Erika Sanchez

Erika Sanchez is the Associate Director of Punahou Dance School, a role she has held since 2024. She earned her MFA in Dance from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2022 and brings over 24 years of experience in dance and performance, with expertise in choreography, teaching methods, fundamental movement, anatomy, biomechanics, and various Western-Eurocentric dance forms. Her students have competed in prestigious events including JUMP Dance Convention, EnerGY, and Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), earning top placements – most notably a spot in the YAGP Top 24. Sanchez has also taught Ballet, Contemporary and Jazz at the collegiate level under the mentorship of Dr. Betsy Fisher at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and previously served as Dance Director at Washington Middle School, where she launched the school’s first competitive dance program in the public school sector.

As a performer, Sanchez has appeared with professional dance companies throughout California and Las Vegas and is currently a Jazz and Hula performer for Rock-a-Hula, the largest dinner and lū‘au show in Waikīkī. Guided by her belief that with hard work, anything is possible, she is committed to making dance an accessible and empowering art form for all.