Tiffany Hudson-Specht, M.B.A - Owner & Artistic Director
Wendy Hudson - Office Manager
Jane Retzlaff - HDA Instructor
Jane grew up in sunny California and started dancing at the age of 10 at HDA. She danced at the Academy for the Performing Arts (APA) as well as Hudson Dance Academy throughout High School. Jane trained in hip hop, jazz, ballet, contemporary and tap with HDA faculty as well as guest artists including Quinton Peron, MaryAnn Chavez, Sam Nelson and more. Jane won several awards throughout the competition circuit at Showstoppers, KAR, Rainbow, and Starbound over her 8 years dancing at Hudson. Jane began teaching and choreographing as a teen at HDA and has honed her craft across different styles. Jane's choreography has won several 1st overall awards at several different competitions. She enjoys training and sharing her love of dance with the next generation.
HDA FACULTY
Kianna Lee - HDA Instructor
ZIVA raised in the South Bay started her training at the “Debbie Allen Dance Academy” for 10 years. ZIVA had her first professional job at the age of 12 years and started dancing with well known artist(s) from the age of 16 to 24. ZIVA feels fortunate to be trained professionally in almost every style yet her passions lie in Hip hop and Contemporary. The style she is known for is “Hip Hop Ticking Animation”. ZIVA has taught all ages (3 years to adults) loves teaching to inspire and build confidence in others. Ziva toured with “KC & the Sunshine Band” while being a part time dance teacher for the youth.
"Kobe" Bryant Pearson - HDA Instructor
"Ziva" Whitney Farmer - HDA Instructor
Lauren Hanson - Lead Jazz Instructor
Megan Shimada - HDA Instructor
Mrs. Hudson-Specht has had an extensive career in dance, teaching and choreographing for over 20 years. Mrs.. Hudson-Specht has trained and studied all forms of dance including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical and hip hop. She achieved her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Dance Performance from Loyola Marymount University, sequentially earning her Masters of Business Administration from LMU as well. Mrs. Hudson-Specht began dancing professionally at the age of 17 touring Southern California with a hip hop company. Tiffany co-founded Kumba Beatz, a hip hop company, for which she danced, choreographed and managed while attending LMU. You can still find the company performing and thriving on the campus today!
Mrs. Hudson-Specht has been the Director and owner of one of the most successful dance studios in Orange County for over 12 years. In 2020,2022 & 2023 Hudson Dance Academy won Best of Fountain Valley for education. Miss Tiffany's students have won 1st Overall at numerous competitions including Starbound, KAR, Showstoppers, Thunderstruck, Headliners, and Rainbow. Hudson Dance Academy has also taken the award of "Studio of Excellence" awarded by the competitions, several years in a row. Her students have worked across the industry with companies such as Nickelodeon, Sears, Latin AMA's, Puma, Fidelity, McDonald's, A4 Sporting Goods, Skates7 and Little Tykes! Hudson Dance Academy students have gone on to gain acceptance into some of the best college dance programs such as Chapman, UCI, Pace, Loyola Marymount, Hofstra University, SDSU, UCSD, CSULB and more. Many of her serious students have gone on to acquire highly sought after talent/dance managers and agents in the industry with groups such as MSA, Youth Talent Connection, LA Models, T&T Talent Management & Clear Talent Group. Mrs. Hudson-Specht choreography has been performed at the Hollywood Christmas Parade, NCAA basketball games, ABC 7 morning news, and various artist stage shows.
Mrs. Hudson-Specht has an undying passion for dance and loves to instruct and watch her students grow in the craft, as she pushes her students to achieve their best and work at their highest level.
Galina Doty - HDA Instructor
Lauren has been dancing since the age of 8 and began her journey with Hudson at the age of 10. She has trained and competed in various styles including tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, and contemporary. She has competed with Hudson since the age of 11 and has worked with various choreographers and faculty members, including Sam Nelson and Quinton Peron. She graduated from Huntington Beach High School and attended their Academy for the Performing Arts. While there, Lauren was involved in APA’s jazz ensemble for 2 years. She received the Best Jazz Dancer Award as well as the Bright Spot award from this program. Lauren's choreography has won several awards across all categories at Starbound, KAR, Showstoppers, Rainbow, Thunderstruck and more. Lauren is attending Chapman University and continuing her dance journey with a minor in dance. She enjoys sharing her passion for dance with performing along with teaching.
Marissa was born and raised in CA. She made her way down south her junior year in high school and began attending the Academy of Performing Arts at HBHS. With 10+ years in the dance industry, Marissa Skates has choreographed for OCC Dance Team, Concordia University, and various studios in California. Her professional credits include performances for BET, EDC, Disneyland Resort, EstrellaTV, and Little Tikes. Known for boosting young dancers’ confidence, Marissa is passionate about helping students pursue their passion with power and purpose.
Marissa Skates - Hip Hop Director
Kobe began his dance journey on the streets of Santa Ana, where he honed his skills through freestyle and battles as a member of the group Saint City Crew. His raw talent and passion for dance earned him a feature on Juice TV, showcasing his early dedication to the craft.
