People: Instructors

Rashidi Omari, Hip-Hop Dance Instructor, Co-Director Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company

Rashidi has been performing, choreographing, teaching and directing since 1993. He specializes in B-boying (breakdancing), locking, popping, hip-hop, dancehall, house, Lindy-Hop, and other urban and partner dance styles. He has performed locally and nationally with hip hop and modern dance companies such as Liberation Dance Theater, Starchild Dance Collective, and Ase West Dance and Theater Collective.

As an educator, Rashidi has taught dance, spoken word, poetry and violence prevention to young people of all ages at multiple dance and arts education organizations in the Bay Area. He has been a part of Destiny Arts Center's teaching staff since 2000 as a dance instructor and DAYPC choreographer. Since 2009, he has been the DAYPC co-artistic director. At Destiny, he co-created and co-directed an award winning dance work in collaboration with Gamelan Sekar Jaya (www.gsj.org), a Balinese music and dance company, called "Tjak Box," a work that explored the intersection between hip hop culture and traditional Balinese culture.

Michele Elefante, Teddy Bear Martial Arts Instructor & Adult Self-Defense

Sensei Elefante is the head instructor of the Okinawan Karate Club of San Francisco and holds the rank of Sandan, (3nd degree black belt) in both Shorin Ryu and Shotokan Karate. She has studied martial arts for 16 years, working with youth for 14 of those years. She has been an instructor at the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation’s (NWMAF) special training camp, the Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists (PAWMA) training camp and at the Association of Women Martial Arts Instructors (AWMAI) conference.

Anthony Daniels, Head Martial Arts Instructor

Sifu Anthony is one of Destiny's founding members, and has taught martial arts, youth leadership, self-defense and conflict resolution to youth of all ages for over 20 years at Destiny and in many other after-school programs in the Bay Area, including the California School for the Blind, Job Corps, the Chestnut Court Housing Projects, and Parks and Recreation programs. Sifu Anthony holds a first-degree black belt in Judo and a fifth degree black belt in Wu Chien Pai Kung Fu. Sifu Daniels has taught martial arts at Destiny since 1988. He started studying at age 13 and received his Black Belt in Kung Fu in 1982 and in Judo in 1988. He has over 20 years experience teaching youth and adults throughout the US, in Switzerland and Mexico.

Natasha (Tasha) Jacobs, Hip-Hop Dance Instructor, Director of Destiny Junior Company

Natasha has been dancing professionally since 2000 with Mystic Flava, a Buddhist dance collective and Six Times Crazy, an adult hip-hop dance collective, performing at the Palace of Fine Arts, Masonic Auditorium, Pride Parade, Hip Hop Festival III and IV, the Jon Sims Center for the Arts, among others. She holds a B.A. in Psychology for California State University, Hayward.

Sijay Nynke Koopmans - Volunteer Martial Arts Instructor

Nynke finds it a great honor and privilege to serve the Destiny community. She is constantly inspired by the maturity and creativity of the youth. She has been studying martial arts since 2000 and at Hand to Hand Kajukenbo Self-Defense Center since 2002. She volunteers her time to other youth organizations, one being Challenge Day. She is also a founding director for Mystic Family Circus, founder of GoddessUnite community, an active member of the Yoga Tai-Chi Collective and land owner/ co-creator in the natural habitat restoration of 7000 acres in Mexico: www.ecovillagebeyax.com

Mika Lemoine , Hip-Hop Dance Instructor

Mika Lemoine graduated from UCLA's department of World Arts and Cultures in 2006 with a B.A. in Dance and a minor in Latin American Studies. She has toured and performed internationally with Contra Tiempo Urban Latin Dance Theater and in Los Angeles with Versastyle Dance Company. Currently she dances with three Bay Area dance companies: Bodirock Culture, Mixd Ingrdnts and Embodiment Project. She is teaching various after school Hip Hop, Yoga and Gymnastics classes for youth with Fitness in Transit and Destiny Arts Center around the Bay Area in addition to her day job as an English/Spanish interpreter for the Labor Commission and Social Services.

Matt Lucas, Martial Arts Instructor

Sifu Matt has been teaching martial arts to 3-18 year olds at Destiny Arts Center for 7 years. He started training in the martial arts in 1982 at age 6, beginning with Judo and Shoren Ryu Karate, then studied Tae Kwon Do under Grand Master Min Suk Song (head judge of 1988 olympics). Sifu Matt received a black belt in the World Tae Kwon Do Federation in 1992 and competed on a national level, as well as intense study of Myser Ashtanga Yoga, under Guru Todd Roderick. Later discovering Toas Nabard Kung Fu, a rare exotic Persian fighting system, created by Grand Master/Founder Marco Safakhoo. Sifu Matt began teaching Toas Kung Fu in 1997 in Pensacola, FL.

Mariana Martinez, Martial Arts Instructor

Sifu Mariana has been a part of the Destiny family for 15 years. A former dance and martial arts student at Destiny and a member of the Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company, she now works with our youngest martial artists, the Teddy Bears. Mariana earned her black belt in 2006 and has been on the Destiny staff for over 5 years. She is currently studying public health at the University of California, Berkeley.

