Teachers
In addition to Rosana Barragan, Calliope has two other teachers—Jacki Angelo and Yuhong Yao.
Rosana teaches Monday through Thursday.
Jacki teaches Thursday mornings, as well as Fridays and Saturdays.
Yao teaches the tumbling classes.
Jacki Angelo
Jacki Angelo is an alumnae of Saint Mary’s College of California, where she earned her BA in History with a minor in Performing Arts: Dance. She recently completed her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and has taught in fourth grade and Kindergarten classrooms in the Bay Area. During her coursework she focused on finding ways to integrate visual and performing arts into the everyday classroom environment. Jacki has been dancing since she was 5 years old and has been doing cheerleading and gymnastics for eight years. She is currently a performer for the non-profit organization Cheer San Francisco that raises money to help people living with life-challenging diseases. As a teacher, Jacki hopes that all children will find their outlet for creative expression, just as dance was for her. Jacki enjoys sharing her love for dance with the students at Calliope.
Yuhong Yao
Yuhong Yao's extensive experience in the world of gymnastics span 28 years. As a child, she was chosen to join the top team in China, the Peking Acrobatic Gymnastics Team. She competed on the national level and received several honors such as gold and bronze medals at the National Junior Game. After retiring as a gymnast, she served as a gymnastics coach at a professional sports school and was appointed by the National Sports Commission of China to become a gymnastics competition judge. She is currently a professional member of USA Gymnastics, she is safety-certified to teach gymnastics, and she has taught gymnastics in the U.S. for 10 years. In an article printed in U.S. Healthy Life, she states, "The goal of gymnastics training for young kids is not to develop a future Olympic champion, but to cultivate a child's courage, confidence, friendliness, and strength." Her hope is to teach a life-long message to children: the purpose of participation in sports is not to win, but to join in and do your best.