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- theNEST
- Mo - Th: 3:00 to 8:00p
- Sa: 9:00a to 12:30p
- NOD Theater
- Mo, Tu: 3:30 to 8:00p
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About Exit Space
Vision | A vibrant and robust Seattle dance community where eXit SPACE leads the way in equitable education, opportunity, performance, and artistic exploration.
Marlo Martin
Artistic Director
Faculty
Karen Baskett
Office Administrator
theProgram Director
Faculty
Rose Amlin
Office Assistant
Faculty
Miranda Chantelois
Office Assistant
Faculty
Alex Goldstein
Office Administrator
Tyra Kopf
Office Assistant
theProgram Assistant
Faculty
Christin Olyano
Facilities Manager
Studio Rentals
Marlo Martin
Artistic Director
Modern
Alicia Mullikin
ADP
Contemporary
Annie DeVuono
ADP
Ballet
Annie St Marie
YDP
Ballet | Modern
Bri Wilson
YDP
thePROGRAM
DaeZhane Dae
ADP | YDP
Hip Hop
Kaitlin McCarthy
ADP
Ballet
Kara Beadle
ADP | YDP
Combo | Ballet | Modern | Tap | Pilates
Karen Baskett
Jazz | Modern
Lauren Wlasichuk
ADP
Tap & Jazz
Miranda Chantelois
ADP | YDP
Ballet | Modern | Jazz | Creative Movement
Nicole Cardona
ADP | YDP
Ballet
Nikki Moshinsky
ADP | YDP
Ballet
Rose Amlin
ADP | YDP
Creative Movement | Ballet | Hip Hop
Scarlett Folds / Micaela Gonzales
ADP
Burlesque
Tyra Kopf
ADP | YDP
Jazz | Modern | Hip Hop
Virsavia Rudenko
YDP
Ballet | Modern | Acro & Pilates
Wade Madsen
ADP | YDP
Modern
Amy J Lambert
Arinze Okammor
Joseph Schanbeck
Mike Esperanza
Natascha Greenwalt
Robbi Moore
Class Descriptions
A brief history: Modern Dance is a style of western concert dance developed in the late 19th and early 20th century by European artists as an artistic rebellion against the perceived constraints of classical ballet and by European diasporic movers seeking to re-ground dance in indigenous and Black dance foundations. In Germany, dancers Rudolf Von Laban and Mary Wigman began abandoning the strict movement vocabulary, nymph-like portrayals of women, and confining expectations of ballet for more freeform movement characterized by organic body patterns, deliberate falls into the floor, and improvisatory scores - ideas later relayed to the United States by American dancer, educator, and modern dance pioneer, Isadora Duncan by 1914. By the 1930's Katherine Dunham, an African American anthropologist, ethnologue, dancer, and choreographer (among many other roles) revolutionized the form by rooting modern dance in Black culture and folk dance through her anthropological studies in Trinidad, Jamaica, and Haiti. Bolstered by the work of Lester Horton, Alvin Ailey, Pearl Primus, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Pina Bausch, and so many others, modern dance has since evolved to encompass a multiplicity of techniques not limited to any specific vocabulary. From Horton and Graham Techniques - which explore linearity and contractions with an emphasis on flat backs, lateral extensions, tilts, and lunges - to more somatic-centered practices based on concepts of release, imagery, strength, and emotional embodiment, modern dance can encompass a wide variety of aesthetics ranging from its even broader history in european and afro-diasporan movement.
A brief history: The roots of Ballet date back to European ethnic/folk dances copied by the Italian court during the Renaissance for aristocratic entertainment. An Italian social dance with choreographic elements, "balleto" or ballet, made its way to France in the 16th century where dancing masters instructed children and choreographed increasingly elaborate performances with sets, costumes and story elements. In the 17th century court, King Louis XIV emerged as a figurehead of ballet's codification, establishing the Royal Academy of Dance where Pierre Beauchamp established the five traditional rotated positions. Russia, subsequently, played a major role in Ballet's further development and Russian dancers are often credited with "perfecting" the technique. Through the Baroque Period and into the Romantic Era and beyond, Ballet gained six codified teaching styles which are often adapted and/or mixed for ballet classes around the world (the Vaganova, Cecchetti Method, and RAD methods being the most common).
