Meet Our Dance Faculty
Guided by passion and expertise, our team is dedicated to nurturing every dancer's unique heart and talent.
Rick Li
Director / AX Gravity Head Coach
Tumbling Head Coach,
Choregrapher
Rick Li began his dance journey at age 10, receiving rigorous training in traditional Chinese dance through the Beijing Dance Academy system, where he developed a strong foundation in technique, body control, and artistry.
After moving to the United States, Rick built a 10-year professional career in touring and stage performance. He has been invited to perform at Lincoln Center and on international stages, earning numerous awards and honors throughout his career. His professional credits also include choreographing dance and tumbling performance elements for Brooklyn Nets NBA game.
With five years of coaching experience at Angel, Rick specializes in advanced tumbling and acrobatics, strength, flexibility, and progressive skill development. His coaching combines professional-level technique with safe, structured training, helping athletes develop power, control, confidence, and performance quality.
His goal is simple: to help every athlete move stronger, train smarter, and perform with confidence.
Faith
Faith is a ballerina and dance educator with more than 20 years of dance experience, beginning her training at age two. Her training includes Vaganova and Balanchine techniques, and her professional experience includes performing as an Apprentice and Corps de Ballet member with Ballet Tucson in works including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppélia, Cinderella, La Bayadère, Rubies, and other works by George Balanchine. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Dance, Faith returned to ballet with renewed focus and a deep commitment to her artistic growth. With several years of experience teaching pre-professional students, as well as previous experience teaching beginner tumbling classes, she emphasizes strong fundamentals, technical precision, musicality, and artistic expression.
She draws on her background in biology and dance to help students understand anatomy, improve alignment, and reduce injury risk, while encouraging them to become confident, disciplined, and well-rounded individuals both in and beyond the studio.
Dance Instructor
Rick Li
Director / AX Gravity Head Coach
Tumbling Head Coach,
Choregrapher
Rick Li began his dance journey at age 10, receiving rigorous training in traditional Chinese dance through the Beijing Dance Academy system, where he developed a strong foundation in technique, body control, and artistry.
After moving to the United States, Rick built a 10-year professional career in touring and stage performance. He has been invited to perform at Lincoln Center and on international stages, earning numerous awards and honors throughout his career. His professional credits also include choreographing dance and tumbling performance elements for Brooklyn Nets NBA game.
With five years of coaching experience at Angel, Rick specializes in advanced tumbling and acrobatics, strength, flexibility, and progressive skill development. His coaching combines professional-level technique with safe, structured training, helping athletes develop power, control, confidence, and performance quality.
His goal is simple: to help every athlete move stronger, train smarter, and perform with confidence.
Ms. Emmi
Ms. Emmi is an experienced dance and Pilates instructor with a strong background in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and creative movement. She currently teaches at Turning Pointe Academy of Dance, Central Studio, and St. Louis Academy of Dance, working with students ages 3 through adult. With years of experience across Missouri and Rhode Island, she has choreographed for pre-professional companies, coached soloists, and taught STOTT Pilates. A company dancer with Resilience Dance Company and Ballet 314, she holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Commonwealth Honors College.She also has many years of experience teaching figure skaters, specializing in off-ice dance training and performance enhancement. Known for her effective techniques and engaging teaching style, she is highly popular among her students. She brings a deep love for teaching and a strong ability to cultivate children's artistic expression. Her classes are both inspiring and well-loved by her students.
Dance Instructor
Miss Yana
Dance Instructor
Miss Yana is a graduate of the Department of Dance at Ukraine National Pedagogical University, where she majored in classical ballet, modern, and lyrical dance, as well as dance education. She has extensive experience working with professional youth dance groups, choreographing award-winning routines for competitions and large-scale productions. Her career includes teaching master classes, serving on judging panels, and mentoring aspiring dancers. In 2021, she collaborated with the Bulgaria Balkan Circus to choreograph ballet performances and also worked with the National Figure Skating Team as both a choreographer and coach. Miss Yana is widely recognized for her discipline, dedication, professionalism, and heartfelt commitment to her students.
Dance Instructor
Ms. Emmi
Dance Instructor
Ms. Emmi is an experienced dance and Pilates instructor with a strong background in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and creative movement. She currently teaches at Turning Pointe Academy of Dance, Central Studio, and St. Louis Academy of Dance, working with students ages 3 through adult. With years of experience across Missouri and Rhode Island, she has choreographed for pre-professional companies, coached soloists, and taught STOTT Pilates. A company dancer with Resilience Dance Company and Ballet 314, she holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Commonwealth Honors College.She also has many years of experience teaching figure skaters, specializing in off-ice dance training and performance enhancement. Known for her effective techniques and engaging teaching style, she is highly popular among her students. She brings a deep love for teaching and a strong ability to cultivate children's artistic expression. Her classes are both inspiring and well-loved by her students.
Faith
Faith is a ballerina and dance educator with more than 20 years of dance experience, beginning her training at age two. Her training includes Vaganova and Balanchine techniques, and her professional experience includes performing as an Apprentice and Corps de Ballet member with Ballet Tucson in works including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppélia, Cinderella, La Bayadère, Rubies, and other works by George Balanchine. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Dance, Faith returned to ballet with renewed focus and a deep commitment to her artistic growth. With several years of experience teaching pre-professional students, as well as previous experience teaching beginner tumbling classes, she emphasizes strong fundamentals, technical precision, musicality, and artistic expression.
She draws on her background in biology and dance to help students understand anatomy, improve alignment, and reduce injury risk, while encouraging them to become confident, disciplined, and well-rounded individuals both in and beyond the studio.
Dance Instructor
Ms. Faith
Dance Instructor
Faith is a ballerina and dance educator with more than 20 years of dance experience, beginning her training at age two. Her training includes Vaganova and Balanchine techniques, and her professional experience includes performing as an Apprentice and Corps de Ballet member with Ballet Tucson in works including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppélia, Cinderella, La Bayadère, Rubies, and other works by George Balanchine. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Dance, Faith returned to ballet with renewed focus and a deep commitment to her artistic growth. With several years of experience teaching pre-professional students, as well as previous experience teaching beginner tumbling classes, she emphasizes strong fundamentals, technical precision, musicality, and artistic expression.
She draws on her background in biology and dance to help students understand anatomy, improve alignment, and reduce injury risk, while encouraging them to become confident, disciplined, and well-rounded individuals both in and beyond the studio.
Ms. Emmi
Ms. Emmi is an experienced dance and Pilates instructor with a strong background in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and creative movement. She currently teaches at Turning Pointe Academy of Dance, Central Studio, and St. Louis Academy of Dance, working with students ages 3 through adult. With years of experience across Missouri and Rhode Island, she has choreographed for pre-professional companies, coached soloists, and taught STOTT Pilates. A company dancer with Resilience Dance Company and Ballet 314, she holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Commonwealth Honors College.She also has many years of experience teaching figure skaters, specializing in off-ice dance training and performance enhancement. Known for her effective techniques and engaging teaching style, she is highly popular among her students. She brings a deep love for teaching and a strong ability to cultivate children's artistic expression. Her classes are both inspiring and well-loved by her students.