Meet The Administration Team
Susie Grafte
Mrs Ooh La La
Salsa Susie
Owner/Director
Susie Nguyen Grafte, Mrs. Ooh La La "Salsa Susie". Owner, Founder, Creator, Director, Choreographer of Ooh La La Dance Academy, Inc, and Ooh La La Revue. A Petite Powerhouse. Passionate Dancer. World Traveler. ESPN World Salsa Cabaret Finalist-Ranked 15th in the World. America's Got Talent 2011 Season 6 Semi Finalist. Latin Heels Fusion Pioneer. Raw Award Indie Winner. All-American Cheerleader. Captain. First American to hold a National Costa Rican Championship Title. MTV's Hip Hop Finalist. An SDSU Aztec International Business Major. A Spanish & Finance Minor. President's Club Achiever. First Generation Dreamer. Lover. Fighter. Mother. Susie loves intensified living, adventure and spontaneity. Always laughing, embracing change and coming up with new ideas, Susie keeps life exhilarating! She pirouettes, sails forbidden seas, gallivants the globe and does it in high heels! She has a powerful religion and it's called Life. Dance makes her feel physical, strong and empowered so she equates Movement with Freedom. "Music is my diet & dance feeds my soul”. Susie started teaching dance in San Diego in 2005, but quit her 6 figure corporate sales career to start Ooh La La Dance Academy in 2008 when she built up enough clientele, credit and courage. In 2011, Susie opened up her brick and mortar dance studio in the heart of La Jolla. Ooh La La Dance Academy Inc has been voted Best Dance Studio in San Diego for 17 years consecutively. In 2021, Susie's stock went up when she became a French citizen which further solidified her Ooh La La-ness. Her dual citizenship really allows her to be a world citizen. Ooh La La offers all genres of dance to preschool, youth, teens & adults. We L-O-V-E what we do so please join us in the dance….in our journey of life.
Kristi Bahrenfuss
Studio Manager/ Admin
What started as being a dance mom has grown into a true passion for the dance world. After watching her daughter dance at Ooh La La Dance Academy for the past three years, she slowly became more involved in the studio and found herself becoming an important part of the Ooh La La family. Her daughter now dances on three competition teams and competes with a solo, giving her a firsthand appreciation for the dedication, growth, and excitement that comes with competitive dance. Today, she proudly serves as the Studio Manager, helping keep the studio running smoothly, supporting families and dancers, and contributing to the welcoming environment that makes Ooh La La so special. What began as simply being a supportive dance mom has grown into a meaningful role within a community she truly loves.
Meet the Faculty
Emily Payne
Competition Director, Ballet Master, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre
Bio Coming Soon!
Ashley Garcia
Jazz, Pom
Ashley's dance journey began at the age of three, where she danced at Melodic Remedy Dance Studio in the Bay Area. There, she explored a variety of styles including Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Musical Theater, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Ballet. Throughout her journey, she actively participated in numerous dance conventions and competitions, alongside training on both her high school and college dance teams.In her most recent chapter, Ashley dedicated four years to the University of San Diego Dance Team, where she not only danced but also led as captain during her final two years. Alongside her passion for dance, Ashley pursued her academic aspirations earning a degree in Business Administration and Real Estate.Ashley finds fulfillment in inspiring young dancers and sharing her love for dance with others. She values the opportunity to witness her students' growth and development, serving as a mentor and source of encouragement along their dance journeys.
Amber Hoffman
Choreographer,
Tap Master, Ballet, Contemporary, Musical Theatre
Amber Hoffman began dancing at age seven in tap. At the age of 8 she took on jazz, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical and musical theatre and by the age of 12 she fell in love with contemporary and trained extensively in all fields. Amber began apprenticeships under the direction of Sharon Keller, Kristen Hibbs and Brittney Markle at San Diego Dance Centre, training and apprenticing 40 hours a week. During her stay at SDDC, Amber won countless championship awards as a soloist in tap, musical theater and contemporary.
