MEET THE COMPANY

ALEX LUM grew up in Hawaii, where he began his dance journey at The Movement Center in Kaimukī. During high school, he performed across the island at venues including Diamond Head Theatre and Castle High School. He went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Dance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he trained extensively in Ballet, Modern, and Jazz. After graduation, Alex performed professionally on the Las Vegas Strip at renowned hotels such as The Venetian, Palazzo, and Planet Hollywood. His career then took him around the globe, dancing with touring companies and cruise lines in countries worldwide. Now, Alex is excited to return to the place he calls home—Hawai‘i—and to share his passion, experience, and love for dance with the community that first inspired him.

CAROLYN FEHER started her training under Royal Academy of Dance certified teacher Barbara Mullen in Londonderry, NH. Ms Carolyn studied the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus for twelve years, passing her first exam at six and completing her Vocational Exams at eighteen. From 2006-2018, she performed professionally with Hawaii Ballet Theatre, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Onium Ballet Project, and more. In 2018, she opened Kailua Dance Academy after a 10+ year teaching career, building her school on the mission ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE THROUGH DANCE and founded on the vision that all students are capable of achieving a high level of technical proficiency in a safe and supportive environment.

JACQUELYN ESSER began her ballet training at the Nina Marlow Ballet School in Phoenix, Arizona. She continued her dance education at the Arizona School for the Arts and trained with Ballet Arizona. In high school, she attended the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, where she further refined her classical technique and performance skills. After high school, Jacquelyn chose to pursue a different path and moved to Hawaiʻi, where she attended the University of Hawaiʻi and later earned her law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law. She has practiced as an attorney in Honolulu since 2009. Recently, Jacquelyn has rediscovered her love for ballet and returned to the studio with renewed passion and joy. She is thrilled to be performing again for the first time in more than 20 years. 

KIRSTEN GARNER is a licensed physical therapist assistant with an extensive background in dance. She started dancing at the age of 4 after begging her mother to start lessons. She went on to compete with a team based in Houston for the next 12 years performing in multiple genres of dance. At 16, Kirsten joined the pre-professional ballet company BalletForte to continue pursuing her love of ballet. Kirsten earned her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in dance from Sam Houston State University in 2016. Kirsten continued performing and teaching for the next 2 years before going back to school for physical therapy in 2018. After graduation, Kirsten continued to teach while incorporating the things she learned to help prevent injury and improve technical progress in her students. Kirsten hopes to continue sharing her love of dance and knowledge of kinesiology with students of all ages to help them become the best that they can be. 

RACHAEL HAYNER-LUM has a lifelong passion for the stage and the performing arts. Originally from Kansas City, she now proudly calls Honolulu home. Her extensive training includes programs with Giordano Jazz Dance, American Ballet Theatre, University of the Arts, Virginia School of the Arts, Fort Wayne Ballet Academy, and Hubbard Street II. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Nevada–Las Vegas, where she was selected as part of an elite group representing the college in international performances across Australia, Germany, Turks and Caicos, and Korea. Rachael began her professional career performing in numerous productions on the Las Vegas Strip at New York-New York and Planet Hollywood. Her love for both dance and travel then led her to tour extensively throughout the United States and Canada. She later joined Princess Cruises as a dancer before being promoted to Company Performance Manager for the Onboard Production Casts, where she led multiple casts at sea. Among her career highlights, she helped launch a new ship in the Princess Cruises fleet and collaborated with West End director Karen Bruce to create a brand-new production for the Discovery Princess. Rachael’s deep love for dance and entertainment continues to inspire new opportunities and adventures. She is thrilled to share her artistry with Kailua Dance Academy.

SKYLAR TANAKA grew up in San Francisco, California and I have been dancing for almost 16 years now! Currently, she is minoring in dance at UH Mānoa. Skylar is passionate about dance and hopes to continue dancing for as long as she can! She am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be an invited company member in this production.

PHOTO CREDIT TO JOSEPH ESSER