About our Teachers

Definique Juniel began dancing and tumbling at the age of three. She began tap dancing at the age of five, ballet at age 8 and jazz and lyrical by age 11when she entered the San Diego Junior Theatre program where she did several plays and musicals. Later that year she met Don and Bonnie Ward, former Artistic Directors of Starlight Theatre in San Diego. It is there that Definique did her first professional show. She went to work at that theatre for more than twelve seasons and do more than 40 musicals. After completion of high school she entered The United States International University, a private conservatory in San Diego with four campuses around the world, under the direction of the multi-talented Jack Tygett. In 1992 she earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Definique has worked with some of the finest teachers and choreographers all over the world including: Debbie Allen, Gregory Hines, Eddie Brown, Sandman Sims, Javier Velasco, Kenny Ortega, Kenneth Green, Jean Issacs, Frank Hatchett, and Pam Thompson . Her teaching experience includes several dance studios in San Diego as well as Orange County and Arizona. She was the Curriculum Expert in Theatre and Dance at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School in Eastlake for 680 students. Definique has choreographed "Footloose" and "Babe the Sheep Pig" for San Diego Junior Theatre as well as many other projects and musicals in San Diego. She has worked at numerous Theatres in San Diego, Orange County, Arizona and New York and is very excited to be working with the students here at Spotlight Dance Arts!