Dance Team

Kristi Lopez - Director of Sugar Skulls Dance Team

Kristi Lopez is the Director of the Sugar Skulls dance team. She is a nationally recognized coach and has been a professional dancer since the age of 13.

Lopez was the creator, choreography, and Head Coach of the infamous PAC dance team at Walden Grove High school. The team was a viral sensation on YouTube and Tik Tok generating over 200 million views for their themed performances of Disney's Pixar, the Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, and the Marvel Avengers dances. The team has also made national network television appearances on America's Got Talent, making it all the way to the live rounds at the Dolby Theater, and Good Morning America where they performed in Times Square. She also led the team to six consecutive Division 1 state championships in hip-hop, with one of those state championships resulting in a perfect score. Lopez currently choreographs for high school dance teams and All Star competition teams all over Tucson. Most recently, her choreography won Marana High School their first National Championship in hip hop (2024).

Lopez is originally from Southern California and grew up in Florida where she joined a professional ballet company at the age of 13. She has won multiple awards as a dancer in hip hop, ballet, and contemporary. She moved to Arizona when her father, Andy Lopez, became the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats baseball team from 2002-2016. She graduated from Sabino High School and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona School of Dance. 

ISOBEL SUHM   (Captain)

Isobel Suhm has been dancing since the age of three and brings a lifelong passion for performance to the team. She trained at Tucson Dance Academy through high school where she developed a strong foundation in jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop, and acro. During high school, Isobel was a member of Mountain View High School’s company dance class and a dedicated member of the dance team all four years, serving as captain her senior year. She continued her dance career at the University of Arizona, where she danced with the Arizona Pomline for three years. During her time on the Pomline, she performed at football, basketball, and baseball games, as well as alongside the Pride of Arizona Marching Band.Isobel is in her fourth season with the Tucson Sugar Skulls Dance Team, where she has served as captain for the past three seasons. She is currently an elementary art teacher where she is able to express her creativity through visual arts as well. She is a proud Tucson native who is passionate about dancing and giving back to the community she calls home.

TAYLOR FRY  (Co-captain)

Taylor grew up dancing at Studio One Arizona Dance Company in Tucson, Arizona. Beginning at the age of 2, she found a passion and love for dance. She became a member of the competition team and continued dancing at Studio One until she was 18 years old. Taylor trained in many styles including tap, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, and ballet, tap being her favorite! This is her fourth season with the Tucson Sugar Skulls Dance Team, and her second year as a co-captain. She loves having the opportunity to continue dancing, and cultivating a dance family while supporting her hometown IFL team. Taylor recently graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelors Degree in Health Sciences, majoring in Physiology and minoring in Biochemistry. She is now earning an associates degree in Surgical Technology and can’t wait to work alongside surgeons and assist in surgeries.

TORI FRY (Co-Captain)

Tori Fry began her dance journey at just two years old, training at Studio One Arizona Dance Company where she developed a strong foundation across a wide range of styles. Throughout her early years, she cultivated a particular passion for tap, which remains her favorite discipline. In high school, Tori expanded her dance experience by joining Cienega High School’s cheer and spiritline teams. During her senior year, she was selected as a member of the inaugural Cienega Pom Line, demonstrating both her leadership and versatility as a dancer. Tori continued her dance career at the University of Arizona, where she joined the Sugar Skulls Dance Team as a freshman. Over the past four years, she has been a dedicated and influential member of the team, serving as co-captain for two years. In this role, she has contributed to team leadership, choreography, and mentorship, helping to uphold a strong standard of performance and team culture.

KENZIE ROBERTS (Veteran)

Kenzie Jean is a vibrant and versatile dance professional whose passion for movement shines across jazz, pom, hip hop, and beyond. A dynamic performer, educator, and choreographer, she recently completed her Master of Fine Arts in Dance at University of Arizona and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Lindenwood University. She currently inspires emerging artists as an online adjunct professor at Missouri Valley College. Kenzie's dance journey began at age six and has grown into a flourishing career performing, teaching, and choreographing across the United States. Known for her high-energy presence and creative versatility, she brings professional-level training from NFL and NBA programs into her work and the collegiate classroom. She continues expanding her impact by presenting at the 2025 conference of the National Dance Education Organization. Currently based in Arizona, Kenzie Jean performs with the Tucson Sugardolls and serves as a choreographer for Arts Express Theatre. She also creates award-winning choreography for high school dance teams nationwide, sharing her dynamic movement style with dancers across the United States. Earlier in her career, while attending Lindenwood University, she performed as a member of the Lion Line Dance Team, earning two national titles at UDA Nationals. She is also the creator of Harmonizing Movement: Inclusive Dance Jams, an initiative dedicated to making dance accessible for individuals with disabilities, reflecting her commitment to an inclusive and impactful future for the art form. Deeply grateful for the opportunities she has received, Kenzie Jean gives thanks to God, her mother, her family, and her Arizona community for their unwavering love and support. She feels truly blessed to share her gift of choreography across the United States, uplifting dancers and audiences through movement, joy, and purpose.

