Born in Toronto, Canada, Richard Hirschl studied with Mme. Tamara Elganova of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Erglis & Yuri Smaltzoff of the Bolshoi Ballet. He toured and performed with Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, the Stuttgart Ballet, The American Ballet Theatre and the Orange County Ballet Company. He began to teach classical ballet full time in 1972. Mr. Hirschl has been a teacher and lecturer at colleges and universities, and has had numerous students go on to dance professionally and teach at studios & colleges. Teachers from dance schools still frequent his lessons today, and many studios and dance teachers copy his innovative and original teaching style and studio administration.

Laurie Hirschl has danced, choreographed and taught with various schools in Southern California and with the University of California at San Diego. She holds a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from the University of California, Irvine, and a Masters Degree in Education, Curriculum and Research from California State University, Fullerton. She currently teaches at the Hirschl School and for the Anaheim City School District.

 All Hirschl School teachers are carefully selected for their expertise and their ability to contribute as caring educators. Their own education is continuosly supplimented with HSDA instructor updates and educational seminars, Most also attend teacher conventions around the country, keeping them standardized and at par with the newest methods.  Teachers and advanced students from other studios have been learning from us and taking lessons from us for decades.  We keep this open door policy to promote and proliferate the educational aspects of the art to the community.  The innovations we continuously come up with are nothing if we do not have the capacity to share them.