About Us
Who we are
Coronado's premier dance academy since 1998
all instructors
Meet Our Staff
Miranda Giles
Owner and Instructor
(Jazz, Ballet, Acro, Lyrical)
Miranda Giles was born in Columbus, Ohio. She began her training under Shir Lee Wu at the age of three with Columbus City Ballet School, the recipient of YAGP outstanding school and teacher awards. Giles also worked to refine and diversify her training with frequent guest teachers Katrina Killian, Ethan Brown, Anna Reznik and Alexei Moskalenko. During the summers, she trained at The School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and the Kirov Ballet under significant or full scholarships. Giles was awarded the YAGP “Hope Award” twice for outstanding promise performing classical and contemporary works choreographed by Christopher Flemming and Alexei Kremnev. Giles finished her academic years studying with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago under full scholarship.
Miranda had always wanted to live in California so she moved west to join the Los Angeles Ballet for two years before moving to San Diego. She joined the Golden State Ballet in 2021 and was promoted to soloist that same year. Her favorite role she has performed is “Dew Drop” in Jared Nelson’s “The Nutcracker”, The “Black Swan” Pas de Deux from Swan Lake and the “Sugar Plum Fairy” from ” the Nutcracker”. Her dream role is to dance “Juliet” from Romeo and Juliet. In her free time she loves to try Little Frenchie’s cronut of the month, work on her clothing line, Miranda Rose Designs, and of course explore beautiful Coronado.
Tiffany smith
Instructor
(Ballet/ Adult Classes)
Tiffany is originally from Portsmouth, New Hampshire where she began dancing at Ballet Theater Workshop. She was accepted to Boston Ballet School where she completed her pre-professional training. After graduation, she went on to dance for Nashville Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, California Ballet, and Barak Ballet. Since retiring from performing in 2022, she has been teaching ballet and yoga. Tiffany has received her yoga certification through Reach Yoga here in San Diego, and is excited to bring her passion of movement and the arts to Coronado.
Shantel Mora
Instructor
(Ballet/ Dance Fun Classes)
Originally from San Diego, California, but raised in Mexico. Shantel trained in the art of classical ballet and danced in classical ballets such as The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Giselle, Paquita and Sleeping Beauty. She started her training in “Escuela de Danza Gloria Campobello,” and then received her BA in Dance Education with a focus on classical ballet from “Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey,” in Mexico. While in Monterrey, she worked as the 1st grade teacher of the BA in Classical Ballet in the same school and as a ballet teacher in Freeman Dance Training, where she trained dancers for national and international competitions, such as the YAGP.
Besides her training in classical ballet, she has also trained in jazz, contemporary, modern, lyrical and Spanish dance. She has prepared in summer intensives with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, Ballet Liszt Alfonso, and the National Ballet School of Cuba, in La Habana, Cuba. In 2019, she became a certified teacher by the American Ballet Theatre. In 2024, she got selected to attend a teacher training in the Opera of Paris. In present time, she dances with the Spanish dance company, “Real Flamenco,” and is pursuing a professional certification from The Flamenco School of Andalucia to become a certified flamenco dancer.
She has prepared with courses in administration such as a certificate in “Economics Administration for the Arts” by CONARTE and a diploma in “Organizational Analysis,” by Stanford University. Academically wise, she finished an Associate of Science in Business Management in May 2024.
Shantel grew up between a border and has been going back and forth between languages, different cultures and learning opportunities. She loves to travel and respect different customs and traditions. In her spare time, she likes to hike in nature or take a walk in the beach, admiring nature is a must in her day-to-day life.
Alexandria Finley
Instructor
(Lyrical/Ballet)
Alexandria began her training at the Santa Clarita Ballet Academy under the direction of Corrine Glover and Carol Guidry, where she completed all Royal Academy of Dance exams through Advanced 2 with Distinction. In 2016, she was one of ten worldwide recipients of the Darcey Bussell Bursary Scholarship for the Genée International Ballet Competition in Sydney, Australia. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 2018. While in Berkeley, she also performed with Berkeley Ballet Theater under the direction of Sally Streets and Robin Dekkers, including principal and soloist roles in Paquita, Coppélia, and The Nutcracker. She then joined the City Ballet of San Diego in 2021 as a member of their Studio Company, following a hiatus from ballet to launch her career in aerospace. During her time at City Ballet, she greatly enjoyed performing in Balanchine’s Serenade and The Four Temperaments, as well as expanding her classical repertoire to include La Bayadère Kingdom of the Shades, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, and Elizabeth Wistrich’s Alice in Wonderland.
Alongside her ballet career, Alexandria has an established career as a systems engineering manager, designing and testing aerial communication platforms. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, video games, cooking, and spoiling her dog Espresso.
Dawn Tyler
Instructor
Creative Director
Erica Tarasoff
Instructor
(Hip-Hop)
Victoria Jenkins
Instructor
(Ballet/Adult Classes)
Victoria Jenkins is a native of San Diego, California, and a Professional Ballerina. Her journey in the world of ballet began at the age of 5, marking the commencement of a lifelong passion. At age 14 she attended the international ballet competition Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and received a scholarship to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. There she was honored with the Prince Edward Award and graduated Cum Laude.
After graduating she accepted a contract with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company and toured the US and Canada until 2018. Victoria returned to her hometown, San Diego, where she joined California Ballet as a corps member. Later she joined Golden State Ballet. She was promoted to the role of Soloist April 2024. Along with Company life Victoria is also a freelance artist and enjoys working on multiple productions at one time. Victoria’s passion for movement and well-being extends beyond ballet. She has been teaching ballet since 2018 to the ages 3-adult. She is certified in Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT) and holds a 200-hour Hatha Yoga instructor certification.
Yoli yarbrough
Instructor
(Hip Hop/Acro/ Musical Theater and Tap)
As a San Diego native, Yolie Yarbrough (she, her, hers) began training at Southbay Dance Academy where she studied for Imperial Classic Ballet and Royal Academy of Dance exams. She continued her training in hip hop, jazz, and contemporary dance, in addition to cheerleading at Chula Vista High School of Creative and Performing Arts. After her time at her alma mater, she completed San Diego Circus Center’s Preparatory Program and then began her professional career as a movement based artist and is currently featured at the San Diego Zoo as a Puppeteer. As a choreographer, she is driven by story telling, while showcasing the strengths of her performers.
Yolie was awarded “Best Dancer” at San Diego Dance Theater’s Emerging Artist Showcase in 2022.
Sofia Restivo
Instructor
(Contemporary/Jazz)
Hi, my name is Sofia Restivo! I am from Northern California, and currently live down in sunny San Diego while attending University at San Diego State. I have been dancing since I was two years old. I have also danced competitively for ten years, along with performing at the collegiate level. I teach multiple genres of dance including lyrical, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, contemporary, tap, and acro/tumble. I absolutely love working with kids, and I can’t wait to help your dancer reach their full potential at CAD!
Kyle Stephens
Operations
Kyle, while not a dancer himself, is helping to support the studio with his other talents. After moving to Coronado in 2022, getting involved with the local community was something that he was very passionate about, and CAD has allowed him to do just that. Kyle has spent over a decade in the Real Estate Industry, currently operating as a Real Estate Broker and Principal of his own brokerage called Evolution Management. Kyle has previously operated as Regional Director of Portfolio Management for a PropTech company based in the Bay Area, and has helped build/lead 10+ teams across the West Coast of America that led to an acquisition. Kyle supports and is responsible for CAD’s digital technologies, accounting, and general upkeep of the studio.
