Nanci Hammond, one of the founders of The Performing Arts Center, began dancing at the age of four and was instructing children at the age of 15.  Born in Hanford California and raised in Fresno California she attended Denise Sommers School of Dance and opened her first dance studio, The Dance Programme at the tender age of 20. 

In 1975, Nanci moved to Los Angeles to study fulltime at Eugene Loring's American Ballet School and within a year was working professionally on a national commercial choreographed by Jo-Jo Smith.  Since that time, she worked professionally in a variety of theater, television, film, video and commercial venues.  Nanci has performed in such prestigious television programs as The Academy Awards, The Peoples Choice Awards, The Movie Awards and Carnivale and in the films Thank God It's Friday, Stayin Alive and The Jackson Brothers, Lionel Ritchie and Kenny Rogers videos. 

Nanci credits her success as a dancer to her husband, Joseph Malone, who diligently and meticulously trained her, Alex Ruiz, who taught her to listen, Michael Peters who taught her to dance from the inside out.  She also credits her Mother and Father who instilled the idea that she could do anything and her Buddhist training which taught her to never give up.