Olivia Schreiner
- BALLET & PILATES INSTRUCTOR -
Olivia’s dance training began at the California Academy of Ballet. From there, her studies took a more serious focus on classical ballet when she joined the Contra Costa Ballet under the directorship of Zola Dishong and Richard Cammack. Olivia also had the opportunity to dance as an Apprentice of Diablo Ballet under the direction of Tina Kay Bohnstedt. During these years, her training consisted of a strong Vaganova emphasis with influences from many other styles and teachers. After sustaining several injuries early on in her career, Olivia was forced to postpone her dancing. Confronted with many surgeries and decisions that would impact the future of her dancing, Olivia decided to use this time to educate herself on the body and explore how ballet can marry with proper bio-mechanics in the hopes restoring her ability. During this time when she was unable to dance ballet regularly, Olivia spent many hours each week doing aerial arts, contortion, and contemporary dance at local circus centers. Six years later, after a tremendous amount of work and dedication to her Pilates practice and anatomy/physiology studies, she can proudly dance pain free!
Olivia is a comprehensively trained, PMA certified Pilates teacher through Balanced Body University. She is also currently on track to graduate in Spring 2020 from California Baptist University with a B.S. in Kinesiology. Having taught ballet since 2007, Olivia is passionate about challenging and empowering dancers while educating them on how their bodies were designed to function. This unique perspective allows her students to expand and grow as classical dancers without compromising safety in their movement.
Patricia Gordon
- BALLET INSTRUCTOR -
Patricia Gordon grew up in the Bay Area and began her dance training at 3 years old. At 16, she relocated to Pennsylvania to train at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Darla Hoover. She went on to dance with Ballet Arizona, Ballet Idaho, and most recently Sacramento Ballet. Throughout her career, Patricia has had the opportunity to perform the works of many prestigious choreographers such as George Balanchine's The Nutcracker and Bourrée Fantasque, Dani Rowe's Chaminade, Penny Saunders' Myrtle, Paul Vasterling's Cinderella, and Young Soon Hue's Romeo and Juliet.
Saraya Spilak
- BALLET INSTRUCTOR -
Saraya was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and moved to San Ramon, California when she was 3 years old. In 2014, she and her siblings were enrolled at Radiance School of Ballet where she trained in ballet and tap dance and found a place of encouragement and growth in her fellow ballerinas and teachers. Saraya has participated in numerous summer intensives as well as winter performances and spring recitals, including The Cobbler’s Gift, Coppelia, The Snow Queen, Fairy Doll, This is Christmas, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Enjoying opportunities to stretch beyond the studio, she performed with saxophonist Tunde Lasode alongside Anastasis Ballet Company during the fall of 2024.
Currently, Saraya is beginning her thirteenth year of homeschooling, preparing for her junior year of high school, and attempting to uncover the mystery that is her future. It remains thoroughly covered. A few things she loves are: reading, traveling, crocheting, sunsets, cats, guitars, mountains, Truth. She hopes to put to use her many years of dance training in a future career but most of all, to walk a path that is a help and encouragement to those around her, beginning with her work as a ballet teacher.
Grace Jones
- BALLET INSTRUCTOR -
Grace started dancing at the age of 5 here at Radiance School of Ballet. Miss Jill was her first teacher! She’s loved all of her teachers and is so grateful for their influence in her dancing. When she was little, Grace’s goal was to dance on pointe. She’s going on her third year dancing on pointe and her tenth year of ballet. Grace loves performing alongside her friends. She has danced roles of Kai in Snow Queen, a young stepsister in Cinderella, and many more that she has enjoyed just as much. Grace has had the privilege to dance with Anastasis Ballet Company during company week intensives in the summers and a handful of other opportunities. One of her favorite things is to dance for the Lord and she looks forward to all the opportunities to come.
Grace loves the positive and encouraging environment of Radiance School of Ballet and is honored to carry that on as she joins the Radiance teaching staff.
Lindsey Parker
- Founding Member -
- WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER -
Lindsey has passionately been dancing since she was 3 years old. She trained at Yoko's Dance and Performing Arts Academy where she was a part of a Nationally award-winning competition team. Her training included ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern and contemporary. While at Yoko's, Lindsey was given the opportunity and privilege to dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Fremont Symphony's The Nutcracker for 5 years. She was also a Dance Ambassador for the sister city of Fremont, Fukaya, Japan, and traveled to Japan twice to perform for the city's mayor and many dignitaries in Japan.
