Do You Know How to Chae-Chae? Cheer and Dance Instructor Doesn’t Miss a Beat

The tap portion of Chae's dance class is about to start, but her young charges first have to complete their hectic media schedule.

Chae-Mireles Gamboa spends a lot of time on her feet.

On Mondays, in the La Verne Community Center she teaches dance classes, including tap, ballet and hip-hop from early afternoon into the evening. Then on Wednesday, she’s right back, teaching cheer to about 45 students, ages 5 to 14.

Most likely, you’ve seen them performing with perfection at the Winter Festival at Heritage Park or the Halloween Parade in the old Vons shopping center. On La Verne Day at the L.A. County Fair this fall, her young stars, ages 5-14, will once again be out front helping lead the celebration. Look for them as well at Bonita varsity football games.

“Every other month, they’re performing somewhere,” Chae said.

Then in the spring, her Mustang junior and senior cheer teams gear up for competitions, where again they are usually leading the pack. Nicole Hill helps her run the cheer squads.

“Our garage is stuffed with trophies,” Chae said. “We’d love to display them all, but there isn’t a showcase big enough.

“Wherever our girls go to compete, they are unbelievable. The amount of hard work and dedication they put in is outstanding. And the parent support we get is unbelievable.”

Chae can use all the support because her husband Luis, a 1993 Bonita High School graduate, is currently serving a year-long mission in Afghanistan as a member of the Army Reserves.

After he concluded a yearlong tour of duty in Iraq, he was home for a year, before he was picked up for another tour in Afghanistan. Luis is expected back home this November.

Instead of obsessively watching the television for news from Afghanistan, Chae watches over her family — daughters Jesse and Justis and her son, along with her extended dance and cheer family.

Chae and her daughter Justis take a Starbucks break.

And it’s a family that continues to grow and grow because the City dance and cheer classes are so popular — and popularly priced. The once-a-week cheer program on Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. costs $60 for seven weeks. Monday dance classes (Parent & Me, Ballet & Tap and Hip-Hop) cost about $65 for a 10-week program. Each dance class runs for 45 minutes.

The instruction is first-rate. That’s because ever since junior high, Chae has been performing or teaching dance and cheer. She has taught for private companies and through city-sponsored programs, such as La Verne’s.

She believes dance and cheer helps kids at any age better express themselves and gain confidence – and that goes for guys, too, whom she is seeing more of in her classes.

“I just want to see young people feel more comfortable in their own skin, and dance and cheer can help add that extra level of poise and self-assurance,” she said.

With Chae and Nicole literally leading you every step of the way, you’ll learn not only how to become a better dancer and cheerleader, but you’ll become a more confident and composed person along the way.

For more information about upcoming cheer or dance programs, you can contact Chae directly by email at misschae2000@yahoo.com.

Life is all about striking a balance -- and dance is one outstanding way to help keep one's equilibrium as Chae demonstrates for her young pupils.

Mighty Mustangs: Cheer squad hauled home the hardware after a recent competition.

 

 

 

 

Chae's husband Luis holding down the fort in the other part of the world.

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