Sarita's Dance Studio, Inc.

Smiling woman enjoying a sunny day outdoors in black and white.

Sarita Zúñiga, President/Artistic Director

Sarita Zúñiga, President/Artistic Director has been in the dance and fitness field for over 60 years. She taught aerobics, dance, & wellness classes at Brooks AFB, Kelly AFB, Lackland AFB, Palo Alto College, Harlandale High School, Southwest General Hospital, Bexar Metropolitan Water, Guarantee Bank, the University of Incarnate Word & more. She has been featured on P.M. Magazine, IDEA Today, San Antonio Express and News, San Antonio Business Journal, The Cutting Edge, Olé, Canal 41, WOAI TV, La Prensa, Connexion, and Rumbo for her leadership and success in the fields of dance and fitness. In 2006, she was honored by the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for community leadership and for making a positive impact on the Southside. In 2007 & 2014, she was the Rehearsal Coordinator for the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker during their performances in San Antonio, TX. In addition, she was named in the National Directory of Who’s Who for Executives and Professionals.

In 2014, Congressman Pete Gallegos presented Sarita with a Congressional Award for providing valuable dance training to San Antonio’s Southside residents for 34 years. Sarita is the Founder of Alegría Dance Company, a pre-professional dance company for talented dancers who would like to experience what it is like to dance in a professional setting.

Jocelyn Perez, Studio Manager

Jocelyn Perez is the Preschool and Ballet/Tap 0/B, 1 & 2, Tap 3 & 4, Jazz, & Tap, Alegría Jr 2, Alegría Junior, Alegría Dance Co instructor at Sarita’s Dance Studio, Inc. She has been dancing for 12 years. Jocelyn started her dance training in 2003 at Sarita’s Dance Studio, Inc. in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Ballet Folklorico, Contemporary, and Flamenco. She also was a member of Alegría Dance Co. for 7 years. She performed with the Moscow Ballet in the “Nutcracker” in 2006. She has enhanced her dance education with intensives, including the Joffrey Ballet Workshop Texas and Ballet De Mexico Masterclass. In 2015-2017 she trained with the Ballet Conservatory of San Antonio. In 2023, she graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

Marina Walton, Marketing Manager

Marina Walton has trained in Ballet, jazz, ballet Folklorico, modern, and tap since 1992. Marina was a member of the San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet in 2004. She enhanced her dance education with intensives, including Ballet Austin, The School of Rock in Philadelphia, the Joffrey Ballet Workshop Texas, Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago, & Ballet Hispanico in New York. Marina graduated from the University of Incarnate Word with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She earned a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Instructional Technology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Marina attended dance teacher programs such as Rhee Gold, The Pulse, & Dance Teacher Web to help support dance instructors and curriculum at Sarita's in her previous role as Assistant Artistic Director. She recently has stepped into the marketing side of the things for the business but continues to mentor instructors at the studio as needed.

In addition to all this, Marina is currently a Learning Experience Designer for H-E-B and enjoys her down time with her family out in the country.

Rose Rodriguez - Office Manager

Rose Rodriguez joined Sarita's Dance Studio, Inc. in 2016 as the Administrative Assistant.

Rose has extensive experience in supporting the office manager & studio owner by providing them with consistent clerical support and customer service. In addition, she maintains the filing systems in accordance with the company's established procedures & protocols. She is a highly approachable individual who has a pleasant attitude and a willingness to make a positive mark.

Andrea Alshouse

Andrea Alshouse is a ballet instructor at Sarita's Dance Studio, Inc. Andrea began her training at age five at Champion Studios in El Paso, Texas under the direction of Andree Harper and continued her training at Ballet El Paso under Ingeborg Heuser. She attended summer programs at Ballet Austin, Virginia School of the Arts, American Ballet Theatre, and Boston Ballet.

In 2008, Andrea joined Richmond Ballet as a Trainee, where she performed in George Balanchine’s, Four Temperaments and Rubies. In 2009, she joined Montgomery Ballet under the direction of Elie Lazar where she performed the lead role in Don Quixote.