When Amber entered high school, she danced for her school team, Poway Dance Project, and continued dancing at San Diego Dance Centre as well. She held Junior Captain and Captain titles in her 4 years on the varsity team and she became the only dancer to ever win a solo championship title for both United Spirit Association and Miss Dance Drill Team USA in the same year at PDP! Amber’s love of teaching began during high school.
After graduating, Amber was chosen as one of only sixteen dancers across the country to participate in a program with Mather Dance Company in Anaheim. MDC trained gifted dancers in the commercial dance industry and helped guide them in the direction of their dreams.
Throughout the years Amber has trained under some of the best Master instructors around including Shannon Mather, Blake McGrath, Dee Caspary, Dennis Caspary, Melissa Sandvig, Tara Hall, Erik Saradpon and many more!
Jackie Moritz
Competition Coach, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop
Jackie Moritz is a dance instructor and professional performer with over 20 years of dance experience and nearly a decade of teaching students of all ages. She specializes in jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and creative movement. Her passion is to create engaging classes that emphasize confidence, artistry, and a love of dance.
Alongside her teaching career, Jackie has performed professionally with the San Diego Seals "Sirens" Dance Team, SeaWorld San Diego's Summer Spectacular Parade, Vixens Heels Company, and has appeared in film productions for Netflix and Warner Bros. Her diverse background in performance, competition, and choreography allows her to bring real-world industry experience into the classroom while helping dancers reach their fullest potential.
Eric Payan
Hip Hop
Bio Coming Soon!
Kiana Calkins
Acro
Bio Coming Soon!
Rylee Beckett
Competition Coach, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, and Acro
Rylee Beckett is so excited to be teaching at Ooh La La Dance Academy!
Dance has been a huge part of Rylee’s life for as long as she can remember. She grew up training in her hometown of Fresno, California, for 15 years, where she developed a strong foundation and lifelong love for dance. Throughout her dance journey, Rylee has had the opportunity to train, perform, and compete in a variety of styles. Most recently, she danced with Play Hard Dance Company’s Pom Team in San Diego.
Rylee has trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, and acro, and she is currently continuing her training in pom, jazz technique, and contemporary.
She is excited to share her passion for dance, help dancers grow in confidence and technique, and be a part of the Ooh La La Dance Academy family!
Willow Collins
LynnRae's Turn Technique Master
Bio Coming Soon!
Emily Martinez
Acro
Bio Coming Soon!
Jaden Moreno
Competition Coach, Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Technique, Hip Hop
Jaden Moreno began dancing when she was three years old. She explored a variety of styles including ballet, tap, musical theater, jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. In high school she was a 4-year varsity member of the La Serna Pom team. Two of these years she served as captain, and pioneered her team to becoming the first high school in their school district to compete at UDA Nationals in Orlando, Florida. Jaden is a current member of the UC San Diego Dance Team, a D1 pom and jazz competition team, which also performs at UC San Diego sporting and school events. She is currently pursuing a degree in World Literature and Classical Studies. Jaden loves teaching and inspiring young dancers to pursue their dreams. She hopes to provide guidance and share her love of dance with her students.
Gina Taylor
Competition Coach, Hip Hop, Jazz, Technique
Originally from New Jersey, Gina has been dancing since she was little, developing a deep love and passion for movement from an early age. Although she was never a traditional “studio kid,” dance was always a constant in her life and something she continued to pursue with dedication and determination. Her unique journey eventually led her to San Diego, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Dance from San Diego State University. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to perform professionally in a variety of settings, including at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and SeaWorld, gaining experience as both a performer and entertainer.
In addition to performing, Gina has grown as a choreographer and educator, creating choreography for studio competition teams and helping young dancers develop their confidence, technique, and individuality. She was also a professional dance team member for the San Diego Seals of the National Lacrosse League for three seasons, an experience that further shaped her as a performer and teammate. Today, she continues to share her passion for dance through teaching, choreography, and performance, with the goal of inspiring dancers to embrace their individuality and pursue their dreams regardless of where their dance journey begins.
Yared Martinez
Ladies Styling & Ladies Bachata Teams
Bio Coming Soon!