Faculty
Kathy Bunker
Kathy is the Owner and Artistic Director of Bunker Dance Center. She has a Master's Degree in the Arts from American University in Washington, D.C. Kathy's choreography has received top review as well as National Awards in Dance Competitions. Kathy has danced in such exotic places as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Paris, Monte Carlo, and Rome (to name just a few cities) with Brigham Young University Folk Dance Performing Arts Company. Kathy has also trained and performed with renowned flamenco dancer Luisa Triana and loves flamenco as well as all world dance. Kathy is married to Chris and they both are the proud parents of four children: Blake, Kenady, Dylan, and Easton.
Aaron Turner
Aaron returns for a second year of teaching here at Bunker after taking last year off to perform in Stomp where he took on four different roles! While dancing in Stomp, Aaron continued his studies at UNLV where he begins his senior year majoring in business with a music production emphasis and a minor in Entrepreneurialship. Aaron grew up dancing at Bunker and has made Kathy feel like a "proud mom" when she watched him sign autographs after his first performance with Stomp!
Alison Marsh
Alison has been teaching Pilates since 2002 and is certified in the DK Body Balancing Method. Alison earned a BA in Dance Education and Bachelors in Social Work from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She danced professionally in various productions throughout Las Vegas including Folies Bergere. She currently teaches private Pilates lessons at Pilates by Dolly and mat classes at Gold's Gym. She is honored to be given the opportunity to teach the talented dancers at Bunker Dance!
Arielle Parsons
Arielle has been dancing at Bunker for many years and has been a member of our Performing Arts Companies as well. Arielle loves working with children and aside from teaching dance she also teaches ice skating. This is Arielle's second year teaching at Bunker and she is excited to mentor the younger children. Arielle is the Team Director for two of our newest Recreational Dance Teams: Bon Bons and TNT. All the young dancers at Bunker love Miss Arielle!
Blake Bunker
Blake Bunker joins the front desk staff and is happy to be back helping his mom "run the business." Blake worked at the front desk years before during his senior year in high school and is now working hard towards finishing a bachelor's degree in History at UNLV. In jr. high and high school, Blake took classes from Napoleon Dumo at the studio and competed hip hop with the PAC girls winning many national awards! You can see Blake on the weekends behind the front desk. Welcome back Blake!
Brynn Hewitt
Brynn is currently a Senior at Palo Verde High School. This marks Brynn's 16th year dancing at Bunker and she has been competing on our Performing Arts Company for nine years where she is a stand out soloist and leader of the Senior Performing Arts Company. Brynn is trained in all forms of dance including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip hop, and is especially amazing with contemporary movement. This marks Brynn's senior year and her second year teaching at Bunker. Brynn also is trying her wings as the Starlettes Recreational Team Director!
Cheri Forte
Cheri began performing as a National Artistic Roller Skating Champion. Her interest then turned toward dance where she was a member and soloist of a top Performing Arts Dance Company. She passed advanced Cecchetti ballet exams, and studied jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, tap, ballet, and pom-pon. She has 13 years of experience teaching recreational and competitive dancers, eight of which were for her own dance studio Cheri's Dance Academy in Michigan. Cheri has set choreography for numerous competition teams, organized and taught workshops and dance camps, and has been an active volunteer with National Dance Week Celebrations. Cheri is pleased to join Bunker Dance Center this year as Office Manager.
Cheryl Slader
Cheryl has been a professional dancer for 18 years appearing in such shows as Jubilee and Les Folies Bergere. She has been teaching dance, exercise, and yoga for 26 years. Cheryl has been teacher certified by yoga masters Erich Schiffmann, Doug Swenson, and completed her National Yoga Alliance Jivamukti yoga certification with Sharon Gannon and David Life. Upon completion of her Jivamukti certification, Cheryl apprenticed under Jivamukti's senior teacher, Ruth Lauer Manenti at New York City's Jivamukti Yoga Center. She is the founder and owner of Blue Sky Yoga, Las Vegas. Cheryl is the yoga professor for the dance department at the College of Southern Nevada and also teaches at Blue Sky Yoga, Las Vegas Recovery Center, Spa Bellagio, Green Valley Ranch Spa, and Redrock Casino Spa. Cheryl is delighted to teach yoga to dancers adding a developed focus, flexibility, concentration, strength, relaxation, and injury prevention to their artistry. Welcome Cheryl!
