Staff & Faculty

Sandra Rubi

School Owner

Sandra Rubi has been teaching in the Albuquerque area for 40 years, beginning in competitive gymnastics. She took a ballet class and was hooked. Sandra has trained at Suzanne’s School of Dance in classical ballet and jazz. She has danced professionally with the New Mexico Ballet Company, danced with the Southwest Ballet Theatre, and performed in many classical ballets. Not only has she danced professionally for many years, but she has attended UNM in the study of Special Education and Nutrition. Sandra created the dance program for the West Side Community Center as well as the preschool dance program for the Southwest Ballet Company. She opened her own school here in Albuquerque in 1985. 

Competitive dance has always been a passion of hers, and she loves watching her students excel in competitions and performances. At her school, she prides herself teaching not only dance, but life skills as well. Her first love in dance is teaching toddlers and preschool students, and introducing new children to the world of dance. Sandra’s motto is “Talent is one thing, but hard work is everything”.

Jessica Padilla

Assistant Director

Jessica Padilla began her dance and gymnastics training at the age of three at Sandra’s School of Dance.  As a part of the school’s competition team, she has won several awards, titles, and scholarships including a Dance Olympus VIP dancer and a final contestant for Dance America’s Dancer of the Year Competition in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jessica spent many years also as a member of the New Mexico Ballet Company, and performed in productions of Nutcracker, Dracula, Balanchine’s Serenade, and other Ballet Showcases. During this time, Jessica attended several ballet workshops including a summer-long Ballet intensive with the Joffrey Ballet Company in New York. After High School, Jessica continued her Ballet, Jazz, and Hip-Hop training at the University of California at Irvine, during this time she was employed by Plaza Production 1, a company providing dance classes as part of school curriculums and after school activities across Orange County, CA.  In California, as a member of CADC, IDT, and Pulse Dance Crews, Jessica attended and performed in Hip-Hop showcases around Los Angeles and Southern California. In 2009, Jessica returned to Albuquerque, and became a weekly Ballet instructor and competition coach for Sandra’s School of Dance. She also works as an LMSW specializing in pediatric development and assessment, and is a part-time professor for NMHU’s School of Social Work. 

Dona Sosa

Assistant Director

Dona Sosa has been a performer, teacher, and choreographer for over 25 years. Starting her dance training at Sandra’s School of Dance at the age of 2, Dona trained extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, and gymnastics.  She was one of the original members of the Dance Sensations, Sandra’s first competitive dance team. Dona began assisting Sandra at the age of 11 and began teaching at the age of 14. When she was 16 years old, Dona started choreographing for the competitive team. Her choreography has won copious awards throughout the years including Best Choreography at several competitions. After graduating from the Albuquerque Academy, Dona attended the University of New Mexico where she received her Bachelor of  Science degree in Early Childhood Multicultural Education with a Minor in Dance. Dona has been teaching in the Albuquerque Public Schools for the past 16 years and currently teaches NM State Pre-K at Bel-Air Elementary School.  Dona is also a consultant with the Santa Fe Opera’s Early Childhood Initiative and the Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix.  Dona is the Assistant Director for Sandra’s School of Dance  and is very involved in all aspects of the recreational and competitive programs.

Tatiana Tafoya

Tatiana Tafoya has been in the competitive world of dancing since the age of 3.  During her years as a competitive dancer she received many awards and scholarships including numerous top 10 overall high score awards, several opportunities to compete for dancer of the year from different conventions, as well as the HC Dancer award where she was able to assist the faculty throughout the convention and competition. She began assisting at age 11 and teaching at the age of 16 where she found her true passion.  She is currently studying at the University of New Mexico with aspirations to become a radiologist specializing in pediatrics with a minor in Spanish. Her ultimate dream job would be working at St. Jude Children’s Hospital as a radiologist while incorporating dance with her patients. She hopes to be able to inspire the next generation of young dancers.

