Our Team

Founder and New York native, Christine Tjahjadi-Lopez has 17 years of classical dance training through various studios throughout the United States including Milwaukee Ballet and the American Academy of Ballet of WNY. She taught dance with Arena y Esteras in Lima, Peru and has several years of experience in recreational swing dance and latin dance. In university, she was active in research and community outreach. She was a Truman Scholar finalist and founded Girl's Day, a reoccurring conference for inner-city youth  funded by the winnings from a modeling contest. This conference which focused on inner, God-given beauty and self-worth is the foundation of Transformación Ballet's teaching approach.

Christine initially came to Guatemala to conduct interviews with Mayan weavers for her Master's project with the University at Buffalo when she began teaching ballet classes on the side. She aimed to graduate and work with Latin American artisan goods. However, God opened and closed doors and she ended up teaching ballet to a small group of kids in her living room which organically grew to include children from situations of extreme poverty and local orphanages, which was recognized by America Ballet Theater's Project Plie. However, it wasn't until 2022 that Christine attended her first Christian summer dance intensive with Ballet Magnificat. That was her first step to recognizing how the LORD could and would use dance to change the face of what it meant to worship Him in Guatemala. Since then she has participated in Jesus-centric classes and workshops with Arrows International, Zion Dance Project, Christ in the Arts and Ballet Magnificat Costa Rica and has independently led geriatric dance ministry activities in Puerto Rico since 2023.

Christine's responsibilities span between administration, teaching, international logistics and fundraising. She shares, "I truly delight in seeing the ways the LORD has transformed the hearts of students and team members through this ministry. I never thought I would be where I am today, but I wake up every day filled with such joy to see what the LORD has in store for me. Even seeing how the LORD nearly instantaneously meets our financial needs has grown my faith beyond measure." She attests all she is to God and says that support from her family, spiritual mentors, university experiences and incredible university advisers prepared her with the tools and knowledge to run Transformación Ballet from a critical yet loving leadership position.

Christine is certified as a “Trauma Competent Caregiver” through Trauma Free World via Back 2Back Ministries and in "Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)" through Texas Christian University's Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development.

Ligia Bernabela Méndez Juracán studied to become a teacher at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala in Guatemala and is currently pursuing a degree in psychology. She found her vocation in education and realized how it could be used to transform the future of her community in Sololá, Guatemala. Ligia has 4 years of work experience as a school teacher at a small, private school and initially volunteered teaching baby ballet with Transformación Ballet in 2018. She now teaches pre-ballet classes and is our program tutor and academic coordinator. She manages all aspects of our academic programing and workshop creation. Through this program, Ligia says, "I have been able to contribute to my community through education by creating creative and personalized strategies to raise the educational quality and comprehensive training of the students in most need." Two of her main goals as coordinator of the academic program are to help each child realize a bright, option-filled future and to see all students finish middle school and graduate high school.

Ligia is certified as a “Trauma Competent Caregiver” through Trauma Free World via Back 2Back Ministries and in "Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)" through Texas Christian University's Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development.

Harper Foriest grew up in Tennessee as the ninth child of 12. Since the age of five, she knew that God was calling her to ministry. Her dance training includes Fellowship School of Creative Arts, Arrows International, Zion Dance Project, Open Sky and Ballet Magnificat. She has participated in dance ministry in Kenya, performed and choreographed for various worship events since 2017, taught co-op homeschool art classes and has interned at Conduit Church in their women’s and children’s ministries. As a full-time missionary with us, Harper brings a new level of support to Transformación Ballet with her broad skillset in the arts, event planning, communications and ministry with women and children. She shares, “I first met Christine at a Christian dance training in January 2023. From there I joined Transformación Ballet as a prayer partner, then as an assistant leader for one of their international student training opportunities and now as a full time missionary! I am excited to see how God will continue to use me as a vessel with Transformación Ballet in Guatemala. I pray for genuine times of worship with the students through dance, art, and prayer.”

