Staff
MoveNation Dance Academy was founded out of a passion and need for sharing the owner's expertise and passion for dance to the youth and adults in Houston Texas.
​Houston is now the third largest city in the United States and we are excited to contribute to the development and growth of the performing arts in our city!
Jennifer San Miguel - Owner/Director
Ms. Jennifer San Miguel received a minor in Dance a major in Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management from the University of North Texas for the express purpose of owning a dance studio. While at UNT, she studied under Ballet Master Arleen Sugano where she honed her technique and performed in the contemporary ballet "X=10". She also gained great appreciation for improvisation and modern dance. Prior to that she was a Senior Company Dancer at Joy's School of Dance in Waco, Tx where she had the opportunity to dance with the Austin City Ballet in the Nutcracker, attend TATD and LA Dance Force Conventions, open for the Texas Special Olympics, and much more. Jennifer also danced as a Dance Management major at Oklahoma City University under the direction of Jo Rowan, Lyn Crammer, Liz Retter, and other inspiring master teachers.
Her teaching career has been a balancing act with raising and supporting a family and maintaining part time work as a business process and software consultant. She has taught private lessons in Denton and Houston, taught a jazz dance school program in Waco, was a ballet, tap and jazz teacher at Rodriguez Academy of Dance in Houston, and held various substitute positions in Oklahoma City and Houston throughout the years.
Dance will always be her passion and she has shared that passion with her three children and everyone at MNDA. Her daughter was colonel of her high school dance team and one of the pivotal moments in her lie was when they both traveled to New York to take classes at Alvin Ailey, Broadway Dance Center, and Steps on Broadway. This trip led to the opening of MNDA and replicating NYC energy and drive is one of the pillars of the studio's competency.
Ms Jennifer has continued to retain and improve her technique through master classes with Master Teacher/Dance Scientist Arleen Sugano, traveling to NYC to take master classes, participating as a Member of TATD, and then shares this knowledge with MNDA students.
Check out a recent article on Miss Jennifer @ https://gosolo.subkit.com/jennifer-san-miguel/
Summer Conkling - Private Lessons and Substitute Instructor
Born and raised in Texas, Summer has been passionate about dance since the age of 5. An MDC Alumni, Summer trained for nine years at Memorial Dance Center under the guidance of Jaci Smith and Nicole Van Sickler. During her time as a student, Summer was a Company member, as well as on staff for three seasons. Additionally, she trained at Broadway Dance Center in New York, NY, under renowned choreographer Sheila Barker, performing at Madison Square Garden. She recently graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Creative Studies. With her love of teaching and performing, she is sought as a guest performer and master instructor throughout the Houston community and region.
Lauren Brandon - Admin and Instructor
Lauren Brandon has been dancing since she was 2 years old. She started at a small studio in Katy, TX and eventually started dancing at Juleigh Holley’s School of Dance in 2001. While with JHSOD, Lauren received scholarships from Tremaine and was picked to go to The Joffrey Ballet summer intensive. Lauren was with JHSOD for 10 years by the time she graduated. When looking at universities to get her dance degree, Stephen F. Austin State University caught her eye. It was a beautiful campus and wonderful dance professors. As a senior in high school, she auditioned for the pre-professional company at SFA and was asked to join them in the fall. She was also accepted into the Bachelor of Science: Professional Dance degree program. At SFA, Lauren was in the dance company and a part of the senior dance projects, every semester. She got to travel to the American College Dance Festival every spring. There, she took classes from world-renowned choreographers and professors from all over the country.
When Lauren finally came home from SFA, she was excited to start teaching dance. She taught at a school in Richmond for a year but was asked to “go home” to Juleigh Holley’s School of Dance as a teacher. Lauren started teaching at JHSOD in 2019, going virtual when the pandemic hit. She was with JHSOD for 6 years when Juleigh Holley decided to retire and shut down her studio. Now, Lauren is a new teacher at MoveNation Dance Academy and also works as an administrator at the front desk.
