Instructors
All Photography By: Eric Foss
Jane Vann-Bryan, Director -
Miss Jane will teach Adv. Company Ballet.
Member of The Royal Academy of Dancing, London, England and an affiliate of the American Academy of Ballet. Jane, the founding director of Merced Academy of Dance since its inception in 1986, is also the artistic director of Merced Civic Ballet Company. Jane trained locally with Children’s Dance Theater, San Francisco Ballet School, and Carmel Ballet Academy. Jane also studied at the Royal Academy of Dancing in London, England, Joffrey Ballet School, and Harkness House for Ballet Arts in New York City. In 1974 Jane joined the company: Ballet Classique, and in 1976 joined their teaching staff. Jane was thrilled to fulfill her dream of moving home and opened the studio in 1986. Jane is married to retired neurologist Dr. Thomas Bryan and has seven children.
Brianna MacArthur (Macias), Assistant Director & Teacher -
Miss Brianna will teach Adv. Company Ballet and Jr. Company Ballet.
Brianna has been a part of the Merced Academy of Dance (MAD) family for over 25 years where, over that time, she has been a principal member of Merced Civic Ballet, teacher, office manager and assistant director. She graduated from Grand Canyon University with a BA in Communications/Public Relations, minor in Dance Education, Masters in Mental Health & Wellness and a Post-Master of Science in Trauma Counseling. Brianna also taught dance instruction at the University of the Nations/Youth With A Mission in Hawai’i while leading an arts school there. Brianna is driven by her passion to teach, serve and help others.
Joe Downs, Teacher & Office Manager -
Teacher Joe will teach Intro to Dance, Beginning Ballet 1, and Beginning Ballet 2.
Joe has been a part of Merced Academy of Dance for 19 years and has been a principal dancer with Merced Civic Ballet for 10 years. Their teaching experience with MAD goes back 11 years, starting as an assistant teacher in 2014. They have graduated from Merced College with an Associate’s degree in Elementary Teacher Education and are currently pursuing their BA in Elementary Education at Western Governors University. Joe's goal as an instructor is to help young dancers to find a love for dance and be able to express themselves through it. Joe looks forward to their future teaching with Merced Academy of Dance and inspiring young dancers to work hard, have fun, and understand themselves through dance.
Kristen Brown, Teacher & Office Manager -
Miss Kristen will teach Intermediate Ballet.
Kristen Brown has been studying ballet since she was three years old and joined the Merced Civic Ballet as a company dancer in 2019. Previously, she performed with the Fresno Ballet Theatre and studied at Northwest Studio for Ballet; most recently, she spent a summer studying at Joffrey Ballet School in their 2023 New York City Ballet Summer Intensive. Throughout her academic career, Kristen has held various leadership roles, including an internship at the University of California, Merced Office of Technology, Innovation, and Industry Relations. Each position has increased her experience in project planning, sales operations, marketing, and advertising; currently, she is working towards her Business Management degree through Merced College. Kristen looks forward to continuing with Merced Academy of Dance’s faculty and everything this new season will bring!
Audra Edwards, Teacher -
Miss Audra will teach Jr. Contemporary, Jr. Company Ballet, and Adv. Company Pointe.
Audra Edwards is from Eagle, Idaho, where she studied and performed with the Idaho Regional Ballet under the direction of Jeff and Cathy Giese. She continued her dance education at Butler University, where she received her BFA in dance performance with a minor in vocal music. After graduating, Audra moved to New York City to perform with Lydia Johnson Dance, in addition to various free-lance dance projects. She then relocated to Denver, Colorado, where she was a company dancer with Hannah Kahn Dance Company for 6 years. While in Denver, Audra taught ballet, modern, and contemporary dance at Rocky Mountain Ballet Academy and Dance Arts Studio. In 2022, Audra moved to England, where she was a dancer with Northern Dance and a guest faculty member at Marron Arts Theatre. Audra is excited to continue sharing her love of movement with the next generation of dancers at Merced Academy of Dance.
Colby Hanning, Teacher -
Teacher Colby will teach Company Jazz, Beginning Ballet 1, Advanced Intermediate Ballet, and Intermediate Ballet.
Colby has been a part of the Merced Academy of Dance family since they were 4. They are well versed in a variety of dance forms; including ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, tap, and musical theater. Their love of dance and teaching took them to CSU Fullerton, where they graduated with their bachelor's in Dance and minor in Child and Adolescent Development. Colby has performed at SYNTHESIS VIII and DUMBO Dance Festival as part of Leiphia Dance Company. They have done intensive with W'him Whim Contemporary Dance Company, Doug Varone and Dancers Company, and The Rockettes. Colby's teaching pedagogy is founded on creating a safe and accepting environment where each student feels respected and empowered. A good teacher is always a student. Colby is continually seeking to expand their knowledge by learning from their students, staying humble, and being open to change.
Carson Downs, Teacher -
Mr. Carson will teach Adv. Company Ballet.
Carson has been dancing with Merced Academy of Dance since he was eight years old and has enjoyed the successes of his hard work and dedication ever since. He has danced under the tutelage of Miss Jane for his entire dance journey and has had several years of training by instructors David Arce and Akira Takahashi of Juline Regional Youth Ballet, where he has had the opportunity to perform several lead roles in their numerous productions. He has also volunteered at Merced Academy of Dance as a teacher's assistant and has studied multiple different forms of dance, such as modern, contemporary, jazz, musical theatre, and hip-hop. He is currently studying at Merced College to earn an Associate's Degree in Business and is pursuing the field of psychology as well. Carson is looking forward to teaching this year and is very optimistic about his future with Merced Academy of Dance.
Ember Wootten, Teacher -
Miss Ember will teach Intro to Dance.
Ember Wootten is a Senior in high school and homeschools through Merced Scholars Charter School. She started ballet classes at Merced Academy of Dance in January 2014 at the age of 6 yrs old. For the past 5 years Ember has trained as a teaching assistant for as many classes as she’s been allowed to, ranging from Introduction to Dance to Intermediate Ballet. Ember is an active participant in all things MAD, from Summer Dance camps to volunteer positions. She has experience dancing a wide variety of styles including Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, and Jazz. In her dance career Ember has had the privilege of starring in special roles such as the Naughty Ginger, Ginger Snap, Clara, and Sugar Plum Fairy in the annual Nutcracker, not to mention the Blue Bird and the Fairy of the Crystal Fountain in Sleeping Beauty. Ember has plans to attend Grand Canyon University in Fall 2026, pursuing a major in Early Childhood Education.
Alex Perez, Teacher -
Mr. Alex will teach Adult Ballet.
Alex has been studying dance at Merced Academy of Dance for over 25 years. He is a principal member of Merced Civic Ballet where he has performed numerous leading roles including the Rat King, lead Spanish dancer and Rose Cavalier in the “The Nutcracker”, and most recently dancing Pas de Six in Coppelia. Alex has been teaching dance for over 20 years and is thrilled to be joining the staff of Merced Academy of Dance again this year.