At the age of 30, Kobe took his dance career to the next level by joining the team Outer Class, where he trained for two years under the mentorship of renowned choreographer Mitch Villareal. This experience helped refine his technique and expand his creative range.
Following his time with Outer Class, Kobe began teaching at multiple studios, where he shared his knowledge and experience with the next generation of dancers. He also collaborated with emerging artists and creators, contributing to several concept videos that highlighted his versatility and artistic vision.
Kobe’s style is a unique fusion of hip-hop and beaten trump, blending rhythm, groove, and storytelling into every performance. His journey from the streets to the studio reflects a deep commitment to growth, authenticity, and the culture of dance.
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Galina
Fiona Murphy - HDA Instructor
7Miss Wendy is HDA's office manager. She joined the HDA team in 2017 after a 30 year career in Client Management. She also has 20 years of experience as a Dance Mom (Miss Tiffany's) Miss Wendy is always at the front desk with a smile and ready to help.
Kianna began dancing at the age of two with ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop classes. Later she began training in the styles of lyrical, contemporary, and pom as a competitive dancer. Kianna is an HB native. She attended HBHS and was a part of the dance team and the Academy of Performing Arts. Kianna went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts from UCSB. While attending the University of California she was a member of the UCSB Dance Team. During her junior year she became the coach of the student run competitive team and discovered her passion for coaching. After completing her Bachelor of Arts in Communications at UCSB, she went on to become a professional dancer for the Los Angeles Lakers for three years. Following her professional dance career Kianna has been teaching dance camps for middle schools and high school dance teams across the United States, and continues to teach children of all ages ballet, jazz, hip hop, aero and pom.
Megan began her dance training at The Dance Center in Costa Mesa at the age of four. Right away, she began Cecchetti Ballet training as well as competing in dance competitions year round in all genres. At age 12, Megan attended her first summer intensive in New York City with the Joffrey Ballet. Megan continued her Ballet training at Marine Dance Theatre, Cecchetti Ballet Intensives, Ballet Pacifica, and the American Ballet Theatre New York and Orange County. She attended Orange County High School of the Arts and Newport Harbor High School where she performed and competed in many genres of dance. At age 17, Megan joined the thirteen-time national champion Orange Coast College dance team where she won the National Title in Contemporary and Hip Hop. At age 18, Megan danced on the Laker Girls Squad for one year. She then attended Loyola Marymount University where she completed her bachelor’s degree in dance. Over the years, Megan has choreographed for Newport Harbor High School, Orange County High School of the Arts, Legacy Dance Academy, Westchester Dance Academy, Newport Dance Theater, St. Hedwig Catholic School, Los Alamitos Recreation Services, and Hudson Dance Academy. At Hudson Dance Academy, Megan is currently teaching ballet, contemporary, jazz, and lyrical.
Miss Clara's professional training in ballet, dance, musical theater & performing arts started at a young age. She holds several dance certifications, as well as a degree in Fine Arts. Miss Clara is the year-round Artistic Director for Coast City Ballet and Axis Theater. She coached the Edison HS Dance Team from 2007-2020, & continues to work at Edison High School on musical theatre productions. Miss Clara feels fortunate to work locally & out of state with numerous dance & performing arts companies, she also reveres her position as the Ballet Director at HDA. Clara works on numerous projects throughout the year, & loves being creative & sharing her knowledge with her students.
Clara D'Autillia - Ballet Director
Natalie Jameson - HDA Instructor
FIONA MURPHY began her ballet training at Alameda Ballet Academy under the direction of
Abra Rudisill. While also training at Berkeley Ballet Theater, American Ballet Theatre, The Jof-
fery Ballet School, The Rock School, and The Kaatsbaan International Dance Center during the
summer as a teen. During her time with Alameda Ballet Academy and Alameda Civic Ballet,
she performed various roles in classical ballets including Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty,
and The Nutcracker. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from California State University,
Long Beach where she continued her training and studied lighting design along with stage tech
production. Recently she has completed an Associates in Science Interior Design at Orange
Coast College while continuing to teach in Orange County.Type your paragraph here.
Natalie Jameson has been an Orange County competitive choreographer, dance instructor & coach for over 17 years, where she’s honed her craft at Dance Dynamics, PCAD, Oceanside Dance Academy, Dancing Images, Richter Academy, Laguna Dance Theater, Hudson Dance Academy and many more. Natalie trained in the commercial dance department at OCSA, winning lyrical dancer of the year her senior year, continuing as a dance major at Chapman University. She is currently a guest choreographer for TDC in Carmel, CA. She has created pieces for high schools such as Mater Dei HS, SJHHS, Esperanza HS & MVHS. Miss Jameson continues to judge for high school dance team auditions and competitions. Natalie was a Certified Move Competition judge in 2015. Then the tabulator for Revolution Talent Competition. Having won multiple choreography awards, choreographing is her biggest passion. She headed her own pre-professional dance company, Jameson & Co, created in 2016. In 2021, she started Jameson Dance Company for competitive dancers ages 12 and up. She cannot wait to share her love of dance with the next generation!