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 Patricia Petersen, Artistic Director
Miss Patty is starting her 25th 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 “Cornish College 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 18th 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 20th 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 5th year of teaching at FGDA.
 Sara Strite, Staff Instructor
Miss Sara began dancing at the age of 3. Her intense training includes: Summer Dance Lab, Vail International Dance Festival, American Academy 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 Communication Magnet Academy in Beaverton where her focus was dance. She attended the University of Oregon 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, and Maddox Dance Studio in Warrenton. Sara is starting her second year teaching at Forest Grove Dance Arts.
 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 6 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.
 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 5 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 Forest Grove High School drama department and choreographed for a young student competing in “Natural American Miss”.
 Heather Robinson, Jazz & Lyrical Instructor
Miss 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 Western Oregon University 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.
 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. In 2009, she choreographed for the local “Jr. Miss” program and “School Musical”. Now in college at Pacific University, 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.
Holly Kupetz, Jazz and Lyrical Instructor
Miss Holly started dancing at the age of 4 and has not stopped. She started dancing in Oregon City until 1996 when her family moved to central Oregon. She has danced at Terpsichorean Dance Studio for 11 years and was a member of the teaching staff since age 13 and was the dance company director for 2 years. She has also danced at Gotta Dance and was a teacher there for 6 years. She has taken workshops in Ariel Dance at Pendulum in Portland and performed around central Oregon as part of Trope Vertigo. Holly intends to continue her education in dance and after her performing years would like to own her own studio.
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Forest Grove Dance Arts Assistant Teachers Some of our classes have assistants to help keep the classes running smoothly and to provide students with individual attention. Our assistants are students chosen from our advanced level classes.
The assistants for 2011-2012:
Haley Rose Vandervelden, Jeananne Kelsey, Hayley Evers, Reagan Petersen, Kaysie Burkhardt, Clarissa Tolan, Ellie Ashby,
Melodie Gorow, Tova Hershman, Hailey New, Becky Yakos, Malyssa Robles, Lauren Hansen, Robin Evers, Ramon Rodriguez,
Cindy Yakos, Anika Jaeger, Tommie-Ann Draper, Aliana McKinnon, Victoria Rielly, Kathryn Dedrickson, Abby Lewis, Chloe Falls,
Ashlie Hanson, Amanda Yakos.
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