For a more comprehensive history of ballet: Apollo's Angels by Jennifer Homans and Night's Dancer: The Life of Janet Collins by Yael Tamar Lewin
**Conditioning includes work on mats and utilizes hand weights and/or exercise bands. Students are encouraged to bring their own, but we have some props available to borrow.
A brief history: The roots of Ballet date back to European ethnic/folk dances copied by the Italian court during the Renaissance for aristocratic entertainment. An Italian social dance with choreographic elements, "balleto" or ballet, made its way to France in the 16th century where dancing masters instructed children and choreographed increasingly elaborate performances with sets, costumes and story elements. In the 17th century court, King Louis XIV emerged as a figurehead of ballet's codification, establishing the Royal Academy of Dance where Pierre Beauchamp established the five traditional rotated positions. Russia, subsequently, played a major role in Ballet's further development and Russian dancers are often credited with "perfecting" the technique. Through the Baroque Period and into the Romantic Era and beyond, Ballet gained six codified teaching styles which are often adapted and/or mixed for ballet classes around the world (the Vaganova, Cecchetti Method, and RAD methods being the most common).
For a more comprehensive history of ballet: Apollo's Angels by Jennifer Homans and Night's Dancer: The Life of Janet Collins by Yael Tamar Lewin
A brief history: Jazz can be traced back to seventeenth century African dance rituals characterized by polyrhythm, improvisation, and isolation. Vernacular Jazz was formally developed by Black Americans in the early 20th century alongside the evolution of jazz music as an embodiment of Black culture and liberation. Vernacular or authentic jazz refers to such forms as the Charleston, Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and the Twist which were subsequently copied by white audiences as popularity increased. Jazz became concert dance when Black choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham (1909–2006) brought works of performance ethnography to proscenium stages, having infused Carribean dance and African Diasporan traditions into her modern-based works, giving way to a new era of popular performance. Subsequent artists adapted, appropriated, and reimagined jazz, which has now branched off to include lyrical jazz as well as commercial and Broadway jazz forms (informed by burlesque, vaudeville, and musical theater) now seen most commonly on stage and TV. Eugene Louis Faccuito (Luigi), Gus Giordano, and Matt Mattox furthered the evolution of the style in the mid to late 1900's and are training the next generation of teachers to this day.
For a more comprehensive history of Jazz dance: Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance by Marshall Stearns and Jean Stearns
Black jazz dance pioneers including Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, and Frankie Manning have a heavy influence on this class, as their contributions to jazz dance, film, television, and the Broadway stage were critical in bringing vernacular jazz forms to commercial spaces. Non-Black choreographers of color and white jazz dance pioneers are also stylistically explored in this class, including the techniques influenced by Bob Fosse, Susan Stroman, Jerome Robbins, Gillian Lynne, Jack Cole, and Agnes DeMille who choreographed musicals such as The Pajama Game, The Producers, West Side Story, Cats, Donnybrook, and Oklahoma.
This class is appropriate for all ability levels, beginner through advanced.
A brief history: Jazz can be traced back to seventeenth century African dance rituals characterized by polyrhythm, improvisation, and isolation. Vernacular Jazz was formally developed by Black Americans in the early 20th century alongside the evolution of jazz music as an embodiment of Black culture and liberation. Vernacular or authentic jazz refers to such forms as the Charleston, Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and the Twist which were subsequently copied by white audiences as popularity increased. Jazz became concert dance when Black choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham (1909–2006) brought works of performance ethnography to proscenium stages, having infused Carribean dance and African Diasporan traditions into her modern-based works, giving way to a new era of popular performance. Subsequent artists adapted, appropriated, and reimagined jazz, which has now branched off to include lyrical jazz as well as commercial and Broadway jazz forms (informed by burlesque, vaudeville, and musical theater) now seen most commonly on stage and TV. Eugene Louis Faccuito (Luigi), Gus Giordano, and Matt Mattox furthered the evolution of the style in the mid to late 1900's and are training the next generation of teachers to this day.
For a more comprehensive history of Jazz dance: Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance by Marshall Stearns and Jean Stearns
A brief history: Hip hop dance emerged in the late 1960's out of the South Bronx, an economically depressed neighborhood in New York City composed primarily of Black and Latinx families. As a way to connect with one another and distract from racial oppression and poverty, youth in the South Bronx (and later Brooklyn and Harlem) channelled their fear and anger into a new culture of movement and expression, often using vacant lots and abandoned buildings for house parties where the co-mingling of rapping, DJing, B-boying, and graffiti emerged as the pillars of hip hop culture. DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican immigrant and the "father of hip hop music" invented the break beat, a looped musical interlude meant for dancers (b-boys and b-girls) to show off their respective talents; this invention and Herc's musical/rhythmic contributions of the time made way for a new style of modern movement. Between east coast and west coast dancers, uprock, breaking, locking, roboting, freestyling, and popping styles began to make waves and – in combination with James Brown's music, the formation of dance crews, and Don Cornelius' creation of the television show Soul Train – Hip Hop dance has since made its way from the streets into the studios.
