1035 Belvidere Street • Suite 370 • El Paso, TX 79912
915-584-4755
Rita Job Schaeffer – Director
Our Staff
Rita Job Schaeffer –
Rita is the owner of The Dance Factory since it was established in 1983. Rita is a 1978 graduate of The University of Texas at El Paso, with a B.S. in Physical Education with a Dance Minor, and has been teaching dance over thirty years.
She has studied various forms of dance including jazz, modern, tap, ballet, and musical theatre under many teachers from Los Angeles to New York. Rita has taught dance at Loretto Academy, has choreographed for Miss Teen El Paso, the El Paso Diablo Cheerleaders, Cielo Vista Christmas Pageant, and many area public school events. Rita teaches jazz and creative movement. "What makes me proudest is teaching the children of young women I have taught, and the fact that four of my instructors are former students of mine!"
Amy Valdez –
A native El Pasoan, Amy has been part of The Dance Factory Family for over fifteen years. She has trained in jazz, ballet, and lyrical. Amy continued her dance education at El Paso Community College and New Mexico State University. She has been teaching at The Dance Factory for four years and teaches Ballet/Tap, Jr Company I and II, and Jazz. Amy loves working with children and enjoys watching them develop and grow through dance. “Dancing brings joy and fulfillment to my heart and I love sharing my passion with others.”
Elony Bejarano –
Elony is a native El Pasoan, has been dancing for 21 years and teaching ten of those years. She is trained in ballet, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, and contortion/circus arts. Elony has performed and competed in El Paso and across the country, winning titles at competitions such as Showstoppers, Tremaine, and Co Dance. She has studied with, to name a few, Andree Harper, Marty Dew, and Shane Sparks. Elony teaches Jazz, Sr Company, Lyrical, Jazz/Acro, and Hip Hop.
Lexi Muramoto –
Lexi has recently moved to El Paso from San Diego with her husband and daughter, courtesy of the US Army. She has been dancing since age seven, focusing on ballet at 14 years old. Lexi danced professionally with the San Diego Ballet from 2001 –2006, and also taught at the San Diego School of Ballet from 2001 – 2007. She is excited to be teaching at The Dance Factory, where she teaches all the ballet classes.
Kristina McMahon –
Kristina has lived in El Paso most of her life, and is a student at The University of Texas at El Paso. The Dance Factory has been a second home to Kristina for almost 15 years, and although she has taken at some time, every class offered, she found her niche in tap and clog. Under the guidance of her mentor and our former tap teacher of many years, Linda Zapf, who herself is nationally tap certified, Kristina excelled. She attended and performed in a prestigious tap workshop in Chicago with Linda, and is now ready to fill her very large tap shoes and take over our tap and clog program!
Nicole Guido –
Nicole teaches Mommy and Me, and Melissa Ponce teaches flamenco, both new classes offered this year, and we’re happy to have them!
Anita Morales –
Anita is our wonderful office manager. If you have any questions regarding anything at all going on at The Dance Factory, she’s your gal!
