Jodie Gates has established a significant career in the dance field. For decades she has contributed to the profession as a visionary leader, artistic director, educator, curator, stager, choreographer, and principal dancer. She is a former principal ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet,and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
She is Founder and Executive & Creative Director of Laguna Dance based in Laguna Beach California, Founding Director and Professor of the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, and most recently Jodie served as a consultant and Artistic Director of Cincinnati Ballet and the Cincinnati Ballet Academy. She is an independent choreographer and an artistic collaborator withWilliam Forsythe, staging ballets internationally for Forsythe Productions. She was awarded the distinguished 2021/2022 Residency Fellowship from The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University. Where her Fellowship acknowledged her most recent work addressing systemic and culturalinequities within the culture of ballet.
During her performing career she danced title roles in the classical story ballets, and principal roles in neo-classical and modern dance works, and collaborated with numerous choreographers, as well as historic reconstructions and revivals. Ms. Gates’ performing career began with the mentorship of the visionary director Robert Joffrey. She originated many roles and worked with a host of renownedchoreographers and featured in several publications since 1984; including articles in dance magazines, teacher magazines, dance reviews and has appeared in numerous television programs and festivals. Shewas featured at the 1993 presidential inauguration and previously had the honor to perform at The Kennedy Center for presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Her performingcareer ranged from narrative productions such as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Giselle, Aurora in SleepingBeauty, Swanhilda in Coppelia and Cinderella, to principal roles in repertoire by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Dwight Rhoden, Alvin Ailey, Sir Frederick Ashton, and several reconstructions, including the role as The Chosen One in Vaslav Nijinsky’s, The Rite of Spring. She collaborated in an improvised production with jazz musician Ornette Coleman and tap dancer Savion Glover at the Cologne Music Festival and with was featured in the Joffrey Ballet’s production, Billboards, with music byPrince. Her guest appearances include galas at The Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, anddancing Odette/Odile with Fernando Bujones in Swan Lake at the Ballet de Monterrey, Mexico, to appearing in well-known festivals in Spoleto Italy, The Edinburgh Festival, The Nijinsky Festival in Hamburg, Germany, and The Melbourne Festival in Australia. She has danced at the Bolshoi in Moscow,Bockenheimer Depot in Frankfurt Germany, Chantelle Theatre and Theatre des Champs-Elysées in ParisFrance, Sadler’s Wells in London, The Kennedy Center, New York’s City Center and Lincoln Center, Los Angeles Music Center, and the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, among other established venues nationally.
Since 2005, Ms. Gates’ vision for the Laguna Dance has fostered young talented dancers and professional dancers alike. For 20-years Laguna Dance has facilitated artistic collaborations, community partnerships and funded choreographic commissions. The nonprofit organization has provided dozens of youth scholarships over the years and world-class training and performing opportunities for pre-professionals. Laguna Dance presents free site-specific events throughout the year and theatrical productions by internationally acclaimed dance artists and some of the nation’s top contemporary dance companies annually. The organization’s mission is to present world-class dance performance, increase public appreciation for the art, and provide quality dance education. She regularly stages dance works for Forsythe Productions, all ballets created by choreographer William Forsythe. She continues to coach professionals and stage productions for companies such as Paris Opera Ballet, Scottish Ballet, SanFrancisco Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Prague National Theatre Ballet, Zurich Opera Ballet, Teatroalla Scala, Ballet West, Houston Ballet, and Pennsylvania Ballet.
Her teaching credentials include invitations to teach professional companies such as New York City Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem, along with academic institutions. While guest teaching for companies and contributing to higher education, she has had the opportunity to create partnerships, build a professional network, design, and implement an artistic visionand produce forward-thinking curricula. Formerly she was a tenured Professor of Dance at the University of California, Irvine, where she worked closely with Donald McKayle, and honed her skills as an educator and mentor. She has been a pre-professional teacher and mentor, and a judge for YouthAmerica Grand Prix and Universal Ballet. Ms. Gates’ most recent accomplishment as the Founding Director of the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance was a monumental success. She was given the unprecedented responsibility for implementing the artistic vision, creating a robust dance curriculum, and hire faculty and staff from the ground up. The result, The New Movement,is a new hybrid model for dance – expressed in studio practice, music, choreography, performance, new media, and scholarship – this model explores performance and choreography while engaging with rigorous academic studies at USC.