Rachael Engstrom

Office Manager

Rachael Engstrom is an administration, business operations, and marketing professional with over 10 years of experience. Born and raised in Albuquerque, she grew up in the local dance community, which sparked a lifelong connection to the arts. Rachael trained in ballet, flamenco, modern and contemporary for thirteen years, performing with companies such as Festival Ballet Albuquerque and New Mexico Ballet Company. With a passion for community, Rachael later earned a BA in Psychology from the University of New Mexico and now applies her education and professional experience to support and strengthen the arts community she grew up in.

Sarah Hosford

Sarah Hosford began her dance training at age 5, danced throughout her childhood, and continued her dance education at Oklahoma City University. While pursuing her Dance Pedagogy degree, Sarah performed in the Student Choreography show, was a Pep Dancer and held management positions like Production Assistant, Assistant Wardrobe Supervisor, and Staff Supervisor. Upon graduating from Oklahoma City University, Sarah performed with Disney Cruise Lines aboard the Disney Dream as Princess Tiana. She performed in various deck shows, stage productions, and holiday enhancements. Sarah continued her Disney journey at Shanghai Disney Resort where she debuted as the first ever Princess Tiana at the park! She performed in stage shows, parades, and castle performances. Sarah loves teaching and has taught and choreographed for various studios across the United States. Sarah believes anyone can dance and is excited to share her passion for dance with everyone!

Maria “Malu” Lucero

Malu grew to love dancing since coming to the US when she was 9 years old and has been performing ever since. After graduating high school, she threw herself into many dance auditions and was on So You Think You Can Dance in the Vegas rounds and soon thereafter became a dancer for the NBA’s Miami HEAT. At 20, she was performing on live television for the Latin Awards, and as a professional dancer, has performed alongside artists including Shakira, Pitbull, Sean Paul, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Anuel, Robin Thicke, J Balvin, Maluma, Luis Fonsi, Ozuna, and more. Throughout her career Malu has worked in several areas of the commercial dance industry: as a dancer featured in the movie Step Up 4, in numerous music videos, and in live concert performances on world tours. She has enjoyed expanding her abilities as a choreographer for the NBA’s Miami Heat and MLB’s Miami Marlins, and for music videos for several Latin artists and leading a team of professional dancers on their latest world tour. In addition, Malu enjoys training and teaching young dancers on school and competition teams, many from underserved communities, for 17 years. She loves performing on stage, dancing on camera, and thrives on working behind the scenes to create, grow, and share her knowledge of the dance industry with the next generation of talented dancers. Malu specializes in hip hop and commercial/stage dance styles, and her teaching methods highlight clean visuals, musical dynamics, and textured movement.

Sarah Morris

Trained as a second-generation Balanchine dancer, Sarah Morris joined the Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet in 1993.  Her repertoire included classic Balanchine ballets and original works by artistic director, Paul Mejia.  Among her favorite roles were soloist in Balanchine’s La Valse, Mother in Mejia’s Les Noces and Stepsister in Cinderella.  She later joined the Bruce Wood Dance company, a modern troupe heavily influenced by Twyla Tharp, Alvin Ailey, and Lar Lubovitch.  During her professional dance career and since, she has enjoyed teaching ballet classes, staging, rehearsing, and auditioning children of all ages for musical theater and dance productions in a variety of venues.  Sarah has taught all levels of ballet and choreographed numerous dance pieces in Texas, Idaho and now, New Mexico.  Along with over a quarter century of teaching experience, she has also directed a non-profit dance studio for low income families, coordinated an outreach program to children in public schools, created an authentic after school dance program, directed a youth dance ensemble and served on the Board of Idaho Dance Theatre. In addition, Sarah is certified in Soma+IQ Breathwork, helping adolescents and adults live fulfilling lives after releasing deeply-held trauma. She joined the Staff of Ballet Repertory Theatre in 2018.