For a more comprehensive history of hip hop: Hip Hop Dance (The American Dance Floor) by Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar and/or Foundation: B-boys, B-girls and Hip-Hop Culture in New York by Joseph G. Schloss
A brief history: Tap is an American dance form that originated through the communication of enslaved Africans and Irish indentured servants, blending the percussive dances of their cultures. Enslaved Africans learned to embed traditional African rhythms with European instrumentation and court dance structures, ultimately using clapping, patting, and percussive footwork as rhythmic substitutes for drums on plantations. Later, through experimentation of innovative rhythms, acrobatic feats, and personal style alongside the indentured Irish, Black Americans developed the foundations of what we know as tap dance today, epitomized by the works of Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Chloe Arnold, and Michelle Dorance.
For a more comprehensive history of Tap dance: Tap Dancing America: A Cultural History by Constance Valis Hill or What The Eye Hears: A History of Tap Dancing by Brian Seibert
Contact Improvisation is a partnered dance form based on the physical principles of touch, momentum, and weight sharing. This can lead the ensemble through level changes by ways of tumbling, rolling, falling and flying! This is a constant source of endless playful investigation of exploring points of contact and dance improvisation.
Open Movement is encouraged for solo dance exploration and individual warm up.
Jams are generally silent (no music) with the exception of a once a month live-scored guest musician. Mellow socializing and laughing about it are totally allowed.
All levels of experience are welcomed and encouraged.
Contact Jams are for adults 18 years old and up.
Here is a short video >> demonstrating what a CI Jam looks like.
Tuesday evenings at NOD ~ 7:30p
Daniel Cruz | 9.12, 9.19, 9.26, 10.3
This high-impact class concentrates on movements found in commercial dance - music videos, concerts, films, commercials and other promotional experiences. It focuses on how the body, action, space, time and energy relates to the latest movement trends highly inspired by other forms of dance, especially Jazz and HipHop. Skills students will work on include: intention, control, alignment, texture, grooves, musicality, music interpretation, spatial awareness, traveling, focus, connection with music, others and, self.
Robbi Moore | 10.10, 10.17, 10.24, 10.31
Robbi will guide students through foundational exercises of the Lester Horton dance technique, a modern dance technique first developed during the 1920s-40s that is still practiced today by many schools and companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This class will incorporate fun, improvisational challenges using the Horton technique to stimulate the students' creativity and facilitate new pathways for envisioning how the technique can apply to contemporary dance being created today.
Brittany Parker | 11.7, 11.14, 11.21, 11.28
This four-week Contemporary Fusion series will be heavily focused on isolations, grooves, and acro-based movement, all wrapped up in a genre-layered approach to contemporary dance.
Geared towards adult dancers of all ages, body types, and backgrounds, Basic teachers provide options for modifications and alternative movements frequently so that all dancers can participate in ways that feel safe and successful.
Download Course Syllabus >>
Download Course Syllabus >>
We at eXit SPACE acknowledge that ballet has a long history of exclusion – from socio-economic status, to skin color, body type, age, and level of training – but are proud to be one of a growing number of dance education facilities that stands on the firm notion that ballet is for everybody and every body with the intention of elevating individual artistic voices. Basic Ballet teachers provide options for modifications and alternative movements frequently so that all dancers can participate in ways that feel safe and successful!
