LA LUNA RHYTHMIC
GYMNASTICS ACADEMY
Home of USA National Team Members
OUR COACHES AND STAFF
Present Head Coach
Founder and
Program Director
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Co-Head Coach
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Drama and Presentation
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Level 2/3/4
Team Supervisor and Coach
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Glika
Mitro
Assistant Director
Competitive Team Coach and Co-Meet Organizer
Former Member of USAG National Team,
Competitive Team Coach
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Junior Team and
Competitive Team
Coach
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Coach Pre Team
in Dance and Ballet
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Coach Pre Team
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Arzu Karaali
Coach Arzu Karaali is the present head coach, the founder and program director of La Luna Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy. With over 20 years' experience in the sport, she was able to establish her own training technique in the Seattle area. Many gymnasts she has trained have become State and Regional Champions and National Qualifiers with most finishing in the top 10 at the Junior Olympics. She has been selected "Coach of the Year and Best Choreographer" numerous times between the years 2005-2022 by the USAG Rhythmic Region 2, including Level 9 gymnasts in Region 2.
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She worked with the former USA Rhythmic Gymnastics National Team Coach Marina Davidovich and was able to train Olympian Qualifiers for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Coach Arzu was a former National Brevet judge by FIG and she is a USAG safety certified professional.
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Coach Arzu holds a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and Sports and a degree in Classical Ballet from MEB Neriman Balle Okulu in Turkey. Born in Bulgaria, she began her rhythmic and ballet training at the age of 7. She became the only solo gymnast and the youngest performer with the local circus and traveled around the country. She was selected to train at the Bulgarian National Gymnastics Center. As a performer, she was a principal artist/dancer at the Mersin University D.K. Turkey and at the East Athens Educational Dance Center in GA, USA.
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Some of her achievements are:
- Published writer of the book "Rhythmic Gymnastics" in 1993
- "First Rhythmic Coach" introducing the Rhythmic program in Bursa, Turkey with Bulgarian World Champion Maria Gigova
- Chosen the "Best Sport Team" in her city Bursa, Turkey in 1993
- Ballet Program Designer- Turkish National Team, 1993-1994
- Trained her gymnasts National Team Qualifier in 1995
- Trained children with intellectual disabilities that participated at the 1990 Special Olympics in Canada
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Coach Arzu feels lucky because she is able to follow her dream by helping children reach beyond what they think is possible. Her fulfillment and victory lie in believing in each child. ​
"I'm very happy we have established a powerful program that serves our community with grace and beauty! Truly proud that so many of my gymnasts are coaching with me at the Academy. Some of them are in college, some of them are married and some are working. I have to say that they all have grown to be wonderful and remarkable young women, living with a purpose, working toward a goal. Rhythmic gymnastics has taught them discipline, elegance, and strength."- Arzu Karaali
Shawnene Hersey
Shawnene has been with the La Luna RGA since 2012, helping gymnasts with presentation and drama. In 2016, she received the “Coach of the Year” award from the USAG Rhythmics Region 2. She is currently the artistic and creative design consultant for the annual La Luna Kiss performance. Shawnene is a USAG safety certified professional.
She obtained her strong background in music and drama from being part of numerous community theater musical productions. Her most memorable production was “The Baker’s Wife” at the Everett Performing Arts Center. Shawnene thrives in creating things- from stage props and paintings to crafts and costumes. Through all her experience, she is able to help build the gymnasts’ confidence and artistry. Prior to joining La Luna RGA, Shawnene spent over 20 years working as a corporate technical project manager. She has lived in Washington state since 1994 and is married with 3 beautiful children, all heavily involved in sports.
“I love the stage, performance, and everything that goes with it. I contribute to the girls by teaching them how to deal with all that nervous energy and showing them ways to make it work for them with confidence.” - Shawnene Hersey
Glika Mitro
Coach Glika has been with La Luna RGA since 2013, initially as one of Coach Arzu's competitive gymnasts while also continuing with 6 years of ballet training and competed in 2018 Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition. She started coaching at the academy in 2019, training gymnasts in all levels for competitions. Glika is passionate about teaching young gymnasts in rhythmic gymnastics and preparing them for their long journey to success. Now, she assists Coach Arzu with organizing competitions, directing the academy, and helps train the competitive team. She is a USAG safety certified professional.
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She started her rhythmic gymnastics training at 7 years old. She has been Region 2 champion five consecutive times (2015-2019), and USAG athlete of the year in 2016. Glika has qualified for the Junior Olympic team two years in a row and competed at the 2018 USA Gymnastics Championships in North Carolina. Before retiring as a Level 8 gymnast to focus on academics, she competed in the 2019 USA Junior Olympics at Lake Placid and achieved first place in every event and all around.
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Glika is currently a hardworking college student double majoring in English and French at the University of Washington. She graduated, class of 2022, from the Royal Cambridge Program at Juanita High School. She earned a 4.0 GPA and continues strong at UW. Her future plans are to continue to a career in law and help others with her passionate and caring character.
