Our Guiding Philosophy: 
We can learn all things through dance. 

We know that dance is powerful- it helps us process new information, gives us freedom of expression, and deeply connects us to others and ourselves. Unlike other dance programs, we teach dance within the context of other topics, from community building to science to storytelling. We have one guiding theme each season, which allows us to connect and integrate student learning in order to deepen their understanding of both topics. Every activity we do in our classes builds dance skills in a way that fosters students’ curiosity about their world and encourages them think creatively about what they’re learning. Our primary focus is for students to be assured of their own strength, intelligence, poise, and kindness.
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​​Our Mission: 
To create and nurture a community of dance 
that encourages creative thought ​and joyful curiosity. ​

In our dance community, we strive to ensure that EVERY child, parent, caregiver and human feels welcome to be present as their fullest, truest self. We celebrate the magic and power in every student, noticing, honoring, & celebrating our differences & similarities, from culture to skin color to pronoun to clothing. Each and every one of you is amazing, and we encourage you to make sure we're showing you all the love & care you deserve. 

Our Director: 
​​Ciara McCormack Greenwalt
Originally from Burlington, VT, Ciara was raised in both the Northeast and small town Nebraska. ​She began dancing at the age of five, and studied strict ballet technique for many years, earning certification in Cecchetti and Royal Academy of Dance ballet technique, before expanding into other genres. Beyond a strong ballet foundation, her dance training is rooted in Humphrey-Weidman modern and improvisation, with a side of jazz. Ciara has also practiced and performed tap, hip-hop, musical theater, circus arts, Flamenco, Kabuki, and both traditional and modern African dance.  In 2011, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Stephens College with a BFA in Dance and a minor in creative writing. 

Read Ciara's full bio here. 
Teaching Artist and Program Associate
Marika Theofelis (she/her)
Marika Theofelis is a dance educator who specializes in fostering brain  development through music and movement. She holds a B.A. in Dance and Business from the University of Oregon and is certified in Anne Green-Gilbert’s Brain-Compatible Dance Teaching Method. Marika is in her sixth year implementing this method in the Seattle area, with a focus on increasing dance accessibility and exposure in more communities. She has taught in the studio setting, after-school, early-learning and enrichment programs, as well as temporary housing/shelter settings. Marika has a strong passion for exposing more young people, and the adults that serve them, to the social/emotional, physical, and mental benefits of a brain compatible dance curriculum that provides a safe and fun space to explore their relationship with themselves and the rest of the world through music and movement.
Teaching Artist
Kim Holloway (she/her)
A North Carolina native, Kimberly is a creative soul who likes rich depth of connection, spontaneity, and adventuring to new places. She desires to be part of seeing people become themselves fully. She earned her BFA at Belhaven University and has been honored to perform with artists including Michelle Miller/Catapult Dance, Störling Dance Theater, Stone Dance Collective, Shannon Stewart, Alana O Rogers, Maya Soto, and Faunix.

She enjoys teaching and sharing movement through classes, and intensives. She teaches for workshops and intensives in NYC, Kansas City, Colorado, Bainbridge Island, and Seattle. She received a grant from Artist Life Guild for her workshop Bodie Make Tales, exploring holistic wellness through movement. In 2015, she co-founded Class Exchange in an effort to provide teaching opportunities for less established artists and create affordable professional level classes. Kimberly currently teaches at Velocity Dance Center, Bainbridge Dance Center, Dance Fremont, and Fremont Abbey. When not dancing, teaching, or working on artistic endeavors, she likes to swim, play games, climb trees, drink coffee, throw children into the air, and make things – earrings, cards, origami dinosaurs, videos, and quirky collages.
Teaching Artist
Audrey Parks (she/her)
Audrey Parks began dancing at a young age in Bend, OR before moving to Spokane, WA to study at Gonzaga University. She graduated with her BA in 2020 with majors in Communication Studies and Dance with concentrations in Pedagogy and Performance. She currently is studying for her MA in Communication and Leadership with a concentration in college teaching. In her time at Gonzaga, she has taken up a focus in teaching dance to those of all abilities, focusing her efforts on making dance for every BODY. She is honored to be a board member of DEAW as the director of Communications. ​
Teaching Artist
Tanner Knapp (they/them)
Tanner was born and raised on occupied Duwamish territory aka Seattle. They have spent 17 years dancing, singing, acting, and making music and later traveled abroad, volunteered in local mutual aid, and taught ESL and youth creative movement. Over their lifetime the dance styles they have "collected" include jazz, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre, ballet, tap, West African styles, Afro Beat, Salsa/Bachata, Hip Hop and street styles; as well as improv dance, contemplative and authentic movement practice, aerial, and physical theatre.
 
From their cousins' dance recitals to So You Think You Can Dance, watching dancers has always made Tanner want to jump out of their seat. They love to honor what longs to be physically expressed in themself and others, then teach practices that help to bring those expressions into the world. Tanner's classes focus on getting to know our unique bodies and how they relate to one another, collecting valuable movement skills, and above all, feeling how great it feels to be silly together.