Download Course Syllabus - Miranda >>
Download Course Syllabus - Jennifer >>
Download Course Syllabus >>
Download Course Syllabus >>
A brief history: Modern Dance is a style of western concert dance developed in the late 19th and early 20th century by European artists as an artistic rebellion against the perceived constraints of classical ballet and by European diasporic movers seeking to re-ground dance in indigenous and Black dance foundations. In Germany, dancers Rudolf Von Laban and Mary Wigman began abandoning the strict movement vocabulary, nymph-like portrayals of women, and confining expectations of ballet for more freeform movement characterized by organic body patterns, deliberate falls into the floor, and improvisatory scores – ideas later relayed to the United States by American dancer, educator, and modern dance pioneer, Isadora Duncan by 1914. By the 1930's Katherine Dunham, an African American anthropologist, ethnologue, dancer, and choreographer (among many other roles) revolutionized the form by rooting modern dance in Black culture and folk dance through her anthropological studies in Trinidad, Jamaica, and Haiti. Bolstered by the work of Lester Horton, Alvin Ailey, Pearl Primus, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Pina Bausch, and so many others, modern dance has since evolved to encompass a multiplicity of techniques not limited to any specific vocabulary. From Horton and Graham Techniques – which explore linearity and contractions with an emphasis on flat backs, lateral extensions, tilts, and lunges – to more somatic-centered practices based on concepts of release, imagery, strength, and emotional embodiment, modern dance can encompass a wide variety of aesthetics ranging from its even broader history in european and afro-diasporan movement.
A brief history: Jazz can be traced back to seventeenth century African dance rituals characterized by polyrhythm, improvisation, and isolation. Vernacular jazz was formally developed by Black Americans in the early 20th century alongside the evolution of Jazz music as an embodiment of Black culture and liberation. Vernacular or authentic jazz refers to such forms as the Charleston, Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and the Twist which were subsequently copied by white audiences as popularity increased. Jazz became concert dance when Black choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham (1909–2006) brought works of performance ethnography to proscenium stages, having infused Carribean dance and African Diasporan traditions into her modern-based works, giving way to a new era of popular performance. Subsequent artists adapted, appropriated, and reimagined jazz, which has now branched off to include Lyrical jazz as well as commercial and Broadway jazz forms (informed by burlesque, vaudeville, and musical theater) now seen most commonly on stage and TV. Eugene Louis Faccuito (Luigi), Gus Giordano, and Matt Mattox furthered the evolution of the style in the mid to late 1900's and are training the next generation of teachers to this day.
A brief history: Tap is an American dance form that originated through the communication of enslaved Africans and Irish indentured servants, blending the percussive dances of their cultures. Enslaved Africans learned to embed traditional African rhythms with European instrumentation and court dance structures, ultimately using clapping, patting, and percussive footwork as rhythmic substitutes for drums on plantations. Later, through experimentation of innovative rhythms, acrobatic feats, and personal style alongside Irish Immigrants, Black Americans developed the foundations of what we know as tap dance today, epitomized by the works of Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Chloe Arnold, and Michelle Dorance.
A brief history: The roots of Ballet date back to European ethnic/folk dances copied by the Italian court during the Renaissance for aristocratic entertainment. An Italian social dance with choreographic elements, "balleto" or ballet, made its way to France in the 16th century where dancing masters instructed children and choreographed increasingly elaborate performances with sets, costumes and story elements. In the 17th century court, King Louis XIV emerged as a figurehead of ballet's codification, establishing the Royal Academy of Dance where Pierre Beauchamp established the five traditional rotated positions. Russia, subsequently, played a major role in Ballet's further development and Russian dancers are often credited with "perfecting" the technique. Through the Baroque Period and into the Romantic Era and beyond, Ballet gained six codified teaching styles which are often adapted and/or mixed for ballet classes around the world (the Vaganova, Cecchetti Method, and RAD methods being the most common).
Please do not purchase pointe shoes or enroll in this class until receiving permission from the instructor.
A brief history: Hip hop dance emerged in the late 1960's out of the South Bronx, an economically depressed neighborhood in New York City composed primarily of Black and Latinx families. As a way to connect with one another and distract from racial oppression and poverty, youth in the South Bronx (and later Brooklyn and Harlem) channelled their fear and anger into a new culture of movement and expression, often using vacant lots and abandoned buildings for house parties where the co-mingling of rapping, DJing, B-boying, and graffiti emerged as the pillars of hip hop culture. DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican immigrant and the "father of hip hop music" invented the break beat, a looped musical interlude meant for dancers (b-boys and b-girls) to show off their respective talents; this invention and Herc's musical/rhythmic contributions of the time made way for a new style of modern movement. Between east coast and west coast dancers, uprock, breaking, locking, roboting, freestyling, and popping styles began to make waves and – in combination with James Brown's music, the formation of dance crews, and Don Cornelius' creation of the television show Soul Train – Hip Hop dance has since made its way from the streets into the studios.