Alex Ossadnik

Born and raised in the former East Germany, Mr. Ossadnik trained for 8 years under government scholarship at the prestigious Palucca School in Dresden. He performed with the Ballet Theatre de Bordeaux in France and was a principal dancer with the German National Theatre Weimar. Moving to the United States in 1995, he has worked with numerous companies as a teacher, ballet master, choreographer, and director with artists from the Alberta Ballet, Boston Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Compania Nacional de Danza de Mexico, Joffrey Ballet, Joven Ballet de Jalisco, Veronique’s Ecole de Danse in Bordeaux, France, and Compania National de Danza in Mexico City. From 1996-1999 he Co-Founded and Directed Santa Fe Festival ballet and from 2008-2018 Alex was the Ballet Master for Ballet Idaho. He also co-founded Ballet Pro Música in Albuquerque, NM and the Atlantic Southeast Ballet in Charleston, SC. Past choreographic works for BRT include Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Orpheus, Carmen, Beauty and the Beast, La Mer, Tchaikovsky Suite, Act I of Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid and Like Water for Chocolate. Mr. Ossadnik was Artistic Director of Ballet Wichita from 2018-2020.

Dolores Sanchez

Dolores “Lola” Sanchez is a passionate and empowering choreographer, educator, and performer. She has served as faculty at Peridance Capezio Center, Steps On Broadway, and Broadway Dance Center in New York City. She is an Adjunct Professor at Pace University for The Commercial Arts Dance Program and has been a Guest Teaching Artist at Hope College and Molloy College. Dolores has worked with and/or performed under Chloe Arnold, Michelle Dorrance, Ali Bradley, Joseph Webb, Jared Grimes, Sam Webber, Dianne Walker, and Derick K. Grant. She was a member of Chloe Arnold’s company, Apt. 33 from 2014 – 2017, a 2018 – 2019 recipient of a New York Live Arts Fresh Tracks Residency, and is the founder and artistic director for her NYC-based tap company, The Dolo Project. She is currently an Artist in Residence with the American Tap Dance Foundation and a Teaching Artist with New York City Center and Flamenco Vivo. She has taught in Guadalajara, Queretaro, Madrid, New Mexico, and all throughout the tri-state area of NY. Dolores is currently a grad student at the University of New Mexico.

Antoinette Segura

Antoinette Segura a native of Albuquerque and began her dance training at the age of three with Fishback Studio of The Dance in ballet, jazz, tap, acrobatics, hip hop and contemporary. She has competed regionally and nationally with Fishback’s dance team, receiving numerous awards and titles, including Youth America Grand Prix 3rd place contemporary winner and IDC Junior Miss Global. In 2005, Antionette joined NMBC then joined FBA in 2016. Antionette has trained with various artists and is currently a dance instructor for Kids Love to Dance, Sandra’s School of Dance, Dance Theatre Southwest, and for NDI-NM. Her dance philosophy is “Dance is the hidden language of the soul”.

Brooke Lynn Rodriguez

Brooke has been training since the age of two. She received her training at Sandra’s School of Dance. She is trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, Jazz Funk, and Gymnastics. Brooke began competing at the age of five, she has since received many scholarships (Joffrey Ballet School, AMDA, ect.) from various dance competitions. Brooke is a choreographer, teacher, and performer. Brooke is currently attending UNM. She is currently on the Lobo Dance Team and is Majoring in Dance to expand her dance pallet.

Michelle Vaughn

Michelle Vaughn is an Albuquerque Native with over 25 years of industry experience. As a dance instructor, Michelle has been recognized on national platforms for her innovative choreographic works and her dancer’s technical abilities. Her students have received scholarships to the following institutions and programs: Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, Kirov Academy of Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, University of New Mexico, Texas Tech University, Columbia University, and Chapman University to name a few. With a focus in teaching youth, Michelle held the positions of Co-Director of the Early Childhood Program, Director of Evolve Dance Company, and Artistic Director at Marshall Performing Arts Conservatory (2013-2017). During this time, she served as a judge for Cathy Roe Ultimate Dance Competition, where she adjudicated the top dancers in the country (2016-2017). Michelle’s technical background includes, Classical Ballet, Classic Jazz, Lyrical & Contemporary, Duncan Technique, the Progressive Ballet Technique, and through level 7 gymnastics. Her performance credits include, regional and national concert dance and competitive performances, 4 seasons with Disney World, and commercial dance. Michelle’s multifaceted career includes being a wife and mother of 4 incredible children, two of which are award winning dancers.