INSTRUCTORS

Yulia Zhmutski

Studio Founder &

Ballet Instructor

Yulia founded Julia’s Dance Academy in 2009 out of a desire to share her passion for dance with the Norman community.

Yulia has professional training in Russian classical ballet, more specifically the Vaganova Method, which she received in Tashkent, Uzebekistan.

Maddie Padilla

Modern & Contemporary

Maddie is from Moorpark, CA and was accepted into OU’s modern department in 2017. She has trained in Balanchine and Horton technique as well as other various styles of contemporary. She was in a pre-professional company in high school and can’t wait wait to share all she has learned with young dancers at Julia’s!

Amanda Gorzney

Jazz, Hip Hop & Adult Tap

Amanda grew up dancing  in Duncan, Oklahoma. She danced for 15 years, and eight of those years she danced competitively throughout Oklahoma and Texas in tap, jazz, hip-hop and lyrical. In high school she  was also a member and later a captain for the Duncan High School Pom Squad. While attending the University of Oklahoma she enjoyed dancing in the Crimson Beats hip-hop club.

Georgina Ledesma

Ballet & Ballroom

Georgina started teaching ballroom dance in 1990.  She is certified in the Terpsichore syllabus and was a dance major at BYU. She loves the beauty and creativity that is a part of dance and is excited to see her students excel in their talents.

Jessica Michael

Tap

Jessica specializes in dance technique. She  started teaching at Julia's Dance Academy in 2011.
Besides enjoying the great outdoors and dancing, she enjoys watching her students develop into amazing dancers.

Amelia Morris

Ballet

Amelia is very passionate about ballet and plans to pursue a career in dance education. She loves working with children and her dream is to teach ballet. Amelia has been dancing for 15 years. She's trained at Julia’s Dance for the past 7 years. 

Molly McGuerty

Ballet Assistant Teacher

Molly is a ballet pedagogy major at the University of Oklahoma. Originally from San Diego, she has trained in many genres of dance since childhood. She has held many lead rolls, including Spanish in Oklahoma Festival Ballet’s 2019 production of the Nutcracker. Molly has been  teaching dance over the past five years, and she is studying the art of teaching ballet in hopes of one day becoming an artistic director of a school or company.

Peter Zhmutski

Stretching & Acting

Peter is the creator of Premeditative Stretching, 

a unique stretching and toning system. His knowledge  comes from attending an Olympic Style Russian sport’s school, years of martial arts experience and practice of mind body correlation skills. He also teaches acting for dancers and trains contestants for pageants. 

STAFF

Erica Jenkins

Receptionist

Angel Morris

Studio manager