Aishwarya Rajesh - Instructor
Dancing since the age of 3, Aishwarya has trained in styles ranging from Indian Bollywood, Bharatanatyam, and Bhangra to Hip Hop, Jazz, and other western forms. Over the years, she has been part of various dance teams and is currently a performer with ParDesi Pulse, a Houston-based Bollywood Fusion dance company, where she has been on the team for the past year. Passionate about cultural expression, Aishwarya is excited to help dancers build skills, confidence, and joy—both on and off the stage.
Hope Magee - Private Lesson & Substitute Instructor
Hope Magee has been dancing since the age of 5, and has not stopped. Hope trained at home, in Humboldt County, California, until she was 15. During that time, she starred as the lead in many ballets, such as the Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, and Paquita, as well as winning first place in a local dance competition two years in a row. At 15, Hope moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, to train at Master Ballet Academy. Hope attended the Sarasota Ballet Pre-professional Conservatory in Florida, and has been a trainee at BalletMet, in Columbus, Ohio. Since she was 13, Hope has spent her summers in Sacramento CA, training with teacher and mentor, Theodore Constant. Per Mr. Constant's professional recommendation, Hope moved to Houston in 2023. Teaching ballet has also always been something Hope is passionate about. She started teaching at age 13, and throughout the past 8 years, has taught all ages, from pre-K to adult, as well as many styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, acro, and lyrical. Hope currently is the director of an Acro program, teaching all levels acrobatic dance, as well as directing a competitive dance team; choreographing all the dances and taking them to stage. Hope is excited to work with the talented dancers of Houston, and help them work towards achieving their goals.
Brianna Payne - Instructor
Brianna Payne started dancing publicly at the age of five and has been giving outstanding performances for the past 23 years. She has had the opportunity to train under many substantial instructors/choreographers. After being accepted into the University of Houston (UH) Dance program, she continued to enrich her training and performance skills onstage. Brianna has performed in many showcases, music numbers, opening acts, and segments on live TV. Since graduating from UH with honors in the spring of 2023, she has continued to use her burning passion for the art of dance to entertain, teach, and connect with artist of various origins.
Herbert Griffin - Instructor
Herbert Griffin Jr. is from Austin, TX. He came to Houston to attend University of Houston (Go Coogs!) and graduated in 2014 with a degree in Kinesiology. He has loved dance for his whole life; from elementary ballet recitals to learning the Britney Spears music videography from a VHS to performing his own choreography at his birthday parties, he has been a dancer since birth. His talent and passion grew through competitive cheer and dance teams in middle and high school. He continued in college, where he performed at the NCA Nationals and NCAA Final Four.
He has built a career coaching and choreographing for HISD teams, teaching private lessons, leading after school dance programs, and choreographing and teaching group dance fitness sessions at DivaDance. He blends fierce confidence and technique incorporating jazz-funk and hard-hitting hip hop. He aims to ensure a safe and inclusive space where every dancer, regardless of age or skill level, can express themselves creatively.
Bethany Meyferth - Assistant Director
Ms. Bethany started dancing at age 3 when it was the only way her mom could get her to overcome her shyness! She has since done many styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, liturgical, musical theatre, and ballroom. While Ms. Bethany studied elementary education in college, she also took several dance classes in Movement Fundamentals and Contact Improvisation. She also participated on the competitive ballroom dance team with her now-husband as her partner. After college, she taught first grade and kindergarten in the Spring Branch school district. Ms. Bethany is excited to share her love of dance with her two children. She has loved getting to teach our youngest dancers for the last several years, and is excited to step into the role of assistant director.
Adriana Zornosa- Instructor
Right after Adriana finished her first dance class, she realized she had a passion. She's been training and working hard to achieve her goals as a dancer, and she has. She was captain of her high school dance team, got accepted into her college dance program, and became a dance teacher! She began teaching at MNDA to continue spreading the love of dance to others. "I couldn't be more thankful to have the opportunity to teach here."
