WORKSHOP DETAILS
Join us at Ashkan Studios for an afternoon of beauty and emotional wellness. Learn stage-ready makeup with Darcie Teasley and explore emotional regulation with leadership & development coach Melissa Valenzuela.
The dance industry can be challenging to navigate without the proper skills to help young dancers succeed. Get the support and tools to put your best foot forward and take care of your physical and mental wellness.
GENERAL INFORMATION
What You’ll Gain Together:
- Performance-ready makeup skills
- Emotional regulation tools
- Shared language for better support
- Stronger dancer–parent connection
Class admission covers 1 dancer and 1 guardian per booking
MEET MELISSA VALENZUELA
Leadership & Development Coach
Melissa is a leadership and development coach who specializes in helping high-performing individuals and teams lead with emotional intelligence, clarity, and confidence. With over 15 years of experience leading high-impact projects, managing operations, and facilitating cross-functional collaboration, Melissa brings a strategic and people-centered approach to her coaching.
A mom of two and former corporate leader, Melissa understands the pressure of balancing ambition with well-being. Her work is rooted in the belief that real leadership begins with self-awareness—and that the way we handle stress, communication, and inner dialogue affects every relationship we have.
Through 1:1 coaching, group workshops, and organizational training, Melissa guides clients to regulate their nervous systems, access deeper self-trust, and shift old patterns that no longer serve them. She is known for creating spaces that are both insightful and supportive, where people can be honest about their challenges and build practical tools for change.
Whether she’s working with CEOs, creatives, or young athletes, Melissa helps her clients align who they are with how they lead—on stage, at work, and at home. Her session for this workshop will focus on navigating pressure, understanding emotional cues, and building confidence from the inside out.
MEET DARCIE TEASLEY
Hair & Makeup Artist
Darcie has been working as a full-time makeup artist for 26 years. A native Houstonian, she began her career in retail and went on to become the National Makeup Artist for several cosmetic lines featured in high-end stores like Neiman Marcus across the U.S. Wanting to expand her skills, she studied film and theatrical makeup in Los Angeles under a special effects artist, then returned to Houston where she continued in retail and landed her first film job.
She built her portfolio through headshots and fashion tests, eventually gaining representation with both Page Parkes (2003) and Pastorini-Bosby (2000), making her one of the few dual-represented makeup artists in Houston. In 2010, after being discovered during a Houston Ballet commercial production, she was invited by the head of wardrobe to join the makeup team—launching a 15-year tenure with both the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera.
For the past seven years, she has also worked closely with Ashkan, where the combination of dance, photography, and makeup has become one of her favorite creative outlets. Darcie remains passionate about makeup lessons, private appointments, and photo shoots, and brings decades of versatility, professionalism, and artistry to every client she works with.