Please note that this program is run on a session-by-session basis, meaning enrollment is broken down into eight-week chunks with the hope that children continue to enroll throughout the whole season. We cannot support dancers experiencing incontinence or violent behaviors towards oneself and others at this time.
About the instructor:
Miranda holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a BFA in dance, but sees herself as a perennial student in the contexts of movement and accessibility. Miranda has spent the past 10 years teaching dance, preschool, and arts enrichment to early learners in Seattle and New York, she has presented at the Dance Educators Association of Washington Conference on adaptive dance for Parkinson’s, and has been awarded for her outstanding contributions in the classroom. In addition to her higher education training, Miranda is Autism Movement Therapy certified with experience teaching brain-compatible dance and adaptive dance for adults.
Miranda is allistic but neurodivergent, which informs her practice as a dancer, listener, and educator. Committed to uplifting the voices of autistic adults and prioritizing the well-being of neurodiverse children, she does not use ABA or compliance methods in the classroom but instead, seeks to empower children to embrace their lived identities.
Contact: Miranda >> for more information
Studio Rentals
Details for each studio and location are listed below. Email rentals@exitspacedance.com for more information or to set up a rental.
Rental Rates
Rehearsal: $10 - $15/hour
Private Lesson: $15 - $20/hour
Workshop, audition, video/photoshoot: $25 - $30/hour
** As of June 1, 2023 rates will be as follows:
Rehearsal/private Lesson: $15/hour
Class/workshop, audition, advertised video/photoshoot: $30/hour
Contact Christin >> to book space.
Rental Rates
Rehearsal: $10 - $15/hour
Private Lesson: $15 - $20/hour
Workshop, audition, video/photoshoot: $25 - $30/hour
** As of June 1, 2023 rates will be as follows:
Rehearsal/private Lesson: $15/hour
Class/workshop, audition, advertised video/photoshoot: $30/hour
Contact Christin >> to book space.
Rental Rates
Rehearsal: $10 - $15/hour
Private Lesson: $15 - $20/hour
Workshop, audition, video/photoshoot: $25 - $30/hour
** As of June 1, 2023 rates will be as follows:
Rehearsal/private Lesson: $15/hour
Class/workshop, audition, advertised video/photoshoot: $30/hour
Contact Christin >> to book space.
Rental Rates
Rehearsal/private lesson: $20/hour
Class/workshop, audition, advertised video/photoshoot: $45/hour
Contact Christin >> to book space.
Rental Rates
Rehearsal: $10 - $15/hour
Private Lesson: $15 - $20/hour
Workshop, audition, video/photoshoot: $25 - $30/hour
** As of June 1, 2023 rates will be as follows:
Rehearsal/private Lesson: $15/hour
Class/workshop, audition, advertised video/photoshoot: $30/hour
Contact Christin >> to book space.
Artistic Director
Marlo Martin is a director, choreographer, teacher, and producer in Seattle, WA. She finds fulfillment and joy in celebrating and practicing all that encompasses and defines dance. Martin founded and currently directs eXit SPACE, a center for dance education and performance opportunities for the beginning student through professional level dancer. Martin has grown eXit SPACE from a single room studio (2006) with two teachers into a 2900 square foot facility with three studio spaces, 14 faculty members, housing for local dance companies, and over 80 classes per week.
While developing eXit SPACE Marlo has also continued to work as a choreographer. She has created works for her own company, oaklanDrive (2005-2009) and badmarmarDANCE (2010-2015). Since moving to Seattle in 2002 her work has been presented at numerous concerts and festivals including The Bridge Project Velocity Dance Center, the High Wire Series Seattle U, 12 Minutes Max On the Boards (2005, 2010, 2012), BASH theater, Redd Legg Dance, A Moving Conversation The Fremont Abbey, Evoke Dance Production’s Full Tilt, Beyond the Threshold / Spotlight on Seattle (2011, 2013, 2015), the BOOST dance festival (2010-15), the Fall Kick Off Velocity Dance Center, NEXTfest NW Velocity Dance Center, self-produced full length tenSIDES (2012) and SPLIT BILL (2013), Cornish Dance Theater, Bellingham Rep Dance, Strictly Seattle (2013/2015), and Western Michigan University Dept. of Dance.