Pursuing her love for dance throughout college, Lindsey received her BFA in Dance, emphasis on Ballet, and a Minor in Business Administration from Belhaven University in Jackson, MS. While at Belhaven, she studied under the direction of Caleb Mitchell and Stephen Wynne, among others. Having had the pleasure to work with many well-known instructors and guest artists, including Charmaine Hunter, Steve Rooks, and Gary Galbraith from Martha Graham Company, only made her more confident and grounded in her passion for dance.
Lindsey was hired on as a guest performer with Masterworks Performing Arts Festival for 2 years, performing in Swan Lake, as well as leading roles in many new works.
Lindsey joined as a Company dancer with Anastasis Ballet Company in 2011. During her time with the company, she has performed leading roles in Handel's Messiah Ballet, The Prayer, Testimony, PRISM & The Cobbler's Gift. Lindsey also traveled with the company on their August 2013 tour to Colorado, performing in a benefit concert for an orphanage in Uganda.
With 20+ years of teaching experience, Lindsey has had extensive experience working with students as young as 3 years old to adult. Lindsey hopes her teaching allows her students to see their great worth and to gain a love and passion for dance, just as her instructors did for her.
Jill Weaver
- Founding Member -
Jill began her dance training at the age of 5. By the age of 12 she realized she was most passionate about ballet and began to re-direct her focus to training in classical ballet at San Jose Dance Theatre under the direction of Paul E. Curtis and Shawn Stuart. Jill later trained at Western Ballet under Alessandra di Pierro and Mark Foehringer, where she performed leading roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Coppelia, and other various ballet and contemporary pieces.
After graduating high school, Jill was offered a contract to tour with Oakland Ballet Company for their national tour of The Secret Garden. Jill continued performing with the company in the Corps de Ballet for two seasons, dancing in such ballets as The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Beneath the Wake by San Francisco Ballet's Betsy Erickson, Bolero, and Billy the Kid.
Jill moved to Jackson, Misssissippi and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Ballet from Belhaven University in 2003.
Jill joined Anastasis Ballet Company in 2010 and enjoyed seven seasons dancing with the company. During her time with Anastasis, Jill has performed leading roles in ballets including Handel's Messiah Ballet,The Prayer, Testimony, PRISM & The Cobbler's Gift. She also had the privilege of touring with the company to Colorado in August of 2013.
Since returning to California in 2003, Jill has been teaching ballet throughout the Bay Area, and is now excited to be teaching at Radiance School of Ballet. Jill desires to inspire the next generation of dancers to reach their full potential in the beautiful art of ballet.
Though Jill has a passion for teaching and dancing, Jill most enjoys being mommy to her two sweet boys, Dawson and Evan.
Radiance School of Ballet Founders since opening 2013
Grace Petron
- BALLET & TAP INSTRUCTOR -
Grace Petron was born and raised in York, PA, where she began her dance training at a young age. She moved to Erie, PA, to study Dance and Liturgical Dance at Mercyhurst University on a presidential scholarship, and graduated with a B.F.A. degree with honors in service. She served on the Recognized Student Clubs/Organizations Council of Representatives, the Leadership Team within the Dance Department and President of the Mercyhurst University Liturgical Dance Ensemble which allowed her to perform, choreograph and show her passion for liturgical dance. Grace appeared with the ensemble at several places including the Northwest PA Synod Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the Women's Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Retreat. She has also traveled with the ensemble to New York City, London England, and numerous churches and worship settings around the Erie area.
While earning her degree, Grace attended Project Dance NYC, the Rockette Summer Intensive and appeared as a guest artist with Lake Erie Ballet and SoMar Dance Works. Grace joined as a company dancer with Anastasis Ballet Company in 2019.
Having taught ballet since 2012, Grace is passionate about challenging dancers to express themselves through their dancing while in the studio and on stage.
Aliz Lundbom
- BALLET INSTRUCTOR -
Aliz has been dancing ballet since she was three years old, throughout the Tri-Valley. She began her training at Radiance School of Ballet in 2018, where she learned to love classical ballet and the wonderful Radiance community. Aliz was amazed by the incredibly balanced approach to ballet that Radiance holds, as she learned about classical ballet technique, with an emphasis on anatomy and physiology, in order to train in the safest ways. The support and encouragement that she received from her teachers at Radiance over the years has inspired her, and she hopes to embody the same positivity and encouragement in her own teaching.
In her years here, Aliz has participated in intensives with Anastasis Ballet Company, and performed in the company's Handel's Messiah Ballet in 2021. Aliz also performed the role of Aurora in Radiance's The Sleeping Beauty.
Aliz graduated from Dublin High School in 2024, and is currently studying Child and Adolescent Development at Las Positas College in Livermore. She intends to transfer to a four-year where she plans to pursue a degree in Education, and obtain her teaching credential.