Denice Simpson , Modern/ Jazz Dance Instructor

Denice C. Simpson has over 23 years experience as a professional dancer trained in modern, jazz, West African and hula. After receiving her Master's in World Arts and Cultures with an emphasis on Dance Education from UCLA she relocated to Hawaii for five years where she began to study traditional and contemporary hula. She is and has been a member of Dimensions Dance Theater for over 23 years as a principal dancer. She also continues to work, study and perform with her halau, Halau Hula Namakahonuakapiliwale in Waianae, Hawaii.

Jujuana Williams , Theater Instructor

Performing arts has been apart of Jujuana’s life since she was six years old singing on stage for the Christmas play at her church. Since her debut, she fell in love with singing, dancing and acting. But acting became her favorite! Jujuana graduated from UC Santa Cruz earning her bachelor degree in Theater Arts. She has performed in many plays and has toured in Demark with the Oakland Ensemble Youth Theater group. Although teaching theater is now her job, it doesn’t feel that way because theater is her passion. Jujuana is very excited to be teaching her second year at Destiny Arts Center. The greatest thing about teaching at Destiny is seeing her students grow and develop into little aspiring Superstars!

Drew Looner, Break Dance Instructor

Drew Looner is an expert and pioneer in Break Dance Culture and has been professionally connected to youth and community since 1990 in the states of California, Washington, and Texas. He is a good teacher who cares about his pupils and is able to communicate his art to anyone who wants to learn about it. Drew Looner is a scientist when it comes to breakdance culture. He is obsessed with analyzing, organizing and documenting freestyle dance movement. Drew also has an extensive performance history too, including hollywood commercials, video game motion capture, and major stage shows with famous stars, but he cares more about his community, the youth, and knowledge over fame and fortune.

Daniel Mattar, Capoeira Instructor

Daniel Mattar is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he was introduced to capoeira in 1994. In 1999 he began to train intensively with Mestre Marrom. In 2002, Daniel moved to California and joined the International Capoeira Angola Foundation (ICAF). Together with Contra Mestre Rogerio, Daniel helped to build the two spaces for capoeira angola in West Oakland. In 2007 Daniel received the title of Treinel in Rio de Janeiro, during the annual ICAF conference. Daniel is the leader of the ICAF Oakland group under the guidance of Mestre Jurandir.

Julia Chigamba, African Dance Instructor

Julia Tsitsi Chigamba grew up in the rich music and dance traditions of the Shona people in Zimbabwe. She's the daughter of Tute Chigamba and Amai Laiza Chigamba, highly respected dancers in the Shona community. Julia was a longstanding member of Mbembero Dance Company. She came to the US in 1999 and two years later established the Chinyakare Ensemble and Tawanda muChinyakare organization in Oakland, California. Julia is eager to share the passion and knowledge of her family traditions and culture of the Shona people with students in the US.

Sam Mende-Wong, Martial Arts Instructor

Martial Arts Instructor Sifu Sam Mende-Wong began training in Kajukenbo Kung Fu at the age of 10 under the instruction of Sifu Kate Hobbs and Sifu Anthony Daniels at Destiny Arts Center in Oakland CA. As he moved up the ranks, he had the opportunity to assist in the 3 to 6 year old Safety Skills class where he began teaching children. In his Junior year of High School he took over the class and prepared young students to graduate to older classes. Sifu Sam received his Black Belt from Destiny Arts Center when he was 18 and returned to DAC after college to work as Project DESTINY Director for four years. Currently he teaches martial arts to young students around the Bay Area with Destiny Arts Center and the Oakland Kajukenbo Kwoon.

Asher Lyons, Theater Instructor

Bio coming soon!

Giuliana Blasi, Dance Instructor

Giuliana Blasi brings big heart to dancing and teaching, focusing on modern, Samba/Brazilian and hip-hop dance. She is a soloist and active member in the community Samba school, Batucada do Leste, and dances for Mix’d Ingrdnts hip hop company. She began formal training in concert dance as a youth at San Francisco Ballet, and as a young adult she recommitted herself to modern dance, training with Amara Tabor Smith and the Urban Bush Women SLI. Giuliana is pursuing an undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley in Sociology with minors in Education and Dance, focusing on the sociocultural aspects of dance education. Once a Bay Area youth herself, she strives to be a community-oriented artist, teaching in after school programs throughout the Bay and working with Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp. Her students are also among her most valuable teachers.

Jadson Souza de Jesus, Capoeira Instructor

Bio coming soon!

Alonzo Young , Martial Arts

Instructor Alonzo Young: Martial Artist, Dancer and Media Architect, began his somatic training early as a youth in dance (later becoming a professional dancer with the Clifford Fears Dance Company) and as a martial artist in Kenpo and White Crane Styles while living in Detroit, MI. While living in Detroit Alonzo became a member of the Golden Fist (an international martial arts association) where he studied with a various martial artist and styles under the umbrella of brotherhood and friendship. From these humble beginnings Alonzo Young has studied, practiced and taught the martial arts now for over 35 years throughout Asia and the United States. He has received various accolades and recognitions. Mr. Young has Black Belts and instructor certifications in Aikido, Tai Chi, Kenpo and White Lotus Gung Fu. In addition to his martial arts training, he is a certified IMPACT Bay Area (personal self defense) instructor, leadership/management development trainer, as well as, a Non-Violent Communication (NVC) and Conscious Embodiment\Leadership coach.