In 2016 Martin forged on to create a new artist's space called theNEST. It hosts major dance companies, workshops, classes, and events in the Greenlake neighborhood of Seattle. As a producer Marlo proudly presents the bi-annual BOOST dance festival, featuring PNW contemporary dance artists and companies alongside with the BOOSTmeUp Dance Festival for pre-professional dancers and schools.
Currently you can find Marlo teaching weekly technique classes at eXit SPACE while co-directing the pre-professional division, thePROGRAM . She has been a dance faculty member at Cornish College for the Arts. Ms. Martin is currently focusing on the development of NOD Theater in partnership with eXit SPACE and looks forward to doing her part to cultivate art, community, and positivity through dance in Seattle.
She is genuinely interested in sharing her vision and ideas through teaching and creating dance, by developing forums for the exploration and presentation of dance works, and by supporting and nurturing fellow dancers, artists, and director.
marlo@exitspacedance.com>>
Office Administrator, theProgram Director
Karen Baskett grew up in an active family in St. Louis, MO where she was a competitive figure skater and a collegiate volleyball player. She fell in love with musicals after her first starring role in Kiss Me Kate at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and then promptly moved to NYC to immerse herself in all things dance. Karen became a faculty member at Steps on Broadway and danced in tap and modern companies while also teaching competitive figure skaters at Wollman Rink in Central Park.She moved to Seattle for the views of mountains and water in 2004, managed an ice rink in Bremerton for a while, then joined the faculty at eXit SPACE in 2009.
Karen has performed as a dancer locally with oaklanDrive, Redd Legg Dance, MADP, take3 Dance, and is currently a proud member of badmarmarDANCE directed by Marlo Martin. As a choreographer and educator, she presented work in Full Tilt 2016 at Velocity Dance Center, is an Adjunct Faculty member at Cornish College for the Arts, presented a piece in Cornish’s Spring CDT Concert in 2017, and has taught musical theater in local schools such as SAAS and Queen Anne Elementary. Currently Karen is working to complete her graduate degree in Ayurveda Medicine from Maharishi University, and she hopes to bring that knowledge to the eXit SPACE community as a certified practitioner upon graduation. Karen is a passionate and enthusiastic teacher with an ability to connect to students of all ages, and she hopes to ignite a passion for performance in them that will last a lifetime.
karen@exitspacedance.com>>
Office Assistant
Miranda Chantelois (she/her) is a Seattle-based dancer, performer, educator, writer, arts administrator, and advocate who has performed in the works of nationally renowned artists Kyle Abraham, Sidra Bell, and Mike Esperanza as well as dances by Bennyroyce Royon, Jason Ohlberg, Deborah Wolf, Marlo Martin, and others. A graduate of College of the Arts (magna cum laude – BFA, dance), Miranda is certified in Autism Movement Therapy®, Pilates Mat, Progressing Ballet Technique®, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and Youth Protection Advocates in Dance® with training in physically adaptive dance (Full Radius), Dance for PD® (Mark Morris Dance Group), and Brain-Compatible Dance Education. As an Early Childhood Educator in New York City, Miranda was awarded an Outstanding Contribution Award by NY Kids Club and Preschool and has since co-presented at the Dance Educators Association of Washington (DEAW) Conference. Miranda currently teaches for Seattle Theater Group’s STG Dance for PD® and Dance with Life creative aging programs while on faculty at eXit SPACE School of Dance and Evergreen City Ballet. She is also a writer for SeattleDances, performer in Marlo Martin’s project-based company badmarmarDANCE, and master’s student in Eastern Washington University’s Early Childhood Education M.Ed. program. At eXit SPACE and beyond, Miranda seeks to cultivate equitable classroom environments informed by physical accessibility, dance history, and social-emotional learning.
miranda@exitspacedance.com>>
Facilities Manager
Christin Olyano (she/her) holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, Magna Cum Laude from Cornish College of the Arts. While at Cornish, Christin trained with artists such as Michelle Miller, Wade Madsen, Pat Hon, Tonya Lockyer, and Jason Ohlberg. She had the honor of performing Songs of the Disinherited by Donald McKayle, Mixin' It Up by Bill Evans, and selected works by Mark Haim, Deborah Wolf, Wade Madsen, and Halie Kuperman. She has presented her own work as part of the Seattle International Dance Festival/Art on the Fly, Evoke Productions Full Tilt, The BOOST Dance Festival, and at the Fremont Abbey.
