Interested in joining Our team?
Email manager@studiovb.dance with a brief biography, your resume, and any dance reference videos!
Meet the Crew
Kiko Funaki Cortez
Kids Ballet Instructor - Monday & Wednesday
Born in the Bay Area, Kiko began dancing at the age of 4. She began training in the Cuban-Vaganova technique under Mr. Ramon Moreno in 2016. Kiko has been awarded multiple competition awards throughout the years including 1st place at YAGP SF Semi-Final 2018, Best Female Technique Overall at Dance Open America 2020, 1st place in the Classical and Neoclassical Categories at CDC 2021. With extensive competition participation, Kiko has also participated in international final rounds with YAGP and WBC and also has received scholarships to prestigious summer and year-round programs with schools such as the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, École de danse de l'Opéra national de Paris, the Orlando Ballet School, the San Francisco Ballet School and more. Kiko has also attended known summer programs on scholarship with the Paris Opera Ballet School in 2018 and the San Francisco Ballet School in 2019, 2020, and 2022. Apart from dancing at competitions and abroad programs, Kiko has also been lucky to be able to perform countless principal and soloist roles. Kiko danced “Clara” in the Nutcracker in 2016, 2017, and 2018 and “Sugarplum Fairy” in the Nutcracker in 2019 and 2022. She has also danced as “Kitri’s Friends” in Don Quixote, 2018 as well as Don Quixote’s “Grand Pas de Deux” in 2021. In spring, 2023, Kiko danced her first full-length 3-act ballet as “Swanhilda” in RMSB’s Coppélia. Outside of ballet, Kiko fosters her love for learning and teaching through her nonprofit organization, Hello Languages, which she founded in August, 2021. She is also a full-time academic student and enjoys connecting with other students through language and culture. AWARDS: 2016 YAGP San Francisco Regional 2016 - 3rd place Ensemble Category Japan Ballet Competition, 2016 Classical Category 15th place 2017 YAGP San Francisco Regional 2017 - 3rd place Classical Pre-Competitive California Dance Classics 2017 - 2nd place in classical age 9-11 category 2018 California Dance Classics 2018 - Honorable Mention in Classical age 10-11 category California Dance Classics 2018 - Honorable Mention in Contemporary age 10-11 category YAGP San Francisco Semi-Final 2018 - 1st place Classical Category, Precompetitive (age 9-11) YAGP New York Finals 2018 invited and participated 2019 California Dance Classics 2019 - 1st place Neo-Classical age 11-12 category California Dance Classics 2019 - 3rd place Classical solo age 11-12 category California Dance Classics 2019 - 1st place Classical Ensemble category YAGP San Francisco Semi-Finals - Top 12 Classical Solo Junior Division Dance Prix de New York (NYU) 2019 - Invited to compete as a guest (Scholarship) 2020 California Dance Classics 2020, Special Honorable Mention in Classical solo age 13-14 category California Dance Classics 2020, Honorable Mention in Contemporary age 13-14 category YAGP San Francisco Semi-Finals - Top 12 Classical Solo Junior Division 2021 Dance Open America - Best Female Classical Technique Overall Dance Open America - 2nd Place YAGP San Francisco Semi-Finals - Top 12 Classical Solo Junior Division California Dance Classics 2021 - 1st Place Neo-Classical age 13-14 category California Dance Classics 2021 - 1st Place Classical age 13-14 category Attended WBC Orlando Finals 2021 Attended SPERA Competition 2021 (online) 2022 YAGP San Francisco Regional 2022 - Top 12 Classical Senior YAGP San Francisco Regional 2022 - 2nd Place Ensemble Category California Dance Classics 2022 - Special Honorable Mention (Top 5) Classical Solo 15-16 YAGP Tampa Finals 2022 - Attendance with ensemble WBC Orlando Finals 2022 - Attended as soloist Attended Tanzolymp 2022 (online) as ensemble 2023 California Dance Classics 2023 - Honorable Mention (Top 10) Contemporary Solo 15-16
Sophie Na-Ae Kim
Kids Ballet Instructor - Saturday
Meet Sophie, our esteemed ballet teacher, who is widely recognized for her profound understanding and remarkable translation of Victoria's ballet philosophy. Sophie is an emblem of inspiration and mentorship for those who dream of becoming promising ballerinas. Sophie's ballet journey is rich and diverse, having been trained in a variety of methods, including Vaganova, Balanchine, and Royal. The essence of her teachings stems from her foundational training in Vaganova, complemented by her experiences at the School of American Ballet (SAB), Royal Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet School. Sophie has a unique knack for adapting the latest ballet education trends, making her training sessions contemporary, yet rooted in classical technique. Sophie is not just a ballet teacher; she is a mentor who values individuality. She emphasizes discipline while also customizing her instruction to match each student's physique and temperament. Her approach doesn't solely revolve around mastering ballet techniques; it is also about moulding the overall development of her students. A disciple of Victoria's educational philosophy, Sophie faithfully imparts the basics of ballet. She excels in curating training regimens that align with each student's body type, personality, and inclination, thereby optimally bringing out their latent potential. Sophie's expertise isn't confined to her ballet career alone. Her teaching skills have been acknowledged time and again in children's classes, where she continues to inspire and nurture budding talent. She strikes an enviable balance between her professional ballet career and her teaching, which is a testament to her dedication and prowess. Join Sophie to experience a holistic ballet journey that nurtures discipline, enhances individualistic approach, and elevates the art of ballet. Welcome to the beautiful world of ballet, under the mentorship of our very own, Sophie. Ballet Profile 2018~2020, 2021~2022 San Francisco Ballet School student 2019 Victoria Ballet school Production 2019 Onstage Platinum Award, Standout Award for Control, Standout Award for Technique 2019 San Francisco Ballet Student Showcase (As level 2 student) 2019 WBAC semi-finals 3rd place, finals 8th place 2020 Midsummer Night’s Dream ballet production (as a bug) 2020 WBAC Live Stream Finals top 15 award 2020 Groove competition Elite Diamond Award 2021 YAGP finalist 2021 SAB summer intensive 2021 San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker production (as a butterfly) 2022 Epic Dance Competition ‘Pas de Quatre’ Gold award 2022 San Francisco Ballet Student Showcase (as a level 5 student) 2022 WBAC semi-finals 3rd place, Finals 4th place 2023 IBC finalist 2023 UBC semi-finals 14th place, finalist 2023 WBC finalist Universal Ballet Company Art Director intensive Joffrey summer intensive + scholarship
Brianna Li
K-POP Instructor - Friday & Saturday
Brianna was born in South Carolina, and started dancing in 2013. She has just recently moved to the Bay Area. Her experience dancing started with her K-Pop group, VIVID, where she participated, taught, and led various showcases and covers. Additionally, she created her own community by founding Confidance (2015), a series of free workshops open to dancers of all levels to dance as well as provide opportunities for those who wanted to teach. She moved to South Korea for 2 years, and trained in studios such as Just Jerk Academy, Urban Play Dance Academy, and many more. She participated in Wootae’s Urban Summer performance video in 2021 as well. Brianna is a choreography dancer with years of experience in dancing K-Pop, and she has been creating original choreography for the past couple years. She strives to learn alongside her students as she studies various dance styles. Brianna is also part of the Bay area’s Eclipse K-Pop dance cover team as of 2023, and she’s excited to be more involved in the community in the area! Brianna has always emphasized and valued community and welcoming atmospheres for dancers, and her teaching philosophy is to create environments where dancers of all levels feel welcome and excited to learn from each other.