Faculty
Angie Bolton, an ACE certified instructor, teaches Fitness for Living at Spectrum Dance, where she has worked since 1981. She developed Fitness for Living to work students aerobically, and with weights and rubber resistance bands. The class is focuses on people 40 years old and up. Some of her students are in their 80′s and many of them have exercised with her for over 10 years.
Marco Carrabba has over 15 years experience as a professional artist and soloist with dance companies throughout Europe and the United States. He graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts and earned a scholarship with the New York City School of American Ballet. His professional career began with the Stuttgart Ballet where he performed for and was presented to Queen Elizabeth (per her request). As a principal dancer with the Dutch National Ballet he performed the principal role of Prince Albrecht in Giselle and toured with Rudolph Nureyev. Marco has toured internationally with both the Hamburg Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, where he performed Hamlet. Marco was a principal dancer with the Pacific Northwest Ballet and performed Siegfried in Swan Lake, and the Cavalier in the Nutcracker among many other leading roles. Furthermore, Marco was a soloist with Boston Ballet and has danced with many world-renowned ballerinas. He is a member of A.G.M.A. American Guild of Musical Artists and Screen Actors Guild. Marco has also added Artistic Director of Carrabba Dance School and Theatre Dance company to his resume – for which he has over 18 years experience teaching classical ballet to all ages and levels. As a choreographer Marco has produced numerous traditional productions, excerpts and innovative original contemporary works.
Michele Curtis is from Los Angeles, CA. Ms. Curtis received her early training from Catherine Kingsley, Meredith Baylis, Yvonne Mounsey, Rosemary Valaire, and Stanley Holden. She attended summer courses on scholarship at The Joffrey Balley and Pacific Northwest Ballet and also trained on scholarship at Merce Cunningham Dance Company in New York. Ms. Curtis was a soloist with Connecticut Ballet where she was featured in works by Lar Lubovitch, Ann Marie De Angelo, Ramon Oller, and Brett Raphael. She has also performed as a guest artist with Mark Morris Dance Group, Donald Byrd/The Group, The New Jersey Ballet, and appeared in a commercial and a photography book with Pilobolus Dance Theater. As a freelance artist, Ms. Curtis has performed with Pat Catterson, Brenda Daniels, Jonathan Appels and others. Ms. Curtis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from UCLA. She currently dances with Seattle Dance Project and is also on faculty at Pacific Northwest Ballet School.
SuzAnne Duckworth trained at Cornish, began teaching in 1975, and quickly became one of the Seattle area’s most popular teachers of ballet and jazz dance for children and adults. As a founder of Spectrum Dance Theater in 1982, her contributions as a board member, dancer, and choreographer helped define the style and direction of the company’s early years. After dancing with Spectrum, SuzAnne continued to perform throughout the Northwest with the award winning vocal Trio “A Cappella-Go!” until 2006. She continues to teach her Tuesday/Thursday Jazz Class and has a long and dedicated following. In June 2007, SuzAnne, her students, and Spectrum faculty celebrated her 30 years of teaching at Spectrum Dance Theater’s home, the Madrona Dance Studio.
Carrie Goodnight grew up in the Seattle-Tacoma area, studying classical ballet, modern, tap, and jazz dance. She spent two years with the Tacoma Performing Dance Company, and went on to study modern dance in Minnesota with Mary Easter, Shawn McConneloug, Judith Nelson, Gretchen Pick, Stuart Pimsler, Jane Shockley, Morgan Thorson, and Cathy Young. Ms. Goodnight has performed with Semaphore Repertory Dance Company in Minnesota, Sapphire Moon Dance Company and Spoon And Fork in New York City, and the U. O. Repertory Dance Company in Eugene, Oregon. While earning her MFA in Dance from the University of Oregon (2008), Ms. Goodnight taught modern, ballet, tap, jazz, and ballroom dance as a Graduate Teaching Fellow. She is currently on faculty at Spectrum Dance Theater, Seattle Civic Dance Theater, and the BareFoot Collective. Ms. Goodnight is also a founder and Co-Director at the BareFoot Collective where she enjoys collaborating with composers, choreographers, and digital artists in her creative work. She received her Pilates Certification from the Kane School for Core Integration (2002) and currently teaches at Bria Pilates and the YMCA of Greater Seattle.
Heather Harris’s bio coming soon
Dora Oliveira Newman’s career as a professional dancer began in 1976 when she joined renowned Brazilian folkloric dance troupe, Exaltacao A Bahia. Ms. Oliveira has a repertoire that ranges from Afro-Brazilian dance forms through jazz and modern dance. Dora has toured internationally with Olodum and other groups. She holds a degree in dance from the Federal University of Bahia. For over a decade Dora has toured and performed with Occeami – the premier African dance ensemble of the Northwest. She also dances for Show Brazil, a Seattle-based Brazilian band.
Mara Siciliano earned a B.A. in Drama with a minor in Dance from the University of Washington. Mara has been teaching dance and theater for over ten years. Her choreography has been seen in various venues including Annex Theater, Intiman Theater, The Ethnic Cultural Theater, the Seattle Fringe Festival, Mercer Island High School, and in association with the Dance Connection in Colorado.