Christin has had the pleasure of being a part of the eXit SPACE team and watching the studio grow over the last 15 years. She has taught classes in ballet, jazz, hip hop and modern, and been a member of the administrative team. Due to chronic illness over the last 8 years Christin stepped away from teaching, but maintained the position of Rentals Manager. One day she hopes to be back in the studio full time, as illness has never diminished her passion and drive for dance.
rentals@exitspacedance.com>>
Office Assistant
Tyra Kopf (she/her), originally from Des Plaines IL, moved to Seattle in 2017 in pursuit of building on her dance performance, education and choreography experience. She graduated magna cum laude with honors in 2016 from Webster University with a BFA in dance. Tyra studied ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, aerial and Thai classical in school and furthered her artistic interests with painting and other art forms. Her multimedia explorations culminated in an evening length performance collaborating with Corbin Hall and produced through ANNONYArts in St. Louis, MO. Tyra presented her own work in St. Louis at the Spring to Dance Festival and Artica Fest, in Seattle with RAW Artists and the Full Tilt Dance Festival. She is grateful for the performance opportunities she’s had here, notably with Catapult Dance (Michele Miller), AJnC Dance Theater (Amy J. Lambert), Gender Tender (Fox Whitney) and The Three Yells (Veronica Lee-Baik). Besides creating, performing, and teaching, Tyra spends most of her free time with her two dogs going on long walks.
tyra@exitspacedance.com>>
Office Administrator
Alex Goldstein (she/her) is an Advanced Soma Practitioner with a background in chemistry, software development and business management. She studied dance as a small child, took a long hiatus to pursue sports and academics, and rediscovered movement arts at the end of her time in graduate school. She is grateful for the many opportunities she has had as a dancer, having been part of several companies and working with many notable choreographers. She has recently instructed circus/aerial arts and was a longterm member of badmarmarDANCE. Since abandoning the tech world, she splits her time between her own bodywork business, ensobodywork.com >> and administrative work for the Soma Institute of Structural Integration and eXitSPACE. Alex has been on staff for eXitSPACE since 2016 and enjoys working behind the scenes to support the studio and its mission for a supportive and inclusive dance community. She keeps the technology part of her brain happy working on the website and figuring out how to make the MindBody system bend to her will.
alex@exitspacedance.com>>
Rose Amlin (she/her) grew up dancing in Seattle and is an alumni of the program at exit space. She continued her education at the University of Washington, pursuing a dual degree in dance and psychology. There she furthered her training in modern, jazz, and ballet as well as street and club styles. She has performed in works by Dani Tirrell, Mike "Majinn" O'Neal, Alethea Alexander, Rachel Lincon, Roel Seeber, Amy Lambert, and many others. Rose has also found joy through dance in the vertical space and has participated in workshops with BANDALOOP in Oakland, CA. She is interested in blurring the lines between genera and has a great love for finding community and shared experiences through dance.
rose@exitspacedance.com>>
Artistic Director
Marlo Martin is a director, choreographer, teacher, and producer in Seattle, WA. She finds fulfillment and joy in celebrating and practicing all that encompasses and defines dance. Martin founded and currently directs eXit SPACE, a center for dance education and performance opportunities for the beginning student through professional level dancer. Martin has grown eXit SPACE from a single room studio (2006) with two teachers into a 2900 square foot facility with three studio spaces, 14 faculty members, housing for local dance companies, and over 80 classes per week.
While developing eXit SPACE Marlo has also continued to work as a choreographer. She has created works for her own company, oaklanDrive (2005-2009) and badmarmarDANCE (2010-2015). Since moving to Seattle in 2002 her work has been presented at numerous concerts and festivals including The Bridge Project Velocity Dance Center, the High Wire Series Seattle U, 12 Minutes Max On the Boards (2005, 2010, 2012), BASH theater, Redd Legg Dance, A Moving Conversation The Fremont Abbey, Evoke Dance Production's Full Tilt, Beyond the Threshold / Spotlight on Seattle (2011, 2013, 2015), the BOOST dance festival (2010-15), the Fall Kick Off Velocity Dance Center, NEXTfest NW Velocity Dance Center, self-produced full length tenSIDES (2012) and SPLIT BILL (2013), Cornish Dance Theater, Bellingham Rep Dance, Strictly Seattle (2013/2015), and Western Michigan University Dept. of Dance.
