Creative Generations,
Dance Mentors
Expert Advice, Support, and Wellness
Strategies for Aspiring Dancers
Derek Sakakura - Joffrey Ballet
Elise Elliot - Houston Ballet
Ikolo Griffin - San Francisco Ballet
Simeon Den - Broadway & Joyce Trisler Dance
Jamie Dee Clifton - Charlotte Ballet
Khamla Somphanh - ODC
Rhodes Elliott - Houston Ballet
A unique dance journey
Your Support Team is Here
From our own lived experience, our team of ballet career coaches fully understands how much our own mentors have meant to us and how fortunate we were to have had them in our lives. We also understand that dancers who have, in addition to mentorship, expert support in nutrition, physical conditioning, and mind/body wellness will be healthier, suffer less risk of injury, and learn the importance of dancer-specific self-care!
Sign up, you will immediately receive:
a complimentary 30 minute dance consultation with a ballet career coach who will share our program with you and offer guidance and support. Families are welcome!
Schedule your consultation today, and immediately feel the impact of our support!
Your first consultation of 30 minutes with a ballet career coach is complimentary. Schedule below!
Dancers are Elite Athletes—
And Deserve Expert Support
Dance may not have billion-dollar budgets, but it has passion and dedication. Creative Generations is elevating the support and development available to dancers—from Sacramento Ballet professionals to students at forward-thinking schools. Borrowing from the best practices in athletics, CG offers one-on-one sessions with former professionals to discuss training, audition prep, career advice, or navigating the dance world.
In collaboration with our mentors are our Wellness Experts, all former dancers, who understand dancers’ unique needs. They’ll help you integrate techniques like nutrition support, resilience building, stress regulation, intelligent breath work, self-care, and injury risk reduction into your training.
Dance Wellness Experts:
CG’s “Record & Refine” Video Analysis
-
“Having a mentor outside of Sacramento Ballet has been extremely beneficial for me in the sense that this is someone who has a different set of eyes and can give me so many new perspectives and ideas on my artistry and ideas in dance. It’s also beneficial because there is only so much that my directors and artistic staff can say and do for me, whereas having a mentor from CG doesn’t feel like it has the limitation.
CG has given me so many helpful resources such as controlled breathing/meditation techniques that help me both inside and outside the studio that helps with both my dancing and my anxiety’s that can relate to dance.
They have also just given me what I feel like is an extremely safe space to talk about all my concerns and thoughts about being a dancer and how hard it can be at times without any judgment or backlash.
My mentor, Derek, has given me a huge boost of confidence in myself both as a human being and as a dancer. To be sound with who I am and to utilize myself to the best of my ability without having to be apologetic about it.
Derek has also given me personal breathing techniques that have especially helped with my jumps allowing for the jumps to feel less strained and tense, and allowing me to suspend them even longer in the air!”
-
How has having access to mentors from outside Sacramento Ballet, who bring diverse experiences from companies and backgrounds, expanded your perspective or impacted your approach to dance?
Something nice about having a mentor who has experienced the career is they can give real-world advice without bias and a boundary of them being your boss. They have also experienced many different teachers and directors and can give great, expansive advice.
What resources or guidance have you found most valuable in navigating your professional growth and personal wellness through Creative Generations?
The parts that I have found the most valuable are having someone who cares to help me without interior motives and being able to be honest and myself. It’s a well-rounded program that is able to give many types of help that can make a well-rounded dancer!
Can you share an experience where a mentor’s insight or advice helped you overcome a specific challenge in your training or performance?
How being present on stage can be very freeing, and showing yourself on stage can be the best experience.
-
“I am so grateful to be a part of the Creative Generations Mentorship team! I was lucky enough to meet Derek while guest teaching together in Texas - after one conversation about his program, I knew I wanted to be a part of helping it grow. As a former Soloist with Houston Ballet, I had incredible opportunities to dance with amazing choreographers in countries all over the world - but the challenging times that come with being a professional dancer (especially in the early years) would have been so much easier to navigate if I had had a program like CG to help give me guidance. I feel lucky to be on the other side of company life now as a Rehearsal Director for Sacramento Ballet, where I can guide my dancers with support and knowledge I gained from my own career. I look forward to mentoring dancers around the world through this platform! “ ~ Elise Elliott, former soloist Houston Ballet
We are so proud of Bella for placing first in YAGP’s 2025 Jr Classical Ballet Semifinals in San Diego! Her incredible dedication, unwavering support from her mom, and perhaps some guidance from our professional mentors at Creative Generations all came together to help her be at her best!
Through our Record & RefineVideo Analysis, dancers can refine technique and artistry, work within their physical capacity, and use video as a powerful tool—all while avoiding the dreaded mirror. This approach helps dancers fine-tune their artistry, build confidence, and make smart adjustments for peak performance.
Exceptional work, Bella! We are so proud to be part of your dance journey.
Isabella Tjoe: 1st place 2025 YAGP jr Classical Ballet