ABBY FRANK 
Rhythmic Coach

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Abby began gymnastics when she was four years old in the recreational program at Oregon Gymnastics Academy. She transitioned to the rhythmic program after a year and joined the competitive team at age six. She has been a member of the Rose City Rhythmic family ever since. Her accomplishments include qualifying to National Championships nine years in a row and competing throughout the US and Canada. She competed at the National Qualification event at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. She also trained at the Tokyo Women’s College of Physical Education with Japanese National Team coaches. In September of 2018, Abby retired from competitive rhythmic gymnastics due to a back injury. Since then, she has moved on to coaching and is a certified Junior Professional Coach through USA Gymnastics. She has coached athletes at Junior Olympic National Championships. 
 

LIFE OUTSIDE OF GYMNASTICS

Abby is part of the class of 2021 at Southridge High School, and enjoys riding her horse, baking, and reading. She lives in Portland with her sister, parents, and cat.

Ansa Capizzi

Ballet Coach

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Ansa Capizzi is from Nagoya, Japan. She began training at age five, initially with Chika Goto Step Works Ballet, followed by San Francisco Ballet School. She joined OBT as an apprentice (2003), and was promoted to soloist (2007) and principal (2018). Among her favorite performances are: William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, George Balanchine’s Tarantella, Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, James Canfield’s Romeo & Juliet, Nacho Duato’s Por Vos Muero, Michel Fokine’s The Dying Swan, Nicolo Fonte’s Presto, and Jirí Kylián’s Falling Angels.

Valeria Turcanu

Rhythmic Coach

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Valeria is 21 years old and from Italy. She was a competitive rhythmic gymnast from 2009 to 2018 and has won or podiumed at many competitions including 1st national place with her team at "Ritmica Europa".  Her original coach and now colleague is Olena Samoylenko from the Ukrainian National Team.  Her Bulgarian choreographer is Evgenia Stoeva (CSKA School of Sofia). 

 

Valeria also trained under  Marina Castellani, Luciana De Corso and Luca Danesin (all national judges and important Italian coaches).  She did individual competitions (regional, inter-regional and national level), with group (every year she went to the national championship), "serie B championship", and was selected for the training at the Federal Technical Center".

  

She has been coaching and choreographing since 2017 in many different clubs, in Verona, Italy.  Valeria graduated as a coach of the Gymnastics Federation of Italy in 2019.  She had the opportunity to coach with Anna Rizatdinova and Olga Lobas during their Masterclasses for her gymnasts.

Valeria has worked as a dancer and artist in Movieland Park and Orfei Circus and has also coached the artistic swimming team of Verona (flexibility and ballet lessons).  But her biggest passion is rhythmic gymnastics and she loves teaching it.  She hopes you will enjoy your training together.

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Anastasiia Balandina

Rhythmic Coach

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Achievements: Master of Sports of Russia in Rhythmic Gymnastics, Member of the Russian National Team of the Sverdlovsk region in the individual and group classification.

Champion of the Sverdlovsk region.

Champion of the Ural Federal District.

Winner of many national and international competitions.

I started my coaching career officially in 2014, Until that time, I was an active gymnast and often helped my trainer train other gymnasts and created a program with apparatus for other gymnasts.

Now I train professional gymnasts and amateurs.

In 2018, I opened my own studio of rhythmic gymnastics and stretching.

I have a pedagogical and economic education.

Daphne Wu

Rhythmic Coach

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Daphne began gymnastics in the recreational program at Oregon Gymnastics Academy when she was four years old. A year later, she joined the rhythmic program, and then the competitive team at five years old. At age seven, she moved to the Westside’s rhythmic program, training and competing at the state, regional, and national level. Her accomplishments include qualifying for and competing at the National Championships five years in a row in Orlando, Florida. There she won two bronze medals for the overall, floor, and hoop event; gold for the hoop and ball event; and silver for ribbon. In her 7th year, Daphne retired from competitive rhythmic gymnastics and has since then been training in ballet at the Oregon International Ballet Academy. In 2017 she competed at Youth America Grand Prix in Las Vegas, Nevada for contemporary and classical ballet. She is currently a recreational and Xcel coach at Rose City.

 

Daphne lives in Portland with her sister and parents and is a part of the class of 2021 at Sunset High School. She enjoys doing graphic design, going to the studio to do ballet, and heading out to the tennis courts with her friends. She loves teaching and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.