NYAH PICHON (Veteran)

Nyah Pichon is a 20-year-old dancer whose hometown is Las Vegas and who has lived across the country. She is currently a sophomore at the University of Arizona, majoring in Nutrition and Human Performance, and aspires to become an athletic trainer for NFL teams. She trained competitively in dance for five years and further developed her craft as a dance major at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, where she graduated after two years. Nyah is currently in her second year performing with the Tucson Sugar Skulls dance team and is considering pursuing opportunities with NBA or NFL dance teams in the future. She is trained in a wide range of styles, including ballet, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, lyrical, ballroom, jazz funk, and commercial dance. Her accomplishments include winning the Judges Choice Award at the 2024 Sheer Elite National Competition and performing on stage alongside Tove Lo at the 2023 Velocity National Competition. In 2022, she was selected to appear in a music video directed by Bonnie Story and was awarded the Most Valued Competitor National Scholarship at the That’s Entertainment Regional Competition. In addition to her dance career, Nyah works as a barista at Desert Drifters and occasionally substitutes at Dance Force 1. 

PAULINA DUVAL  (Veteran)

   Paulina is a sophomore at the University of Arizona majoring in Biochemistry to pursue a career in Dermatology in the future. Paulina attended Salpointe Catholic High School where she found her love for dance her freshman year of high school. During her freshman year, she decided to try out for Salpointe’s pomline team having no prior dance experience. Unfortunately, that year was not her time to join the team but it redirected her to work harder for her goals. She began taking online dance classes during Covid and eventually an in person jazz class at Dance Force 1 where she showcased in her first ever performance. Beginning her sophomore year in high school, she decided to try out again and her hard work had paid off. Paulina was proudly a part of Salpointe Catholic’s Pomline for 3 years, 1 year on junior varsity and 2 years on varsity. Throughout those couple years she also enjoyed taking classes at a variety of studios varying in styles from jazz to hip hop, contemporary, and pom. After graduating high school, Paulina knew that she had come so far just for her dance journey to end. She decided she was to pursue more possibilities and keep pushing herself to grow as a dancer. Paulina found the Tucson Sugar Skulls Dance Team and fell in love with their pro style. She tried out and made the team her first year for the 2025 season and now the 2026 season. Paulina is extremely grateful for such an amazing opportunity to continue her love for dance surrounded by an amazing community.

REBECCA TAPIA (Veteran)

Rebecca is a dancer, performer, and marketing student currently pursuing a BFA in Dance at the University of Arizona School of Dance and a BSBA in Marketing at the Eller College of Management. A graduate of Bay Area Ballet Conservatory, Rebecca’s strong classical foundation informs her dynamic presence across genres. She has performed featured roles such as Clara and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. At the University of Arizona, she has worked with esteemed choreographers including Gianni Howell, Sarah Chiesa, Liz George, Marquez Johnson, and Gabriel Speiller.  In the Fall of 2024, Rebecca was a proud member of the University of Arizona School of Dance’s Traveling Ensemble, a group dedicated to bringing dance into the Tucson community. Through this program, she performed for local schools and spoke to young audiences about pursuing the arts, and organized a professional photoshoot to help promote the ensemble’s work. She has continued her education at prestigious summer intensives including Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Ballet Austin, and City Ballet San Francisco. In addition to her dance work, Rebecca is passionate about sharing dance with a wider audience through teaching, public speaking, marketing, and video editing. She is currently in her second season performing with the Tucson Sugar Skulls Dance Team.

AMIE MARINO (Rookie)

Amie Marino is a Tucson native and proud mom of one. She trained with Ballet Tucson and danced on her high school’s Danceline for four years, serving as captain during her junior and senior years. Amie graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Dance and was named “Outstanding Senior” in both the Dance and Fine Arts departments. As a dance major, she performed works by George Balanchine, including Tarantella, Rubies from Jewels, and Allegro Brillante. After graduation, Amie spent six seasons performing with Backhausdance in Orange County, performing works by acclaimed contemporary choreographers in venues such as NYC’s Joyce Theater. She is currently a member of the artistic staff for 520 Dance Company and is thrilled to be dancing her rookie season with the Tucson Sugar Skulls Dance Team.

