Guest Instructors
Ehud Krauss - Founder & Artistic Director
Ehud founded Zohar Dance Studio in 1979, and it is his artistic vision from which all artistic activities and programs continue to evolve. Mr. Krauss received his degree in dance from the Institute of Art in Haifa, Israel, and studied with Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Robert Joffrey, Gus Giordano, and Luigi in New York, performing as a soloist and principal dancer in Europe, Canada, and the United States. As part of his vision for children to apply the benefits of dance education to their academic advancement, Mr. Krauss initiated IndepenDANCE in 1986. Under his direction, IndepenDANCE has matured into an important offering for K-8 children in under-served communities. In 1995, he started the Juvie Jazz program for incarcerated youths in the Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall. Based on its success in Santa Clara, Juvie Jazz has been introduced with workshops in the San Francisco Juvenile Hall and regular classes in the San Mateo Juvenile Hall. Based upon the impact on children with special needs witnessed by educators and parents in one special education classroom, Mr. Krauss was requested in 2000 by the San Mateo County Office of Education to extend the IndepenDANCE program to include children with special needs (including autism and ADD) in the San Mateo County. Mr. Krauss has participated in national conferences to discuss IndepenDANCE and how it might serve as a model program in other communities. In 2001, he was invited to participate in the US/UK Exploratory Learning Partnership in England, organized by faculty at Columbia College and Stanford University. A documentary project, The Master Class, will feature Mr. Krauss and his teaching approaches with “at-risk,” special needs, and incarcerated youths. Ehud's passion for dance is communicated through classes
that inspire, motivate, and move the individual. In his spare time, Ehud loves to go fishing and spending time with his wife Daynee and their daughter Maile. email Ehud! Back to Top
Daynee Lai-Krauss - Executive Director & Artistic Director
Daynee received her training as a dancer and choreographer at Zohar Dance Studio and has performed with and choreographed for Zohar Dance Company since 1983. In New York, she studied at the Martha Graham School, Broadway Dance Center, and with Luigi. She has taught jazz and ballet in Europe and was a charter and principal dancer with Zohar Dance Company. She functions as Executive Director of Zohar's overall operations and also serves as treasurer and secretary of Zohar's Board of Directors. In addition to her administrative duties, Daynee teaches jazz and is available for guest teaching. email Daynee! Back to Top
Lisa Burnett - Modern Dance Instructor
Lisa teaches intermediate/advanced level modern dance at Zohar. She holds a master's degree in dance education from Stanford University and a master of fine arts degree in dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She has performed with Doug Varone & Dancers and Aaron Osborne. In addition to her teaching responsibilities at Zohar, she has taught at the New Performance Gallery in San Francisco and at numerous community colleges throughout the Bay Area. Back to Top
Kristine Elliott - Ballet Instructor
Kristine has been associated with Zohar since 1990. Following a career that spanned nearly 15 years with American Ballet Theatre in New York and the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany, Ms. Elliott teaches intermediate/advanced level ballet classes on a daily basis at Zohar. She also offers private coaching to professional dancers and advanced students preparing to audition for professional companies. With Zohar accompanist David Stein, she directed and co-produced three compact disc recordings of music for ballet class: Inspired by Music, Inspired by Opera, and Inspired by Broadway (released November 2003). In addition to her work with Zohar, Ms. Elliott teaches classical ballet at Stanford University in the Department of Dramatic Art and is a regular guest teacher at American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive Workshop in New York. Back to Top
Daniel Gautier - Accompanist
A gifted artist, Daniel infuses his contemporary music with a holistic theme. In addition to accompanying the modern classes at Zohar, Mr. Gautier devotes his time to writing music and painting. He has presented works fusing his music, painting and love of dance at Zohar. He is currently a regular class accompanist for Zohar Dance Studio, Western Ballet, and Stanford University. Back to Top
Daniel Giray (Danny G)- IndepenDANCE Instructor
Daniel Giray's work with IndepenDANCE was supported by California Arts Council Artist-in-Residence grants from 1995 to 2000. He is a specialist in Filipino dance and has studied and performed throughout the US and the Philippines. Through the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Mr. Giray has taught workshops in creative movement and basic education to pre-school students and their teachers since 1986, and is recognized as a National Master Artist. As such, he conducts teacher training workshops around the country and in Europe. In the San Francisco Bay Area, he has taught jazz dance at San Francisco State University (1987-89), San Francisco Ballet (1983-87), and the Cazadero Music and Arts Camp (1985-90). In 1997, he was a keynote speaker at the Association for Education of Young Children Conference in San Diego and at the Hawaii Early Childhood Fall Conference in Honolulu, and in 1998, he narrated the “People Like Me” performance presented by World Arts West at the Cowell Theatre, Fort Mason, in San Francisco. Since 1998, he has been affiliated with Young Audiences of the Bay Area, and in 1999, he formed his own company, Kulintang Dance Theater, dedicated to the study and performance of traditional music and dance from the Philippines. Mr. Giray has been affiliated with Zohar's IndepenDANCE since 1993. Back to Top
Luba Libby Kardontchik - Accompanist
Graduated from Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, MA, piano performance, accompanist and teacher. Ballet accompanist in Russia and Israel. Luba is a very popular accompanist in the Bay Area. She is pianist at Stanford Dance with Kristine Elliott and Augusta Moore, at Zohar Dance studio and at Santa Clara University, Dance/Musical Theater. She recorded two CDs of ballet music with Linda Hurkmans.
Luba is a member of the Two-Piano Club, Palo Alto, and performed lately in the Milton and Peggy Salkind 2nd International Piano Duo Festival at the San Francisco Conservatory. She is a collaborative pianist with instrumentalists and vocalists.
Lee Ann Payne - Tap Instructor
Lee Ann is a professional actor/performer with extensive teaching experience in both youth and adult tap and jazz. She has taught and choreographed theatre and dance across the country from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City to the National Dance Institute in Santa Fe, NM, to the Broadway Palm Theatre in Mesa, AZ. Lee Ann is an engaging and encouraging teacher who just LOVES to tap! Lee Ann will be teaching an adult tap class - but all are encouraged to bring your inner child! This tap class is good for all levels but most especially the new - to - advanced beginner. It's a high energy class with lots of personal attention that is lots of fun! If you've always felt that you had rhythm in your shoes, here's the chance to let it out!
David Stein - Accompanist (Guest)
David brings to the world of ballet a fresh, exhilarating spirit that makes him a favorite accompanist in the San Francisco Bay Area. David draws on a vast musical repertoire from his experience as a symphony cellist, chamber musician, church musician, composer and arranger. He has accompanied classes for American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, San Jose Cleveland Ballet, and many other dance companies as well as for dance classes at Stanford University, University of Santa Clara and San Jose State University. His compositions include commissioned works for dancers, musicals, and string arrangements. With Zohar instructor Kristine Elliott, he arranged, performed and co-produced three compact disc recordings of music for ballet class:, Inspired by Music, Inspired by Opera, and Inspired by Broadway (released November 2003). Back to Top