|
 Patricia Petersen, Artistic Director
Miss Patty is starting her 24th year as a dance teacher. She loves teaching Ballet, Lyrical, Tap, Jazz, Creative Movement, Acrobatics and Pilates. Her dance training began at the age of 3 and continued through college where she attended “CornishCollege of the Arts” then “Spectrum Dance Theatre” both in Seattle,WA. At the age of 23 she opened a dance studio “Dance Academy of Kent” with approximately 400 students in Kent, WA for approximately 10 years. Miss Patty has served on the faculty of “Maddox Dance Studio” in Warrenton, OR as well as “Northwest Conservatory of Dance” in Hillsboro, OR. She has traveled with “I Love Dance” as a Competition Judge, toured with “Manhattan Dance Project” as a staff member, stage directed and choreographed for “Little Ballet Theatre’s, The Nutcracker Ballet” for 8 years, and choreographed for USA Level 8 Gymnasts. Miss Patty has had several students who have been recognized at the National Level as well as going on to dance professionally with various ballet companies and on Broadway in New York.
 Kelly Martorana, Staff Instructor
Miss Kelly is starting her 17th year of teaching dance. Her training began in Des Moines, WA at her mom’s dance studio at age 3. After many years of training in Tap, Jazz and Ballet she began teaching for her mom at age 18. While pursuing her career in tap, Miss Kelly attended various workshops and conventions taking instruction from great tap artists. She has studied under Art Stone, Al Gilbert and Mallory Gram. Miss Kelly received many awards at the national competition level for her outstanding tap performances.
 Bethany Hanson, Staff Instructor
Miss Bethany is starting her 19th year of teaching dance. Miss Bethany has had the opportunity to train with many great dancers. In the area of Tap and Jazz she studied under Judy Ann Bassing of New York and Bruce Steggman, and in ballet, Peter Paulition, a student of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Barb Hemion of UNM. Miss Bethany’s interests and experience in the performing arts has included working with and performing for Mary Beth Kisner and Lyn Cramer of Chi Town Jazz Dance Company of Chicago and a Lutheran Liturgical Company while in high school. She also sang and danced in a Cabaret show under the direction of Christine Grable, a former lead in “A Chorus Line” on Broadway. Miss Bethany has choreographed and stage-managed at her local high school, university, and opera house.
 Jan Hoekstra, Staff Instructor
Miss Jan started her dance training at age 8 in Honolulu,Hawai’i. As a young dancer her most memorable performances included: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Aloha Bowl, Pro Bowl, and Knott’s Berry Farm as well as national competitions in Texas,California, and Hawai’i. She is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology with a M.A. in Human Development, Emphasis on Early Childhood Development. While at UO, she took dance technique courses in ballet, tap, jazz and modern as well as dance theory courses. She is starting her 4rd year of teaching at FGDA.
 Christina White, Irish Instructor
Miss Christina started Irish dancing 12 years ago at the Yeate’s Academy of Irish Dance. She competes at the highest level of competition, Open Championships. She qualified for and competed at the World Championships, which is the most prestigious and rigorous form of competition in the Irish dancing world. She competes and performs both as a soloist and as a team dancer. She has been student teaching for 5 years working with students as young as 4 all the way up to adults. Irish dance is her passion and she hopes to make teaching Irish dance her career.
 Jill Edgecomb, Baton Instructor
Miss Jill began baton twirling at 4 years old in Fair Oaks, California. She became the U.S Open National Champion four times, Two Baton and Three Baton events. She was also a member of California Elite V, the National Champions in dance-twirl and twirl team events. Becoming the Silver Medalist at the IJA’s (International Juggling Association’s) annual competition lead her to the opportunity to combine baton, dance, and juggling as a performer with LUMA, an illuminated performing arts theatre group stationed in Madison, Wisconsin. Additionally, as a featured twirler for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Oregon, she performed at several bowl games, including the Orange Bowl. Jill holds a B.A in Speech-Language Pathology and a M.Ed. in Therapeutic Recreation. She is a Certified USTA (United States Twirling Association) coach and Level II Judge and has taught baton twirling for 15 years.
 Liza White, Creative Movement Instructor
Miss Liza started her training in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Acrobatics at the age of 8. She has assisted under Miss Patty and Miss Kelly for 4 years where she found her passion and natural talent for teaching younger students. She was a soloist in BFG’s “The Nutcracker” as the Snow Princess and Sugar Plum Fairy and is a Premier Member of the Company. She is a student choreographer for the ForestGroveHigh School drama department and choreographed for a young student competing in “Natural American Miss”.
 Morgan Winfield, Jazz Instructor
Miss Morgan started her dance training at age 8. She has been an assistant teacher for 5 years. She has performed with the Moscow Ballet in 2006 & 2007, a soloist in BFG’s “The Nutcracker” as the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Doll, and is a Premier Member of the Company. She has a passion for all types of dance, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Highland, Irish, and Pointe. A typical dance week for her is approximately 12 hours of dance instruction as well as teaching.
Sara Strite, Ballet Instructor
Miss Sara began dancing at the age of 3. Her intense training includes: Summer Dance Lab, Vail International Dance Festival,AmericanAcademy of Ballet, The Juliana School of Ballet, The Joffrey School in NYC, USA Collegiate Summer Dance Camp, and Oregon Ballet Theatre. Sara studied under Barbara Remington for five years at Stite’s Performing Arts Center in Gresham. She attended Arts and CommunicationMagnetAcademy in Beaverton where her focus was dance. She attended the University ofOregon for four years in which Sara was a member of the University’s dance team. Sara taught Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip-Hop at Musical Feet in Eugene, Oregon. She has been on staff at Maddox Dance Studio in Warrenton, for two years and continues to work there commuting to teach at Forest Grove Dance Arts.
Heather Robinson, Jazz & Lyrical Instructor
Heather became a serious dancer at the age of 12 when she began Scottish Highland Dance. Competitive dance took her all over the U.S. and Canada, ultimately competing in national competitions. She is a former member and All-State award winner of the Banks High School Dance Team. Heather attended WesternOregonUniversity where she majored in International Studies and French and has a minor in dance. Her other experiences include, student choreographer for WOU’s Dance Concert, dance team coach and judging, local theatre choreography, Scottish Dance, and Jazz instructor.
Laura Contreras, Hip Hop Instructor
Miss Laura's passion is dance. She is a gifted stage performer with a talent for engaging the audience. Laura was born in El Paso, Texas and has been dancing nearly all her life in styles ranging from Jazz, Latin, Modern/Contemporary, and Hip Hop. Laura danced throughout high school and college and began teaching workshops at the age of 19 in Texas and Arizona for drill team coaches and dancers. She is a former Phoenix Suns Dancer and is currently the head coach for the Jr. Vikette’s Dance Team in Forest Grove.
Abby Fiegenbaum, Tap Instructor
Miss Abby started dancing at the age of 3. She is trained in Tap, Jazz and Tumbling. After only 2 years of dance, she started competing at the age of 5 in Tap and Jazz at several state competitions. At age 12, she became an assistant for several tap classes. In 2008, Abby began taking Hip Hop and Ballet classes in addition to Tap and Jazz. Last year, she choreographed for the local “Jr. Miss” program and “School Musical”. Now in college at PacificUniversity, Abby will continue to practice, teach, and study dance along with her pharmacy studies. She is a talented choreographer as well as an enthusiastic teacher.
|