Alla Shalimova
Coach Alla Shalimova is a distinguished coach in high-performance rhythmic gymnastics, with a storied career that has established her as a Master of Sports in Russia. Her tenure with the Russian National Team in both individual and group categories from 2008 to 2012 was marked by remarkable achievements, including multiple regional championships in the Novosibirsk Region from 2005 to 2011. Her prowess in the sport is further highlighted by her numerous victories in national and international individual championships, where she consistently earned gold in group categories.
Recognized as the best athlete of the year from 2006 to 2012, Alla’s contributions to rhythmic gymnastics are rooted in a solid educational background, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education & Sport. She embarked on her coaching career in 2015 and has since become the head coach and choreographer for the "Crystall" club in Berdsk city, Russia, where she oversees a large competitive team of over 120 gymnasts.
Alla’s expertise extends to training national gymnasts in high-performance FIG programs and leading regional champions to success. Her role as a national judge of the second category complements her active involvement in organizing regional and national competitions. In 2017, her exceptional service was honored with special Appreciation Awards from the Russian Gymnastic Federation. Additionally, Alla is certified in Myofascial Release for gymnasts, adding another layer to her comprehensive skill set in the sport of rhythmic gymnastics.
Emma Potra
Coach Emma started her rhythmic gymnastic training with coach Arzu in 2015 at La Luna Rhythmic Gymnastic Academy. In 2019 she was able to make L7 Junior Olympic Region II Team by ranking in the top 3 at the Region II Championships and participated at the National Championship. She ended her career as a gymnast in L9 and started coaching at La Luna. She is very happy coaching all levels from L2 to L9.
Isabella Ivanova
Coach Bella has been with La Luna Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy since 2011, initially as one of Coach Arzu's competitive gymnasts. She started her gymnastic career at the age of 7. She became a Regional Champion multiple years in row along with an "Athlete of the Year" making to Junior Olympic Team for Region 2. In 2018 Bella spent the year training in Bulgaria with world renowned coach Neshka Robeva. In 2019 she became "Master of the Sport", a level 10 Elite gymnast & represented La Luna at the National Championships becoming Ribbon National Champion. The following year she made the National Team, she have been coach by Lyudmila Polovinova, Margarita Mamzina and Natasha Kiryienka & trained at the Olympic Training center in Lake Placid. Her team "rgroups" went to the World Championships in 2021 placing 10th overall the world." Since then, she has represented the USA in multiple World Cup across the globe most recently she competed at the 2023 National Championship placing 2nd in [illegible] player. Since then she has chosen to retire & focus on her academics. She is a student at Arizona State University, pursuing her major in sport business. She is passionate about teaching younger gymnasts the beauty of rhythmic gymnastics & she is beyond grateful to be working alongside her lifelong mentor Arzu Karaali."
Coach Anna trained Rhythmic Gymnastics at La Luna Academy for 11 years under guidance of coach Arzu Karaali. Anna started Rhythmic in the year 2010 when she was 6. Before that, she did ballroom dancing, modern dance and artistic gymnastics since the age of 3. Her love of dance and desire to take part in performances brought her to Rhythmic Gymnastics. She started attending sessions with coach Arzu and she has stayed with this beautiful sport as a gymnasts and now as a coach to this moment.
Anna has achieved many great results at a multitude of competitions in Washington state, Region II USAG, many other states in the USA, and in Canada. In 2015, Anna participated at Junior Olympics in Chicago, Illinois. In the next years, she qualified and successfully participated in USA National Championships four times. In 2016 it was Providence, Rhode Island. In 2018, Greensborough, North Carolina. In 2019, the Championship was in Des Moines, Iowa. And 2021, in Saint Louis, Missouri. Under the coaching of La Luna trainers, Arzu Karaali and Ludmila Polivanova, she took many medals from these Championships. In 2018 Anna wom All Around Champion of Region II and Athlete of the Year. She has stood up on the victory podium countless times.
All this time she has been a top student in school, a member of Honor Society, kept a 4.0 GPA in the rigorous International Baccalaureate program at Inglemoor High school. After Anna’s career as a competitive gymnast has finished as a proud Level 9 gymnasts, she continued being part of the La Luna family as a coach assistant and she train younger gymnasts to help them achieve their dreams. Rhythmic Gymnastics has played decisive role in her life.
Now Anna is studiyong in sport medicine at the University of Washington beside her coaching..
Anna’s motto is "Once a gymnasts — Always a gymnast"
Jane Ironmonger
Coach Jane stared taking ballet from the age of 4. Later on, she also tried out some other types of dances while continuing taking ballet. She learn one year of Jazz and was able to go pointe in ballet.
Jane started to help with coaching at La Luna Rhythmic Gymnastic Academy in the summer of 2022. She is very happy for being able to teach little children about ballet and dance and spending time in the gym.
Kaelyn Hersey
Coach Kaelyn started rhythmic gymnastics with Coach Arzu at age 4, 2010. She competed in many out of state and regional competitions over the years, made the region 2 team, and qualified for the level 8 nationals. She competed her last season as a level 9, and began coaching at La Luna since 2022 and helping younger gymnasts teaching her skills.