Teachers
Experienced Masters
Come dance with us and meet the talented and growing team of instructors at Carapace Dance Center. Focusing on teaching exceptional techniques and creating unforgettable experiences, we are committed to our dancers’ satisfaction and success. Continue browsing our staff profiles below to learn more.
Athena Howe
Owner/Instructor
With years of training in ballet, modern and jazz in her hometown of Santa Barbara, CA., Athena moved to Los Angeles to study at EDGE Performing Arts Center. Having booked roles in commercials, movies and music videos she was compelled to learn the behind the scenes of casting and producing. After 15 years of developing and producing countless television shows and working withs icons of entertainment such as Debbie Reynolds and Merv Griffin, it was time to shift towards her next goal of earning a degree and deepen her understanding of the science behind the art of dance. She wanted to understand and provide access to healthy habits around movement for longevity and joint health in athletes and those who want to better their health. Having a degree from California State University Northridge with a B.S. in Kinesiology and Dance, Athena continues to complete education and certificate programs to bring her clients the latest health information.
Maddie Becker - Ballet
Maddie fell in love with ballet at the age of five; always an energetic kid, ballet made her feel beautiful and strong all while keeping an active body. After spending some time away from the dance world healing her body and mind from injuries caused by overtraining and demanding instructors, that love for ballet came back when she found Carapace Dancer Center. She started to feel that beauty first felt and understood why she fell in love with the art of ballet in the first place. As a teacher, she never wants
her students to feel the way she did about her body. This is why she values strength and control based training rather
than the “aesthetics” side of ballet. She would rather teach her students to have
control with the basics first, then build up the strength to have clean and healthy advanced techniques. She says
“I’d rather see a clean single turn than a strained double.This means putting their health first and training to prevent
injuries. The ballet world comes with a lot of stigma and expectations, but my goal is for my students to see
that ballet is for everyone with every body type, no matter what."
Cassidy Linder - TAP
Kendra Alyse - Femme Hop
Kendra Alyse began studying dance at age three. She trained in several genres of dance and began her professional career at 18 years of age. A dancer never without work, Kendra enjoyed a successful dance career which brought her around the world performing in what she loved most .. theatre review productions. The glitz, glamour, challenging choreography and demanding schedule of performing 2 shows a day, 6 days a week. It began in Atlantic City and her finalé performance was in Las Vegas. During her dance career she worked with some of the best choreographers & producers in the business.(Greg Thompson Productions and Mistinguett to name a few) Kendra was most often a feature performer and was fortunate enough to dance in 3 shows simultaneously during one of her stents in Vegas. She also co-produced and co-choreographed “Burlesque The Show” in Las Vegas. Kendra did take a hiatus from the stage and spent time on the field… the football field. She attained a coveted spot as a Professional Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader. She was one of 36 ladies selected after a grueling audition process with close to 1,000 young woman auditioning. During her time on the 50 yard line, she was also named captain of the cheerleaders for 2 of her 3 years with the team. She is now considered an official NFL Alumni. After three years with the NFL the stage lights hypnotically grabbed her attention and called her back to the theatre. It was then she decided to hang up her pom poms and put her character heels back on. During her dance career Kendra found time to Graduate Magna Cum Laude with a Broadcast Journalism degree and a minor in art history. She continues to enjoy writing, but these days it’s writing books. Recently her children’s book “The Go For It Girls” was published and can be found online at Barnes and Noble, Walmart and Good Reads. Aside from dance and choreography Kendra enjoys time with her family, yoga, gardening, and traveling the world with family & friends. Throughout she is always dancing, singing and feeling grateful dance holds a special place within her. Her belief is “Dance is mediation for the soul and medication for the mind and body” and so much fun too!