Creative Generations
Dance Mentors
From Dancer to Dancer, Strength Across Generations.
Derek Sakakura - Joffrey Ballet
Elise Elliot - Houston Ballet
Ikolo Griffin - San Francisco Ballet
Simeon Den - Broadway & Joyce Trisler Dance
Jamie Dee Clifton - Charlotte Ballet
Khamla Somphanh - ODC
Rhodes Elliott - Houston Ballet
Charles Trojanowski - YAGP 2x Silver 1x Bronze semi-finals 2025
Andrew Powell-Arellano - Milwaukee Ballet 2
Acaju Gastelum - Milwaukee Ballet 2
“Today’s dancers thrive with unbiased support that integrates today’s understanding of holistic health and wellness that acknowledges each generations’ challenges. We see this care as a standard in professional athletics. Dancers are elite athletes and artists who deserve appropriate care. “
- Derek Sakakura, Founder Creative Generations
Creative Generations is an independent mentorship and wellness ecosystem for youth and pre-professional dancers—and the families who support them.
We bring together former professional dancers and dancer-clinicians to offer clear guidance, whole-artist care, and a safe place to ask the real questions. Because ballet can be rigorous and still be joyful—and dancers deserve to thrive.
What We Offer
We offer individualized advisement and ongoing support by pairing dancers and families with career professional dancer mentors they feel comfortable with.
Support can be one-time, seasonal, or continuing, and may include mentor guidance on training and transitions, injury prevention and recovery planning from our physical therapist, mental performance skills with a certified mental performance coach, nutrition support from a Registered Dietitian, and family advisement sessions to enhance confidence and the foundation for a supported dancer.
Our work is independent, dancer-informed, and grounded in care—so dancers don’t have to navigate high-stakes decisions alone.
Schedule your initial consultation with us today.
Application for pre-professional mentorship: Creative Generations Application
Article about Creative Generations -
Canvas Rebel
Creative Generations: Voices
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“Having a mentor outside of Sacramento Ballet has been extremely beneficial for me in the sense that this is someone who has a different set of eyes and can give me so many new perspectives and ideas on my artistry and ideas in dance. It’s also beneficial because there is only so much that my directors and artistic staff can say and do for me, whereas having a mentor from CG doesn’t feel like it has the limitation.
CG has given me so many helpful resources such as controlled breathing/meditation techniques that help me both inside and outside the studio that helps with both my dancing and my anxiety’s that can relate to dance.
They have also just given me what I feel like is an extremely safe space to talk about all my concerns and thoughts about being a dancer and how hard it can be at times without any judgment or backlash.
My mentor, Derek, has given me a huge boost of confidence in myself both as a human being and as a dancer. To be sound with who I am and to utilize myself to the best of my ability without having to be apologetic about it.
Derek has also given me personal breathing techniques that have especially helped with my jumps allowing for the jumps to feel less strained and tense, and allowing me to suspend them even longer in the air!”
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How has having access to mentors from outside Sacramento Ballet, who bring diverse experiences from companies and backgrounds, expanded your perspective or impacted your approach to dance?
Something nice about having a mentor who has experienced the career is they can give real-world advice without bias and a boundary of them being your boss. They have also experienced many different teachers and directors and can give great, expansive advice.
What resources or guidance have you found most valuable in navigating your professional growth and personal wellness through Creative Generations?
The parts that I have found the most valuable are having someone who cares to help me without interior motives and being able to be honest and myself. It’s a well-rounded program that is able to give many types of help that can make a well-rounded dancer!
Can you share an experience where a mentor’s insight or advice helped you overcome a specific challenge in your training or performance?
How being present on stage can be very freeing, and showing yourself on stage can be the best experience.
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“I am so grateful to be a part of the Creative Generations Mentorship team! I was lucky enough to meet Derek while guest teaching together in Texas - after one conversation about his program, I knew I wanted to be a part of helping it grow. As a former Soloist with Houston Ballet, I had incredible opportunities to dance with amazing choreographers in countries all over the world - but the challenging times that come with being a professional dancer (especially in the early years) would have been so much easier to navigate if I had had a program like CG to help give me guidance. I feel lucky to be on the other side of company life now as a Rehearsal Director for Sacramento Ballet, where I can guide my dancers with support and knowledge I gained from my own career. I look forward to mentoring dancers around the world through this platform! “ ~ Elise Elliott, former soloist Houston Ballet