Danielle Knecht
Danielle started dancing at the age of three in Las Vegas. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a minor in dance and was a member of the BYU cheer squad. She also taught BYU summer cheer camps for several years. Danielle is a mother of five children. This is Danielle's first year teaching at Bunker. We are so excited to welcome Danielle to the Bunker staff!
David Oliveri
David Oliveri was born in New York and has trained in several dance academies on the east coast. He has won three consecutive U.S. titles and a world championship in latin ballroom dance. David now performs in Le Reve at Wynn Las Vegas as the lead dancer and "dream man." Bunker Dance is so excited to have David lead our ballroom program!
Diane Underwood
Diane comes to Las Vegas from Spokane, WA, where she taught tap for twenty years. This will be her eighth year at Bunker Dance. She has a total of over thirty five years of teaching experience. She danced in the Golden Horseshoe and the Electric Parade at Disneyland, as well as many convention shows. Her students have won many top awards at competitions, and she is most proud of her most accomplished student, her daughter Stephanie. She is also a grandmother of three. Diane is teaching many Tap and Tap/Ballet combo classes. Diane works as the main morning desk person, the Starburst Recreational Team Director and the Studio Team Manager for all Performing Companies and Recreational Teams at Bunker Dance! Wow...now that is impressive!
Dylan Bunker
Dylan begins his second year working the front desk at Bunker Dance after taking a year off to attend Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Dylan is Kathy's second oldest son and grew up dancing hip hop at the studio with Napoleon Dumo, Kevin White, and Pebbles Johnson...the original Las Vegas Culture Shock crew! He is an outstanding hockey player and ran track in high school. Kathy is so glad to have Dylan working full time with her again this year.
Erina Noda
Erina is currently dancing as a soloist dancer in Phantom the Las Vegas Spectacular. She's a former company member of Cincinnati Ballet where she danced many leading roles as well as performed with many ballet companies in the US and Europe. She was a faculty member of Academy of Cincinnati Ballet for six years, and has taught master classes for ballet all over US, Tokyo and Zurich, and guest taught master classes at Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Michigan.
Erin Mitchell
Erin grew up in Marysville, WA. She attended the University of Oklahoma where she earned a BFA in Ballet Pedagogy. After graduation she moved to Las Vegas where she danced with Nevada Ballet Theatre from 2004 to 2009. Erin is currently working towards a degree in Physical Therapy Assisting. Erin has taught ballet to the students at Bunker Dance for the last four years and is one of the most loved teachers at the studio!
Greg Sample
Greg was born and raised in Louisville, KY before becoming a dance major at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Being a featured dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Greg has performed internationally. He was an original cast member in Celion Dion's A New Day, making multiple appearances on network television shows. Recent years have brought projects such as Cirque du Soleil, national teaching gigs, and choreography on various schools and companies. Welcome Greg!
Janelle Jaehn
Janelle has danced with Bunker Dance Center for twelve years and for years was one of the top dancers in the main Performing Arts Company. This is her seventh year teaching classes. Kathy has loved watching Janelle "grow up" over the years! She is thrilled to share her love of dance with your children and is truly one of the most versatile teachers at Bunker Dance Center. She easily teaches combo classes, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, ballet, and turns & progressions classes and is a student and parent favorite! This year Janelle is wearing many hats working as Kathy's Assistant Director for the Performing Arts Companies as well as Team Director for the following Recreational Dance Teams: Danceforce, Hot Tots, Showstoppers, and Darling Divas. Janelle is one busy lady!
Jessica Martinez
Jessica has been dancing since the age of three. She has danced with Future Shock Dance Troupe, and is currently performing with Culture Shock. She is a full time student at UNLV majoring in Fine Arts of Film. She loves dance and is excited to share her passion with Bunker Dance. Jessica begins her second year at Bunker Dance and we are so excited as Jessica brings such professionalism and creativity to the hip hop program.
