Shannon Willard

Competing Director • Instructor • Rotating Faculty Member

  • B.F.A. Dance Performance
  • B.F.A. Dance Choreography
  • B.S. Mathematics
  • Certified Pilates Instructor
  • Certified Barre Instructor

Shannon Willard has been a member of the FOCUS fam since the day the studio opened in 2003. She trained as a competition dancer under Monie Adamson and others for eight years, as well as attended numerous summer intensives, such as ABT, to further her training.  After graduating high school, Shannon continued her dance training at UC Irvine and began choreographing for FOCUS on the weekends. During her four years at UC Irvine, she performed as a member of Modern Dance legend Donald McKayle’s Etude Repertory Ensemble, danced in various BFA and MFA thesis projects, and choreographed for many shows, including presenting her forty-minute-long BFA Honors Thesis concert at the end of her senior year. She graduated UC Irvine in the spring of 2015, earning, with honors, a B.F.A. in Dance Choreography, a B.F.A. in Dance Performance, and a B.S. in Mathematics, Cum Laude.

After graduating from UCI, Shannon began teaching and choreographing full-time at FOCUS. She also found a love for fitness and realized how integral a part it plays in a dancer’s training. In 2015, she trained and received her certification as a Pilates instructor under Diane Diefenderfer at Studio Du Corps in Costa Mesa. In 2018, she trained and received her certification as a Barre instructor. She has since led numerous classes in both Pilates and Barre in the Orange County area, and strives to bring her fitness knowledge to her dancers at FOCUS to better their alignment and training.

Over the years, Shannon has become more and more involved in the Competing Program. She is now directing the program, and is excited to see the program continue to grow. Shannon loves the community being built at the studio, and truly feels that all involved are a part of the FOCUS fam. When not at the studio, you can find Shannon cuddling her pup Wesley or eating a Sidecar doughnut.

Shannon is one of the Rotating Faculty members for Jazz/Contemporary and Ballet Competing Blocks.

Open Company Classes

Class Name Day Of Week Time Age Teacher
Open Co. Barre + Flex (int/adv) Thursday 5:00 pm—6:00 pm 10+ Shannon
Open Co. Combo (int/adv) Thursday 7:30 pm—8:30 pm 10+ Shannon
Open Co. Mat Pilates (int/adv) Saturday 9:00 am—10:00 am 10+ Shannon
Class Name Day Of Week Time Age Teacher