Eva L. Stone (B.F.A., M.A.) received a B.F.A in Performance and Choreography from Arizona State University. Ms. Stone also trained at SUNY Purchase, Harvard University and the Alvin Ailey School in New York. After completing a Master of Arts Degree in Choreography and Choreological Studies from the Laban Centre in London, England, she then formed the Stone Dance Collective, a modern dance company. Ms. Stone came to Seattle in 1995, re-established her company and began an extensive teaching and lecturing career throughout the Puget Sound. Some highlights have included presenting works at On the Boards, Bumbershoot, ArtsEdge and Broadway Performance Hall. Ms. Stone has appeared as a guest teacher at Western Washington University and has been a faculty member of both Washington Academy of Performing Arts and Olympic Ballet School. Ms. Stone is currently a modern dance instructor for the Pacific Northwest Ballet School Summer Program and the International School of Classical Ballet for the Professional Division. She has created commissioned works for many local dance companies as well as part of a collaborative effort with Seattle Dance Project on the critically acclaimed Project Orpheus at ACT Theater. Her work has premiered in New York, London, Geneva and St. Petersburg, Russia. A recent work, The Unraveling, debuted at Lincoln Center as part of the New York International Ballet Competition gala. Ms. Stone also had the extraordinary opportunity to assist Donald Byrd for the Seattle Opera production of Aida. Ms. Stone is the curator and producer of Chop Shop: Bodies of Work, a contemporary dance festival held annually in Bellevue. This highly anticipated event brings the best of the Seattle dance community together for a unique series of performances and master classes.
Amy Thompson was the Artistic Director of the Ellensburg Youth Ballet for 7 years during which time she choreographed and staged many full length ballets including Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, and Coppelia. She has taught Ballet, Pointe, Variations and Partnering for over ten years. She has also choreographed several musicals including Fiddler on the Roof and Brigadoon. Ms. Thompson trained at the Washington Academy of the Performing Arts in their Conservatory Program.
Erricka Turner’s bio coming soon
Alfredo “Fredo” Vergara, a founding member from one of the most innovative and influential dance groups Circle of Fire, aka “FREE”, embodies the true essence of self expression through movement. With more than 10 years of experience, deeply rooted in B-boying (Breaking), he has gained the respect and admiration of his peers and his community. He has participated in various dance events and competitions locally and internationally, such as Freestyle Sessions (USA), Dance Delight (Japan), Red Bull: Lords of the Floor (USA), Juste Debut (France) and the International Battle of the Year (Germany), just to name a few. Internationally known for his charismatic style and finesse, Mr. Vergara has also starred in his self-titled solo DVD “A Beautiful One Man Show,” a DVD that shines a new light to the art of dance. His knowledge and experience of Breaking and other dance styles such as Hip Hop, House Dancing, Freestyle and including the Brazilian martial arts/dance Capoeira, has led him to take part in judging competitions, discussion panels as well as teaching workshops all over the world. Mr. Vergara has taught in schools, community centers, dance studios and a variety of dance programs all over the US and other countries. His students range from kids as young as 5 years of age to adults. Being world traveled through dance, he has learned that movement is a language in its own, giving him the ability to communicate with other cultures where words cannot. He considers this art of movement, dance, as a way to express oneself physically, mentally and spiritually. Through teaching and sharing his knowledge and experience, Mr. Vergara strives to free and uplift the soul through music and dance!
“Let your soul be free…DANCE!” – Alfredo ”FREE” Vergara
Jordan Stillinger began her dance training at Westside Dance Academy in Tigard, OR, where she studied and competed in multiple dance genres including tap, jazz, lyrical, ballet, contemporary, modern, hip-hop and acrobatics. Her training continued through high school and college as a member of a competitive dance team and with Portland-based Pure Dance Company under artistic director Sonya Duffin. Before moving to the Seattle area, Jordan served as director of the lyrical program at Innovative Dance Academy in Wilsonville, OR, and as choreographer for several Oregon dance teams. Her work has won several state, regional and national choreography and critic’s choice awards. In 2005, Jordan was the founder and artistic director of George Fox University’s contemporary worship dance company until her graduation in 2009. Jordan’s strength as an instructor lies in the passion she has for her students, and she thrives on recognizing and capitalizing on the potential of each team, studio, and individual dancer that she has the privilege to work with.
Ahyoung Wooh was born and raised in South Korea. She started dancing at the age of six, and then went on to Art High School, majoring in ballet and minoring in Korean traditional dance. Ms. Wooh performed with Jin Su In ballet Company in Japan, Mexico and Australia. After moving to the U.S, Ms. Wooh joined Morning Star Korean Traditional Dance Association and performed in Japan, China, Europe and all over the U.S. She received her BA in dance from the University of Washington.
Bios Coming Soon:
Amy Sennett, Kate Ashworth, Scott Bartell, Jenny Hillock, Bahia in Motion, Austin Sexton
Accompanists:
Angela Rinaldi-Gribas
Marleen Land
Gary Palmer
Elizabeth Purswell
Monty Carter