MIA PALLARES (Rookie)

Mia is a proud Tucson native whose passion for dance ignited at just three years old and has never slowed down since. Her journey began at Dance Innovations with three years of ballet training before she transitioned to Creative Dance Arts, where she expanded her artistry in jazz and hip hop and joined their company performing in local productions. After four transformative years at CDA, Mia took on a new challenge by joining the cheer team for the Marana Broncos, where she mastered stunting, pom technique, and competitive performance. During her time on the team, the Broncos claimed first place at multiple city championships, earned first and second place at California competitions, and competed on the national stage in Florida. Fueled by her love of dance, Mia returned to the studio with fresh determination at Showbiz Academy of Dance, where she broadened her technical range to include lyrical, contemporary, tap, and acro alongside her foundation in ballet, jazz, and hip hop. Over six years on Showbiz’s competitive team, she earned countless awards, trophies, and medals at both regional and national competitions. Drawn to the energy and culture of street styles, Mia shifted her focus to hip hop and found her home at The Drop Dance Studio, where she continues to train and occasionally teach. At The Drop, she immersed herself in whacking, house, popping, locking, freestyle, femme, and heels. Her competitive team claimed first place at the Kaos Convention and Competition in Santa Clara, Phoenix, and at their finals in Hollywood. In her senior year of high school, Mia joined the Marana High School Dance Team — and made an immediate impact. Shortly after the season began, she was selected as a team captain. Competing in hip hop, pom, and game day categories at regional and national levels, the team earned 3rd place in the state for hip hop and an impressive 4th place nationally for their game day routine. Since graduating, Mia has continued to elevate her craft through online training with Antoine Troupe, a renowned performer and choreographer based in Los Angeles. Through his training company, she had the incredible opportunity to attend a dance camp nestled in the mountains of Massachusetts, learning from an elite faculty — Candace Brown, JBlaze, Jason Facey, Lindiwe Rose, Ivy Fijal, and Antoine Troupe himself — whose collective credits include Justin Bieber, Prince, Chris Brown, Drake, Usher, Khalid, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani, and Doja Cat. Mia’s professional career launched in early 2025 when she was booked as a dancer for a local commercial. She has since signed with KIT International Talent Agency, where she actively auditions for commercials, television, film, and modeling projects. Mia recently stepped into her first Sugar Skulls audition and walked away having made the team. She is beyond thrilled to bring her versatility, work ethic, and heart to the Sugar Skulls Dance Team, representing her hometown of Tucson on a brand new stage.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

ANNIE SOLORZANO (Rookie)

Annie Solorzano started dancing at the age of three at Sahuarita Dance Center (SDC) in 2010 under the direction of Michele Igasan. For 16 years, she trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, contemporary, and tap. Annie has participated in SDC’s many productions such as the annual spring recitals, The Nutcracker, and Oh Holy Night. She was a part of the Senior Competitive and Elite teams for six years and has won many awards from both her group and solo pieces, even performing at Disneyland California Adventure. She is now in her fourth year as a dance teacher at SDC, teaching various ages of young dancers. Annie is originally from Sahuarita, Arizona and a first-year student at Pima Community College where she is majoring in Visual and Performing Arts. Aside from dance, she is experienced in theatre arts. Annie has trained in acting and singing, displaying those skills in many plays and musical productions through the last five years. This is Annie’s first year on the 2026 Sugar Skulls Dance Team. While being a rookie on this team, she looks forward to learning, improving, and giving it all her best as she pursues her passion. 

NEVAEH BRAUN (Rookie)

Nevaeh discovered her passion for dance at a very young age and quickly devoted countless hours to growing and strengthening her skills. She first entered the dance world by competing with her studio teams at Showbiz Academy of Dance, where she received many awards and trained almost every day and every week in styles including ballet, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre, and tap. After years of dedicated studio training, she moved on and carried that passion and discipline with her to this day. In 2020, Nevaeh joined the Marana Dance Team as an incoming freshman and remained a dedicated member up until she graduated in 2024. She loved her time with the team, competing at USA Nationals in California her sophomore year and UDA Nationals in Florida her junior and senior years. Throughout high school, she earned numerous top placements at regional, state, and national competitions. Nevaeh served as captain during her sophomore, junior, and senior years and was awarded MVP for both her junior and senior year. She played a major role in leading her team to success while continuing to push herself to grow. Her experience with Marana strengthened her passion for leadership, choreography, and helping others develop in dance. During her junior and senior years, Nevaeh also joined the SASS Elite All Stars team. Her Marana coaches, Maya Alexander and Madison Tweedy, opened the studio to give dancers the opportunity to compete in the All Star dance world. Wanting to elevate her training, Nevaeh committed to both teams at once and embraced the challenge. She spent long hours in both studios after school days and went on to compete at Worlds in Florida, where she was exposed to diverse cultures and styles within the dance community. After graduating, Nevaeh faced an injury that required surgery, taking her away from dance for a year. During this time, she reflected on how she wanted to continue her passion. She now teaches and works with local high school dance teams, helping dancers improve their technique and performance. Her passion for choreographing and teaching has grown from her leadership experiences. Nevaeh was introduced to the Sugar Skulls Dance Team by her high school coach, Madison Tweedy, along with Coach Kristi Lopez, who choreographed for both her high school and All Star teams. Nevaeh decided to pursue this new opportunity and is beyond excited to begin her journey at the professional level, representing her hometown with ambition and passion. 

