STAFF
JOY DITTBERNER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Joy moved to Laguna Beach in 1999 with her husband Tom and quickly became involved in the community. For eight years she served on the Board of Friendship Shelter, a homeless shelter for adults. She spent a year as a docent at the Marine Mammal Center sharing all she knows about pennipeds with visitors.
Joy functioned as Volunteer Coordinator for the Laguna Dance Festival for four years prior to joining the board. Joy brings more than twenty years of experience in business development, marketing, sales and professional relations working in the pharmaceutical industry to the table. She loves yoga, travel, hiking and scuba diving. She is excited and honored to be involved with the Festival as it continues to bring world class dance to Laguna Beach. She is a graduate of UCSB in Biology and earned an MBA from the University of Utah.
JODIE GATES, FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Jodie Gates has established a significant career in the dance field. For thirty-five years she has contributed to the profession as a visionary leader, artistic director, educator, curator, stager, choreographer and principal dancer. She is a former principal ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
She is the Founding Director of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, and Founder and Artistic Director of the Laguna Dance Festival. She is also an artistic collaborator with choreographer William Forsythe, and stages ballets internationally for Forsythe Productions. In June 2021, she was awarded the distinguished Fellowship from The Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU. Her Fellowship acknowledges her most recent work as the lead initiator for the Artistic Directors Coalition for Ballet in America, a group of artistic leaders who are addressing systemic racism and inequities within the culture of ballet. READ MORE.
ANGEL ANDERSON, OPERATIONS MANAGER
Angel Anderson comes to Laguna Dance Festival with a diverse background. With a degree in Fashion Design from Brooks College and a Graphics Design Certification from the University of California, Irvine she started her career by designing and merchandising for several brands such as Barefoot Miss and Athena Swimwear. After a career in fashion, Angel chaired many events for both school and sports while raising her three children. She and her daughter became very involved in the National Charity League and the Assisteens of Orange. Angel went back to work as the West Region Assistant for Pearson Education. Now Angel brings her varied background to Laguna Dance Festival as their Operations Manager.
EILEEN KIM, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Eileen Kim (she/her) is a Korean American artist and educator. Eileen graduated from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance with a BFA in Dance and a concentration in Choreography. During her time at USC, she worked on the USC Kaufman Communications Team, Dance Operations Team, and as the Social Media Manager for Blue 13 Dance. Alongside this work, she was the co-president of SC Choreographic Collective, producing, directing, and overseeing 5 productions throughout the academic year.
Eileen has danced professionally with Universal Ballet in Seoul, South Korea and is most currently dancing with Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company. She is eager to bring her passion for photography, graphic design, video editing, digital storytelling, and communications to Laguna Dance Festival as the Social Media Manager.
AMANDA KOENIG, PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Amanda Koenig is a Southern California native who began her dance training at the tender age of three. She earned her B.A. in Dance from California State University, Long Beach. Due to an injury, Koenig pivoted into Arts Administration to stay in the world she loved. She was part of the inaugural administration team for the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. During her tenure, Koenig was promoted to Administration Manager and finally, Director of Administration. After her second son was born, Koenig took some time off to be a stay-at-home mom and is excited to dive back into the performing arts with Laguna Dance Festival!
KRYSTAL MATSUYAMA, ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE
Krystal Matsuyama-Tsai (she/her) is a movement artist, educator, and researcher born and raised in Southern California. She has danced professionally with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, BARE Dance Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and ENTITY Contemporary Dance. She has had the honor of performing works by choreographers in both commercial and concert dance industries including Bryan Arias, Peter Chu, Daniel Ezralow, Mike Esperanza, Alex Ketley, Jiří Kylián, Mia Michaels, Marissa Osato, and Dwight Rhoden, amongst others. As an educator, she has taught at various dance schools and programs across the Southwest and internationally in Costa Rica and Taiwan. Currently, Krystal is a freelance artist-educator on faculty at Chapman University and is a collaborating artist with Peter Chu’s chuthis. Additionally, she recently co-founded a community-focused dance organization, Hyphen Art House, with her colleague Megan Guise. She proudly holds her BFA and MFA degrees in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, and is thrilled to be a part of the Laguna Dance Festival as an Artistic Associate.
There are currently no openings to join the Laguna Dance Festival Team; please check back later