Quimen Sanchez - Instructor
M. Quimen began his ballet training with Lynda De Chane and Raskin Dance Studios in Orlando, FL, before continuing at Orlando Ballet School under Orlando Molina, with Peter Stark’s direction. He earned a full scholarship from Fernando Bujones. As a trainee, Quimen performed the principal role of Dr. Coppelius in Coppélia and was part of the first full-length production of Spartacus by an American ballet company.
He has danced as a principal with Ohio Dance Theatre, Fort Lauderdale Ballet Classique, Cuban Classical Ballet, South Florida Ballet Theater, and Sierra Nevada Ballet.
Currently, Quimen works with Ballet For Young Audiences/Ballet Repertory NYC and American Liberty Ballet as ballet master and principal dancer. He also serves as rehearsal director for the children at ALB’s Main Academy. Under Valerie Mae Browne, Quimen has performed leading roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty.
In addition to ballet, he has performed across the U.S. in opera, musical theater, and film, both in ensemble and principal roles. His choreography has been reviewed by the Miami Herald and Broward Sentinel.
Chad Franklin - Instructor
Chad’s journey into dance started his senior year at Westside High School, where he learned the Breaking, House and Hip Hop dance styles. With a firm grasp of the basics he then went on to work with Sunrise Dance Company, Sonkiss’d Dance Company and Fly Dance Company. His time working under Kathy Wood helped him develop much of his current identity in dance. As well did his many years competing and battling with the Breaking and Hip Hop Dance Scene.
Mackensie Eckenfels - Instructor
Mackensie, initially from Atlanta, GA, has recently moved to Texas to be a choir and theatre teacher! Mackensie has been dancing since she was little, and since then has been involved in multiple performances throughout her time in college and post college. Some of her choreographic experience includes Seussical, JR., Shrek, JR., Anastasia, JR., Winnie the Pooh, Kids., and more! Mackensie is extremely excited to help shape and develop a love for dance in young minds.
Giuliana Velez - Instructor
Giuliana Velez is a movement artist, choreographer, and DJ based in Houston, Texas. She earned her BFA in Dance from the University of Texas at Austin and currently serves as a resident artist at Project Row Houses. Giuliana’s movement practice is rooted in versatility, curiosity, and cultural preservation- spanning street, contemporary, hip hop, latin, and modern dance vocabularies. Her artistic inquiry centers on bridging the divide between street and concert dance worlds, advocating for the representation and celebration of Black dance forms within institutional spaces. Giuliana’s choreographic work often incorporates collaboration, improvisation, and storytelling across live performance and digital platforms. Her recent works have been presented at the Cohen New Works Festival (2025) and the American College Dance Association (2023).
Jai Alexander - Instructor
Jai Alexander is a movement experimentalist and creative based in Houston, TX. He holds an A.A. in Dance from Houston Community College (2023), and a B.S. in Theatre and Dance with a Dance emphasis from Lamar University. His practice is rooted in curiosity, creativity, and embodied exploration, by inviting his students to engage with movement as a pathway to growth, expression, and self-awareness. This year marks Jai's tenth year teaching; he currently teaches adult contemporary classes at The Interchange (Houston, TX) and youth ballet and jazz classes at The Stage Dance Studio (Pasadena, TX).
Trinity Du Bois - Instructor
Trinity started dancing at the age of 7 at the MetDance Studio. At the age of 10, she auditioned for Houston Ballet and was accepted. She studied there for 9 years, performing in works like Houston Ballet's The Nutcracker, Jubilee of Dance, and Academy Spring Showcase.She worked under the guidance of Melissa Bowman, Kelly Meyernick, Beth Everett, Betsy McMillan, Claudio Muñoz, and Akihito Kawasaki. She later moved to Vitacca Ballet School, where she worked with Tina Kay Bohnstedt, Firat Kazbek, and Sean Aaron Carmon. She performed contemporary and classical works including Coppelia and Carmon's original piece, Syzygy. She graduated from Vitacca in June 2024 and has since been studying Psychology at the University of Houston.