MIKAYLA WILLIAMS  (Rookie)

Mikayla Williams is a passionate and dedicated dancer with a strong foundation in both technical training and performance. Originally from Chesterfield, Virginia, she trained extensively at Encore Dance Studio while simultaneously attending the performing arts program at Thomas Dale High School, where she further developed her versatility across multiple styles. Her early training emphasized discipline, artistry, and performance quality, shaping her into a well-rounded dancer. During her collegiate career at Virginia Commonwealth University, Mikayla continued to expand her experience as a member of the Goldrush Dance Team. Through this, she performed at high-energy athletic events, collaborated with a team of talented dancers, and strengthened her skills in precision, stamina, and crowd engagement. She also expressed her artistic abilities through choreographing throughout the season.  Mikayla brings a dynamic performance style that blends confidence, musicality, and authenticity. She is committed to continuous growth as both a dancer and performer, always striving to refine her craft and bring powerful energy to every stage she steps on

ESTRELLA VILLA (Rookie)

​​Estrella Jimena Villa began her dance training at the age of three at Sahuarita Dance Center, where she developed a strong foundation in ballet and gymnastics. By the age of eight, she expanded her training to include jazz and lyrical, developing both technical skill and artistic expression. Alongside her dance training, Estrella competed in the Tucson Cinderella Pageant from ages seven to twelve, earning titles such as Cover Girl, Miss Talent, and Cinderella Miss. These achievements qualified her to advance to the state-level competition, where she continued to showcase her performance abilities. At nine years old, Estrella entered the competitive dance scene, participating in regional and national competitions across Arizona such as KAR, Showstopper, Celebrity Dance, and Starbound. She continued competing throughout her high school years. Estrella was also a member of the Sahuarita High School Jockeys Dance Team for four years, where she expanded her training in hip-hop. During her time on the team, she competed at the World of Dance Championship in 2022 and contributed to earning a state championship title in hip-hop in 2023. Competed in Kaos Dance Competition in 2024 and 2025. Following her graduation, Estrella became a coach for the Anza Trail Middle School dance team, where she shares her passion and experience with the next generation of dancers.

KIRSTIN O’DONNELL (Rookie) 

Kirstin is originally from Tucson, Arizona, and has remained deeply connected to her local community. She began dancing at a young age while also participating in a variety of sports, developing a strong foundation in both discipline and athleticism. Throughout high school and college, Kirstin was an active member of the Mountain View Dance Company and served as Captain of the Mountain View Danceline. She also shared her passion for dance as a coordinator and instructor for the Ascension Lutheran Dance Club, where she enjoyed mentoring and inspiring younger dancers. Kirstin currently trains at local studios, studying a variety of ballet and jazz styles, as well as yoga and barre. In addition to her dance pursuits, she is a dedicated kindergarten teacher and an active member of her church, where she enjoys being involved in and giving back to her community.

 EMMA HUTCHISON (Rookie)

Emma Hutchison is a dancer originally from Bakersfield, California, who began her training at the age of three. She is well-versed in a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, musical theater, and hip hop, and spent ten years as a competitive dancer earning numerous titles and performance awards. In high school, she was a member of her school’s dance team and served as captain her senior year. Emma continued her training at the University of Arizona, where she joined Ardor Dance Company her freshman year. During her time with Ardor, she further developed her artistry in contemporary and jazz while also serving on the executive board as Merchandise Chair, Fundraising Chair, and Treasurer. In addition to her performance experience, Emma has been teaching dance for seven years, working with dancers of various ages and skill levels. She is passionate about mentoring young dancers and fostering both technical growth and confidence in the studio. Outside of dance, Emma attends the U of A pursuing a degree in architecture. She also loves to work at the front desk of Sweathouse Tucson, a local workout studio!