Favorite Bible Verse: “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Nestor Rodriguez shares with us 13 years of international dance training in various dance styles including Latin, urban, African styles and contemporary dance. He has taken classes in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Salvador, Nicaragua, Mexico, Holland, Germany, Portugal and Colombia in various dance styles. Nestor is currently the director of Bakanos Dance Studio and volunteers with Transformación Ballet. He is very passionate about the power of dance and shares, “My vision with dance is not to make a profit, it is to share the culture of dance with everyone who wants to fall in love with it. I want to bring dance to rural communities and share the world of dance with children and young people can have options for healthy and wholesome entertainment so they don’t have to choose bad paths. God put dance in my path and I follow His will since He has given me the opportunity to create community through dance.” One of his favorite phrases is, “Dance is life and life is good!”

Nestor is certified as a "Trauma Competent Caregiver" through Trauma Free World via Back2Back Ministries.

Since Elmer Velásquez was little he had a passion for learning. As a child, the thing that made him wanted to learn English the most was hearing foreign doctors talk to each other in English. He was amazed and that's when he decided he wanted to learn “for real.” At a young age he had the opportunity to work with foreigners. Elmer improved his English through conversation and asking questions about language and culture. It was then that he realized the importance of education and the impact it can have on individual’s futures, especially children. He formally studied English at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala to be able to have a tool to teach others. Since teaching English with Transformación Ballet, Elmer says, “I can't describe how wonderful it is to teach the children. It confirmed what I thought about education and I realized how much I love what I do.”

Elmer is certified as a “Trauma Competent Caregiver” through Trauma Free World via Back 2Back Ministries and in "Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)" through Texas Christian University's Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development.

Garrett Elder has been dancing for 9 years with a focus on ballet, contemporary, and men’s dance at Christ in the Arts Dance Ministry in Texas. Garrett has been a part of Christ in the Arts Dance Ministry, Ballet Magnificat, and now Transformation Ballet. He dreams of sharing the love of Jesus Christ and the trinity through story telling with the art of dance. Garrett believes that, “our purpose on this Earth is to spread the word of God and the gospel with the nation and our neighbors. This is what I hope to do one day as a choreographer!” As a volunteer with Transformation Ballet, he hopes to share the glory and love of God with the boys as they transition to becoming young men. Garrett hopes to be an example to them as they pursue their passion for the arts and the Lord!

Favorite Bible Verse: “Let them praise His name in the dance; let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp.” - Psalm 150:4

Bill Woolever is our longest volunteer. He holds a B.F.A in Communications and has worked with street evangelism in China, Thailand and Guatemala. Bill also worked with Mercy Ship on and off for 7 years in Central America. Aside from enjoying retirement, Bill volunteers with us throughout the year in the United States selling Guatemalan handicrafts at craft fairs. For our annual shows in Guatemala, he comes down to lend a hand and when he visits the studio, he always has snacks ready for the kids and the team.

Bill shares, “I originally came to Guatemala in 2000 as a volunteer on a Mercy Ship. I fell in love with the people in Guatemala and have been coming back to Guatemala almost every year since 2000. I met Christine and was really impressed with the wonderful work that she was doing with the children! So, the Lord impressed on my heart to help out in the area of fundraising.”

Favorite Bible Verse: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” - John 3:16

Ligia Salazar is a jazz, contemporary, modern, ballet and pilates teacher, director of the Dance Corps of Querido Arte Opera Dance Company as well as the director and founder of Mirror Ballet. She also volunteers with Intensamente Arte and Transformación Ballet's Orphanage Dance Program and community workshops. Ligia states, “Teaching dance is part of my life and essence as a human being. Teaching dance and art for me is teaching the soul how to heal, sharing a tool which ignites love and passion for life and teaching to be better humans.”

Ligia is certified as a "Trauma Competent Caregiver" through Trauma Free World via Back2Back Ministries.