, and OCDC combine technical training, performance enhancement, chorographic instruction, and improvisational direction.
Kayla Nieto is the current Oaks Christian Middle School Dance Teacher and Director. She teaches all middle school dance classes (Principles of Dance, Intermediate Dance, and Dance Technique & Composition). She directs and produces the annual Middle School Dance Concert and choreographs for Oaks Christian High School’s Dance Company. Kayla received her B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from Pepperdine University. She trained with Terry Bixler, Janet Jackson’s choreographer, for years before pursuing dance professionally. Kayla has been a member of Soul Fresh's dance companies, directed by Ricky Cole (Mos Wanted Crew) and Dance in Flight (Pepperdine’s Dance Company). Her choreography won two grand national championship awards in 2019 at KAR Dance Competition and first place overall for 2018 and 2019 for New World Dance’s hip-hop teams. She has also taught internationally in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Melbourne, Australia. Combining her passion for dance and love for her students, she aims to help dancers develop the necessary skills to execute choreography well while also building self-confidence.