DANCE TEACHERS IN BASTROP TX
MEET THE LIBERTY DANCE CENTER INSTRUCTORS AND MENTORS
Marisa Bain, Owner / Director
Marisa began her dance journey at the Joee Shapiro School of Dance in Houston, training under Joee Shapiro and Maggie Dickey. By the age of 15, she was already performing professionally. Her training expanded at renowned institutions including Houston Ballet Academy, EDGE Performing Arts Center (Los Angeles), Millennium Dance Complex (Los Angeles), and Broadway Dance Center (New York City).
Her versatility spans ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip hop, and lyrical dance. She began her teaching career in Dallas, working alongside Kurt and Beckie Thomas at their elite gymnastics training facility, where she taught ballet. She later became Head of the Hip-Hop Department at Preston Center Dance, one of Dallas’s most prestigious studios.
Professionally, she performed with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and appeared in numerous industrial projects for major brands such as DIFFA, Zales Jewelry, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Sally Beauty Supply, Macy’s, Foley’s, and JC Penney. After relocating to Los Angeles, she signed with the respected DDO Artists Agency and worked with top television networks including MTV and FOX.
Her performance credits include collaborations with Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz, Mai Kuraki, and Dennis Rodman. She has also showcased with leading choreographers and companies such as Blue 13 Dance Company, Layla and the Lotus Dancers, The Delicious Dames, Keith Cross, Densil Adams, John Merrifield, Denise Lietner, Roni Blak, Achinta McDaniel, Joelle Consentino, Ray Leeper, Roger Lee, and Marty Kudelka.
As an educator, she directed jazz companies Dance Asylum and D-Gen at the Malibu Performing Arts Center in California. She also toured nationally as a permanent adjudicator for major competition circuits, including Hall of Fame Dance Challenge, and served as an educator with Dance Masters of America (DMA).
In addition to her extensive dance career, she pursued holistic health, graduating from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City with certification in Holistic Nutrition and Health Coaching. She is also CPR and First Aid certified and remains committed to ongoing education and professional growth.
Krista Grigoriou, Instructor / Company Director
Krista Grigoriou is a seasoned dancer who began dancing at the young age of 5 years old. For as long as she can remember, she was always very interested and involved in theater and dance, which would lead her to travel throughout her home state of Kentucky.
As an adult, she continued her interest in dance and went on to study ballet, jazz and modern dance at University of the Arts and Western Kentucky University.
Krista’s ongoing passion for dance and movement led her to move across the country to California, where she continued to train with local dance companies and schools in San Diego and Los Angeles.
She had the fortune of performing in various projects and events where she became a member of companies such as Continuum Dance Company and Ooh La La Revue.
She continues to find joy through movement, expression, and choreography which has led her to pursue a career in dance education for both children and adults. Her interest in dance education led Krista to start an organization that focused on bringing the performing arts curriculum to public schools.
Krista enjoys spending time with her kids and husband while residing in Austin, TX.
Amy Bailey, Instructor
Amy began her dance training with Ballet Academy in Corpus Christi, the Houston Ballet Academy, and Joffrey Ballet in New York City. At 18, she moved to London to start her professional career. She was privileged to be coached by such legends as Dame Alicia Markova, Margaret Barbieri, and David Wall from the Royal Ballet and English National Ballet.
After performing classical ballet with notable companies such as London Ballet Theatre and on stages from The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden to amphitheaters in Cyprus, Amy and her husband Anthony re-trained with coaches from the Cirque du Soleil to travel the world as an adagio and aerial team. Amy then segued into musical theatre, starring in several productions including The Producers, Oklahoma, and Guys & Dolls.
In 2009, Amy was cast as a singer and dancer in Rob Marshall’s film NINE which sparked her interest in acting. Since then she has enjoyed a successful TV and film career both as an actress and producer.
Amy has taught all ages, all over the world, and has a passion for sharing her love of dance.
