MIKAL PRESTON
Studio Owner/Director
Mikal Preston founded Studio 49 in the fall of 2005. Since then, she has worked hard to build a strong dance studio with eloquently trained, award winning dancers and competition pieces, highly acclaimed performance pieces as well as many ties to the community through events and charities.
Mikal has been dancing since the age of 3 and has been an instructor for over 30 years. Mikal is highly trained in and instructs many styles of dance including jazz, tap, lyrical, hip hop, contemporary, acrobatics and youth classes. Mikal has been a guest instructor and choreographer at various studios across Alaska, Louisiana, California, Maryland, and Canada.
She has also judged competition and taught convention classes for NTG Dance. She is also currently the creative director for the Miss Alaska Jr High, High School, and Collegiate Pageant.
Mikal’s performing career includes “Go For The Gear” TV commercial, was a “Gear Kid” and performed in national ads and shows for the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. She was a guest performer for Diavolo Dance Theatre, a back up dancer for Kristine W in the opening ceremonies of 2001 Special Olympics, and played “Vicki” in the traveling Broadway production of “A Chorus Line”.
Mikal writes and directs all of the spring Dancical productions for Studio 49, which are plays expressed through dance. She also has written and recorded several songs and skits for these plays.
Mikal’s extensive training includes numerous conventions such as Tremaine, Dance Caravan, Dance Olympus, DEA, 5678 Showtime, NYCDA, NUVO, Jump, 24Seven Dance and The Dance Awards and has trained at the Edge Dance Center and Millennium Dance Complex in LA.
Mikal has trained under dance legends such as Frank Hatchett, Gus Giordano, Mia Michaels, Joe Tremaine, Savion Glover, Gregg Russell, Henry LeTang, Diane Walker, Doug Caldwell, Travis Wall, Ray Leeper, Mike Minery and Mandy Moore. In Mikal’s youth she was a scholarship winner at various dance conventions for many years.
Mikal’s choreography has won many top places at regional and national competitions for over 15 years and has produced numerous professional dancers. She has also choreographed gymnastic floor and balance beam routines for high school, college and club gymnasts. Her style, energy, sass and passion along with her inspiring approach, make her a fun teacher that dancers of all ages love to learn from.