Joanna Curley
Joanna trained with the International Ballet School and Colorado Ballet, winning first place awards at both Denver Ballet Guild, and Youth American Grand Prix competitions. After attending Kirov Academy and Pacific Northwest Ballet School on scholarship, she trained and performed with Pacific Northwest Ballet for two seasons, before dancing with North Carolina Dance Theater, and most recently with Nevada Ballet Theater. She grew up dancing and teaching at the studio that her aunt and mother own, and is excited to share that love for dance with students at Bunker.
Martha Nichols
Martha begins her second year at Bunker Dance Center team teaching with Pam Chu. Martha is known for her amazing work as a top ten contestant on So You Think You Can Dance and is currently starring in the Cirque du Soleil Believe show at the Luxor. Martha works with the Senior Performing Arts Companies and brings a wealth of passion, energy, and love to the girls.
Michelle Szoke
Michelle Szoke is the Parent Team Manager for all Recreational Dance Teams and Performing Companies at Bunker Dance. Michelle has three children: Evan, Haley and Jenna. Haley and Jenna are members of our Teen and Junior Performing Arts Companies. Michelle grew up in Sagus, CA and moved to Las Vegas in 1993 when her husband was hired with the Clark County Fire Department. Michelle has been at Bunker Dance Center since the Ann Road location opened in 2002. Michelle tapped for three years at Bunker Dance with the adult tap class and had several smashing performances! Welcome Michelle!
Pam Chu
This marks Pam's second year with Bunker and we are so excited to welcome her to our faculty! Pam graduated from the prestigious college for dance Point Park and is currently in the Cirque du Soleil Believe show at the Luxor. When Pam teaches you can feel the energy vibrate into the halls! her positive approach to teaching and impeccable dance skills make her an exceptional teacher and choreographer in the industry.
Paul Franklin
Paul is a native of Charlotte, N.C. He choreographs and teaches for numerous organizations in Japan, and the U.S. such as: DEA, Dance Olympus, Boston's Teachers' Club, and UNLV. His performing background includes musical theater, cruise ships, theme parks, national commercials, and major Las Vegas shows. Paul teaches jazz to our top performing companies and there is a saying at Bunker: "Once a dancer passes through Paul's hands they are on to the next level!"
Stephanie Minarchan
Stephanie is the main tap teacher for the performing companies. This will be her eleventh year at Bunker Dance. She graduated with a B.A. in Dance from UNLV, and has been training since she was four. Tap and lyrical are her specialties. Stephanie has trained with Henry LeTang, choreographer of the Tony award winning show Black and Blue and teacher of Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. She has also taught for DEA and UNLV. She has won many choreography awards. Stephanie wears many hats at Bunker and also edits music and assists with overall choreography in many classes. Stephanie is a jewel at Bunker Dance Center with her incredible talents as a superior teacher and choreographer in the dance world.
Steve Huntsman
Steve has performed, designed and directed with various theatre companies in Las Vegas for the past 15 years. He is a versatile performer who has played a wide range of roles throughout the years. Currently he is performing as a swing in Oh What a Night, a Four Seasons Tribute show that travels the seas with Norwegian Cruise Lines and entertains at numerous venues across the country. Steve is also an accomplished artist, designer, and critically acclaimed scenic and costume designer. We welcome Steve as our musical theater instructor.
Teresa Moody
Teresa has been dancing since she was three years old and found the love for teaching along with dance. Teresa has performed at many professional events such as LA Lakers, Utah Jazz, Dallas Cowboys, and St. Louis Rams half time shows. Teresa is a mother of five and all of her girls have gone through classes at Bunker. This is Teresa's second year teaching at Bunker but she is not new to teaching by any means!
Tina Cannon
Tina Cannon is currently dancing for Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage in Love, and was former dance captain for the Celine Dion show, A New Day. Some of her past dance credits include the National Tour of Fosse, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, River North Chicago Dance Company, and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Rockette). Tina has numerous theater and TV credits such as the TV specials, Kids' Choice Awards '07 dancing for Justin Timberlake (Nickelodeon), Celine Dion, A New Day Has Come (CBS), The World Music Awards 2004 (ABC),and The Oprah Winfrey Show (ABC). The PAC girls love Tina!