Faculty
Meet our faculty members
Meet our awesome FAOPA Faculty! We are all happy to answer any questions you may have. Just send an email, give us a call or come by the studio.

Heather Ochalek
Executive Director

Danielle Sanchez
Director
I am Tampian! Born and raised in the Tampa area! I come from a family that instilled music and the arts into my life from the very beginning. My passion for the arts continued throughout my educational career. I have been involved in productions as a house manager and an assistant to various directors. My love for musical theatre and drama led me to pursue a public relations degree with a focus on advertising and marketing. My dream was to accept a job in NYC working for a Broadway production company. However, God’s plans do not always align with ours! I found my life taking a different direction. I stayed local, married my best friend I met while working in a restaurant during college, and now I have three beautiful daughters. I returned to college and received two Master’s degrees in Elementary Education and TESOL, and have worked at various schools in the county. It is important to me to cultivate a love for the performing arts in all children, but especially my own, assisting in them being well-rounded. My children have been personally involved with Florida Academy for the past few years. I am looking forward to meeting all of you and working with current and future FAOPA students.

Miguel Oquendo
Showcase Players Instructor
I have been singing for 11 years and teaching for 6 years. I enjoy teaching because I like to see the progress that my students make week-by-week. I am a firm believer in students trying different styles of music, which contribute to the appreciation of other styles.
Music is a way for a person to express his or her feelings and emotions. Music is a challenge in every sense of the word, but when the outcome is a positive one, it is worth the struggles.
Being a complete performer is living the music as well as singing it. I can teach you how to sing, but you have to love it for yourself.

Christy Heaton
Dance Instructor
I have over 17 years of experience teaching ballet. I have choreographed
and staged many ballets including The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides and excerpts from Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.
I recently relocated from Las Vegas, NV, where highlights of my diverse performing career include being a Showgirl in Donn Arden’s Jubilee! on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, a singer/dancer with Legends in Concert and a singing cocktail waitress.
Before my time in the desert, I performed in several ballet and modern companies across the country, some of which include the Sacramento Ballet, San Jose Dance Theatre, LA Chamber Ballet, James Sewell Ballet and Minnesota Dance Theatre. I also danced and toured internationally with Labayan Dance in San Francisco and Ricardo Peralta Danza Performa in Mexico.
During my off seasons from dance company work, I enjoyed performing in musicals, such as Chicago and South Pacific, and operettas such as The Merry Widow, The Ancient Mariner and The Desert Song.
Since transitioning from performing to teaching, I have trained to become a certified yoga instructor. I love teaching yoga in the park and enjoy the beautiful nature Florida has to offer.