Amy Bodnar
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Shuree Polley
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Irene BeausoleilThe Greater Chicagoland Area may be where she started, but Irene Beausoleil now calls the Pacific Northwest home. Classical Vaganova ballet technique, Irish Step Dancing and Musical theater came as part of her early dance training, alongside orchestral and folk music traditions. She traveled to Seattle to attend Cornish College of the Arts and graduated with a BFA in Dance in 2012. Immediately after, Irene co-published a dance photography essay, Moments of Truth, and performed in several local festivals.
Irene most recently completed her certification as a Yoga instructor through the 8 Limbs program in Seattle. Irene began her journey in yoga as a student in 2011 under the guidance of Ellen Boyle as part of her undergraduate training in Dance at Cornish College of the Arts. Despite injuries and challenges with recurring pain management, the practice of moving with an open heart and mindful spirit quickly became a refuge as she worked toward graduation and transitioned into full time employment. An opportunity to deepen her practice came around in 2017 when she started training to become a teacher through the 8 Limbs 200 RYT program. |
Chessa ChalmersChessa began her dance training at Pacific Northwest Ballet, before leaving to study with a private instructor. After several years, she moved to study with Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorbulev at Olympic Ballet Theatre, where she placed in Classical and Contemporary sections at the semifinals of Youth America Grand Prix. She has been awarded scholarships to and attended programs at Ballet Chicago, Oklahoma City Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and VIVO Ballet (Rome, Italy) among others.
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Leah FadenrechtLeah, originally from the Snohomish area, received most of her training right here at Dance Elite. She was involved with assisting children’s classes and competing around the Pacific Northwest with the Amplify Competition Dance Team. Leah graduated from Central Washington University with degrees in Dance, Film Production Management and History. While attending school she was also a member of the CWU Dance Team and Orchesis Dance Company, where she had opportunities to work with the Khambatta Dance Company, Tacoma Dance Collective, Portland Ballet, and Freddie-Lee Heath, National Dance Educator 2010.
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Valerie JuguilonVal specializes in hip-hop, jazz and musical theatre. In her hometown of San Diego, Val didn’t pursue formal dance training until age 16. Soon after, she became a scholarship student at Dance & Company, where she met Miss Amy! Val became a hip-hop and musical theatre instructor during her 10 years there. She attended UC San Diego, where she competed on the Ascension Dance Team and internationally recognized hip-hop team, 220 Second to None. Val also trained at Culture Shock San Diego, Studio 429, StudioFX and Millennium Dance Complex, where she continues to train when in the area.
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Kory RiglerKory grew up dancing in the Seattle area starting at 2yrs old! As a young teen she danced on multiple competition teams at the local and national level. At age 15 Kory started college, auditioned into her school’s dance company and performed with them for two seasons. At 18 she felt a calling and joined the U.S. Army Reserve as a medic. She missed dance terribly while away, but came back from training ready to teach and it has been her passion ever since. Kory has trained in tap, jazz, ballet, modern, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, swing, musical theatre dance, and even clogging! She was part of a local theatre program at what is now known as Edmonds Heights as an actor, dancer, choreographer, and assistant director, and has also performed as a vocalist various times over the years. She is a graduate of the Summer Dance Institute for Teachers at the Creative Dance Center.
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Kendal RulandKendal Ruland is a classically trained dancer, teacher, choreographer, and certified Gyrotonic Trainer. She has spent the last decade teaching at various dance schools in the PNW and choreographing for local high school's seasonal musicals. Kendal's training includes Washington Academy of Performing Arts, International Ballet Academy, San Francisco Conservatory, LINES Ballet, San Diego City Ballet, and an apprentice with Ballet BC. She loves teaching the traditional disciplines of dance while encouraging students to explore their own style of movement.
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Julian YoungJulian Young started dancing at Santa Barbara City College under the instruction and influence of Kay Fulton and Pamela Lappen. He continued his training at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Cornish College of the Arts and the Ajkun Ballet School. Julian has had the opportunity to perform many roles in classic ballets & modern works from Le Sacre du printemps(Rite of Spring), Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty and Giselle to Hunters & Shaker Life(Songs of the Disinherited). Julian is currently dancing with Ajkun Ballet Theatre(NY) and has performed with Opera Pacifica, Evergreen City Ballet, DASSDance, Northwest Ballet Theater, International Ballet Theater, Olympic Ballet Theater, San Diego Dance Theater, Seattle Theater Group and has performed works by Blythe Barton(SD Dance Theater), Monica Bill Barnes(NY), Daniel Wilkins(SEA/NY), Kabby Mitchell(SEA/Pacific Northwest Ballet), Jennifer Porter(Pacific Northwest Ballet), Juanjo Arques(Het Nationale Ballet), Mark Haim(SEA/ADF), Jean Isaacs(SD Dance Theater), Donald Byrd(Spectrum Dance Theater) & Donald McKayle(NY/UC Irvine)
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Casey YoungerCasey grew up dancing from ages 4 to 18 in the Seattle area, training in tap, jazz, ballet, modern, and hip-hop. She competed in several dance convention competitions during that time, taking home multiple trophies in tap. At Edmonds-Woodway High School she was on the dance/drill team and served as captain her senior year. While earning her Bachelors in Fine Arts at Washington State University, Casey continued to take tap and jazz classes as she could, while also serving as a varsity athlete for three years on the women’s rowing team (her team took 4th in the nation, Division I, her senior year!). During graduate school in Oxford, England Casey was a member of her university’s dancesport (ballroom dance) team, competing around the country in waltz and quickstep. During this time she also studied jive, Viennese waltz, tango, Argentine tango, and cha-cha. Today Casey continues to hone her skills by taking advanced tap classes whenever possible. Since 2014, she has been an active board member, choreographer, and performer for Charity Dance Project, a volunteer organization that puts on one show each year to raise money for a different cause. Outside of dance, Casey is a full-time graphic designer and software developer. One her favorite activities is traveling – 47 countries and counting so far! Casey’s favorite dance genre has always been tap, and she is so excited to pass on her rhythmic passion at Dance Elite!
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