Ms. Gates received a Psychology of Leadership Certificate from Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business and studied with the Higher Education Leadership Program for Women (HERS Institute) at Bryn Mawr College. Her honors include the 2021/22 Residency Fellowship from The Center for Balletand the Arts at New York University; recognition for Arts Leadership by the American Association ofUniversity Women; Altria/ABT fellowship from American Ballet Theatre; honoree from Arts Orange County and a recipient of the esteemed Jerome Robbins New Essential Works program.
Krystal Matsuyama-Tsai (she/her) is a movement artist, curator, and educator based in Southern California. As a performer, she has had the honor of working with companies such as Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, BARE Dance Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Entity Contemporary Dance, and choreographers including Bryan Arias, Douglas Becker, Peter Chu, Jodie Gates, Charlotte Griffin, Alex Ketley, Donald McKayle, and Mia Michaels. Her passion for education has provided opportunities to teach in Costa Rica, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and across the West Coast.
Constantly researching her voice as a Japanese American, Krystal seeks to grow a deeper understanding of our unique identities and collective humanity through her practices as a movement artist and creator. With her love of fostering community, finding opportunities to engage in collaboration with artists across disciplines excites her. Krystal holds her MFA and BFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, and is currently on faculty at Chapman University. As a multi-hyphenate artist, she also is Creative Associate of Performance & Eduction for Laguna Dance and Artistic Collaborator & stager with Peter Chu’s contemporary dance company, chuthis.
Kim Fry joined Laguna Dance in 2026 as Executive Assistant to the Executive and Creative Director, Jodie Gates.
Amanda Koenig is a Southern California native whose love for dance began at just three years old. She honed her craft through years of dedicated training, ultimately earning a B.A. in Dance from California State University, Long Beach. When injuries redirected her path, Amanda found a new calling behind the scenes — channeling her passion into Arts Administration. Her leadership journey began as a founding member of the administrative team at the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. There, she quickly rose through the ranks, serving as Administration Manager and eventually Director of Administration. Amanda’s commitment to excellence, organization, and the transformative power of the arts made her an invaluable asset. Today, she brings that same energy and vision to Laguna Dance, where she finds deep fulfillment in supporting young dancers and fostering a love for the performing arts.
Angel Anderson comes to Laguna Dance with a diverse background. With a degree in Fashion Design from Brooks College, her AA complimented with certificates in Design and in Dressmaking from Orange Coast College, and a Graphics Design Certification from the University of California, Irvine, she started her career by designing and merchandising for brands such as Barefoot Miss, Athena Swimwear, Spot Sport, Gimmie International, and Line-Up For Sport.
After her career in fashion, while staying home to raise her three kids, Angel volunteered and chaired many events for both school and sports and was an active member of the PTA and PFSO. With her daughter, she became very involved in the National Charity League and the Assisteens of Orange.
Adding to these child-raising years, Angel went back to work as the West Region Assistant for Pearson Education where she coordinated various conferences, reservations, and training events while working directly under two of the companies Vice Presidents. Now, currently employed part-time with a caterer, working all types of events, Angel brings her crazy background to the table at Laguna Dance as their Operations Manager.
Valerie Chen is a Taiwanese American artist whose love for dance and movement creation began in Irvine, California. Valerie received a BFA in Dance at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance with a Concentration in Dance Performance. Her work with social media began during the Covid 19 Pandemic where she created content for Aarika Rhodes’ Congressional Campaign in 2022. She also created materials for many BODYTRAFFIC summer intensives. She later joined the USC Kaufman Communications Team where she continues to widen her skills in social media management as well as photo/video editing and website design. Upon graduating Valerie joined South Chicago Dance Theatre (SCDT) as a main company member. She is currently a guest artist with SCDT and freelance artist based in Los Angeles.