Joslyn Fink is from San Diego California where she grew up spending much of her time at the beach, swimming and surfing in the ocean. One of her greatest passions then and now is dance. From her earliest memories at age 3 through high school, Joslyn enjoyed ballet, tap, jazz, pointe and hip hop, through competition as well as simply performing for the love and joy of dancing! In high school Joslyn also discovered another beautiful expression of movement through the sport of golf.
Over the years, she has played golf on a team competing with other schools and had the opportunity to play some beautiful courses around the world. She graduated from a golf academy and began both working in the golf industry, and teaching it to others. Joslyn also spent 10 years discovering the world through fashion and modeling. Joslyn is now married to the love of her life James and they have four beautiful children. She is excited to pursue her first love of dance and share it with the amazing LDC family.
Joslyn Fink, Instructor
Anthony Bailey was born in Canada and trained at the National Ballet School of Canada and the Quinte Ballet School. After studying with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, he won a scholarship to train with David Wall at the London Studio Centre in England where he toured the UK. Upon graduating, he joined London City Ballet as an apprentice, then danced as a soloist with London Ballet Theatre touring throughout Europe. Anthony has guest performed with Bejart Ballet, Cyprus Ballet, English National Opera and Corpus Christi Concert Ballet. In 2001, he joined the London cast of the Phantom of the Opera as the lead male dancer, at the original Her Majesty’s theatre.
In addition to his ballet career, Anthony and his wife, Amy Bailey, travelled the world as an adagio couple guest performing on various cruise ships. Anthony’s commercial clients include Star Wars, Lego, Microsoft, Health & Fitness and various music videos. He has been featured as a judge on Australia & Norway’s Next Top Model, plus appeared as himself in the 7 part series, “The Agency.” Most recently he took part in a 2022 Sky/Guardian 3 part exposé documentary called, “Scouting For Girls.”
Anthony has taught dance, specialising in partnering, all over the world and helped to set the Corpus Christi Concert Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.
Anthony Bailey, Instructor
Erin Aviles, Instructor
Erin Aviles started her dance training at the age of 3 in Bastrop, TX. She studied styles such as ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and contemporary.
Erin was trained by Paula Sansom and Jade Greenough who both inspired her in different ways which she is very thankful for.
Erin attended the American Ballet Theater Intensive in 2019 and has taken master classes in ballet and contemporary from well-known artists in the greater Austin area.
She’s also had the opportunity to choreograph work for 5 X 7 Austin Dance Fest.
In 2019, she joined and started performing with Metamorphosis Dance in Round Rock, TX as a Senior Artist. After graduating, Erin was then promoted to Resident Artist in 2021.
She had the pleasure of being taught by some amazing instructors at Metamorphosis Dance and has had the opportunity to choreograph and showcase her own work.
Erin’s favorite roles have been Clara’s sister in ‘The Nutcracker’, as well as ‘The Night’ in the ballet ‘Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda’.
Being in her hometown, Erin is very excited to teach and grow as an artist with Liberty Dance Center and share her love for dance!
Maddie Hernandez, Instructor
Maddie Hernandez recently moved to Bastrop and is excited to embark on her new journey here. After more than 14 years as a dedicated dance student competing, performing, and training, Maddie is now stepping into a new season as the hip hop teacher at LDC. Hip hop has always been her passion and strongly believes that dance has help shaped who she is. She is excited to pass on what she’s learned to the next generation of dancers.
Liberty Bain, Assistant
Liberty began her dance training in the womb when her mom, Marisa Bain, founder of Liberty Dance Center, became pregnant. Liberty has lived in the dance studio since she can remember. When Liberty turned 2, she took the Mommy & Me class and loved it so much! Even her mom knew that dance would be a part of Liberty’s life forever. Throughout the years, Liberty has assisted class with her mom and other instructors. At the age of 9 she auditioned for the LDC Competition Company and made the team! She is currently taking every dance class she can.
Amongst all her talents, she is also a trained barrel racer and loves horses probably more than dance. She has 4 horses: Breeze, Tiny, Dot, and Johnny. She trains weekly to perfect her barrel racing skills. Good thing ballet helps with horse riding too! If you ever meet Liberty, she will probably be petting an animal, talking about one, or shopping at Sephora.