DANCE

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Nela began dancing at an early age and has been teaching classic jazz technique for over thirty years. She made her professional debut at twelve, dancing in the movie version of Bye Bye Birdie which starred a young Ann Margaret. Through the years, she has danced in a number of other films, most notably Staying Alive with John Travolta, and has made television appearances including Emmy Awards broadcast choreographed by Michael Peters (Thriller & Beat It), as well as an assortment of commercials.She found a long term home when she joined artistic directors Dennon and Sayhber Rawles and their company Jazz Dances, Inc., where she performed as a principal dancer for many years, while also managing the L.A. based touring company. Nela has taught intermediate through professional level jazz classes in California, Alaska and Rio de Janeiro, and Brazil. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and owns and runs her studio “One To One Pilates” in Santa Monica.