Within the last three years, Aliz has worked as an Intern teacher at Frederiksen Elementary school in Dublin, and an elementary after-school teacher at James Dougherty Elementary in Dublin.
Aliz is passionate about learning, and hopes to share her love for ballet with her students, encouraging them in their own journeys.
Emma Luey
- BALLET INSTRUCTOR -
Emma was born in San Francisco and she and her family currently live in Pleasanton. She has been dancing ballet since she was three years old. Emma joined the Radiance School of Ballet as a student in 2019 and has performed with the school in many ballet performances and has danced the role of Little Red Riding Hood in Sleeping Beauty, a Pigeon in The Snow Queen, Little Bo Peep in Fairy Doll and the lead role of Noelle in This is Christmas. She is a junior attending Amador Valley High School. She enjoys working with kids and hopes to further their love for ballet!
Rachel Roepke
- Founding Member -
- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR -
Rachel Roepke began her classical ballet training under the direction of Sherida Sullivan in 1986. Under the direction of Mrs. Sullivan, Rachel performed the roles of Carabosse (The Sleeping Beauty), Little Swans and Pas de Trois (Swan Lake), and the Summer Fairy (Cinderella). She continued training with Jolynda Lyon at SONdance Ministries in 1999. She completed grades 1-4 and professional levels 5-6 Ceccetti syllabus examinations, earning certificates from the Cecchetti Council of America. Additionally, she began to teach and choreograph for SONdance Ministries and became a certified teacher in the Cecchetti method grades 1-2. In 2002 Rachel moved to Jackson, MS where she spent two years training professionally with Ballet Magnificat!, and dancing with Ballet Magnificat! Trainee Company. While at Ballet Magnificat!, Mrs. Roepke received instruction from teachers including ballet mistress Sol Nazario, Tennille Carver, Kathy Thibodeaux, Jiri Vaborsky, and National Ballet of Cuba's Laura Alonzo. She performed in Deliver Us!, Unveiled Hope, Burlap to Cashmere, A Christmas Festival, God Gets the Glory, The Mission, and Real Life.
In 2004 she moved to Jackson, MI to teach for the Academy of the Arts, dance for the Jackson Ballet Company and receive additional training from former Ballet Magnificat! Trainee Director Tennille Carver.
In 2005 Rachel returned to California and was asked to assume the position of Artistic Director for Aroma - SONdance Ministry Team. She continued as Artistic Director for Aroma until June of 2009, directing, choreographing, dancing and touring to various events in California including the Southern Baptist Tsunami Youth Convention. She was also on staff with SONdance Christian Dance School teaching ballet technique, pointe, pre-pointe and jazz until June of 2009.
Rachel was fortunate enough to tour to Amsterdam in 2007 and 2008, dancing and presenting public and school performances as well as offering dance workshops.
Mrs. Roepke holds a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational Leadership and Management and a minor in communication from Regent University. In addition to her ballet certifications, she has been a certified STOTT Pilates instructor since 2008.
Rachel now acts as the Executive Director of Radiance School of Ballet, overseeing all the functions of the organization and providing vision for the future. She also serves as CEO and Artistic Director for Anastasis Ballet Company. She has a passion for classical ballet and for students and desires for them to have access to the best training possible. She is passionate about equipping young people with the skills they need both to succeed in the dance world and in life.
CELESTIN TONG
- BOOKKEEPING & ADMINISTRATION -
Before moving to the Bay Area in 2002, Celeste called Los Angeles her home. She graduated from UCLA in 1997 with a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and an emphasis in Accounting. The majority of her career consisted of working as a General Accountant for a major real estate developer, but she also has background in Payroll and Human Resources. In 2009, she gave birth to her first child, Camryn, and since then she became a full-time stay-at-home mom. Her second daughter, Lucy, was born in 2012. Celeste learned of Radiance School of Ballet when she was looking for ballet classes for her oldest daughter in 2013. Then in 2015, she decided to join the studio as Radiance School of Ballet's bookkeeper and part of their office staff.
Celeste keeps not only our books, but our Ballet school working! We are very blessed to have her as a part of our Radiance Family!
Michelle Vertin
- OFFICE ASSISTANT -
Michelle joined our office staff in Fall 2024. She is a Radiance mom with 2 daughters who are currently dancers with our studio.
We are very thankful for her help in the office and her insight as a parent through the studio as well. So glad she has joined the team!
Chris Sunga
- OFFICE ASSISTANT -
Chris joined our Radiance family in 2021 as an office assistant. He has helped on many different projects of videography, as well as promotional posters, for both Radiance School of Ballet and Anastasis Ballet Company.
Being an artist and dancer himself, we are glad to have him join us and be part of our team! He is always learning the world of Ballet and willing to lend such a helpful hand where needed.