In 2016 Martin forged on to create a new artist's space called theNEST. It hosts major dance companies, workshops, classes, and events in the Greenlake neighborhood of Seattle. As a producer Marlo proudly presents the bi-annual BOOST dance festival, featuring PNW contemporary dance artists and companies alongside with the BOOSTmeUp Dance Festival for pre-professional dancers and schools.
Currently you can find Marlo teaching weekly technique classes at eXit SPACE while co-directing the pre-professional division, thePROGRAM . She has been a dance faculty member at Cornish College for the Arts. Ms. Martin is currently focusing on the development of NOD Theater in partnership with eXit SPACE and looks forward to doing her part to cultivate art, community, and positivity through dance in Seattle.
She is genuinely interested in sharing her vision and ideas through teaching and creating dance, by developing forums for the exploration and presentation of dance works, and by supporting and nurturing fellow dancers, artists, and director.
marlo@exitspacedance.com>>
Karen Baskett grew up in an active family in St. Louis, MO where she was a competitive figure skater and a collegiate volleyball player. She fell in love with musicals after her first starring role in Kiss Me Kate at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, and then promptly moved to NYC to immerse herself in all things dance. Karen became a faculty member at Steps on Broadway and danced in tap and modern companies while also teaching competitive figure skaters at Wollman Rink in Central Park.She moved to Seattle for the views of mountains and water in 2004, managed an ice rink in Bremerton for a while, then joined the faculty at eXit SPACE in 2009.
Karen has performed as a dancer locally with oaklanDrive, Redd Legg Dance, MADP, take3 Dance, and is currently a proud member of badmarmarDANCE directed by Marlo Martin. As a choreographer and educator, she presented work in Full Tilt 2016 at Velocity Dance Center, is an Adjunct Faculty member at Cornish College for the Arts, presented a piece in Cornish's Spring CDT Concert in 2017, and has taught musical theater in local schools such as SAAS and Queen Anne Elementary. Currently Karen is working to complete her graduate degree in Ayurveda Medicine from Maharishi University, and she hopes to bring that knowledge to the eXit SPACE community as a certified practitioner upon graduation. Karen is a passionate and enthusiastic teacher with an ability to connect to students of all ages, and she hopes to ignite a passion for performance in them that will last a lifetime.
karen@exitspacedance.com>>
Alicia Mullikin is a first generation Mexican-American and Native American dance artist and educator who strives to serve her community through activism in the arts. She holds an MA in Dance from Cal State University of Long Beach. Alicia is the director of EL SUEÑO, a company that uses dance as a gateway to community engagement, healing, and empowerment for marginalized communities. Her choreography weaves ancient and contemporary identities into physical manifestations that draw from her rich cultural experiences and deep-rooted ancestral ties. Through all of her work, Alicia aims to empower BIPOC communities and nurture the next generation of dance artists. She was recently featured in an Emmy winning episode of Borders & Heritage: Los Artists which screened on PBS and the Seattle Latino Film Festival. Visit aliciamullikin.com >> for more info and follow @el.sueno.dance on IG for upcoming events.
alicia@exitspacedance.com>>
Amy J Lambert (she/her) has been a member of the eXit SPACE family since 2013 teaching both in the youth and adult programs. She can tell you firsthand the joy and generosity of being a part of this dance community. You might find her teaching any number of classes (Modern, Ballet, Jazz), choreographing for takePAUSE, or working in the studio as an Artist In Residence creating new works. In addition to teaching Amy J is a dance artist who playfully choreographs and directs in the realms of theater and concert dance. She obtained her BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts and has been an active dance maker, producer, and educator ever since. She is currently the artistic director and choreographer for AJnC Dance-Theater, which presents whimsical and engaging works acclaimed as both “an entertaining comedy and a sustained reflection on the role of comic performance art in our time.” (Deconstruct) Learn more at www.AmyJLambert.com >>
Annie de Vuono (she/her) brings a wealth of practical and professional experience to her teaching and an ability to access students of all ages and levels. An emphasis on personal enrichment and a contagious joy for movement are as integral to her classes as unraveling the mysteries of different rhythms and encouraging fellow dancers to connect physically and emotionally. Annie began her training in Cecchetti method at Evanston School of Ballet, then studied at Ruth Page under Larry Long and went to Giordano Dance Chicago for modern and jazz. After moving to Seattle, she attended Cornish College of the Arts under Karen Irvin. Her teaching began in 1979 while being mentored by Helen Salter, an original member of Ballet Society, Balanchine's first company in this country. It was under Ms. Salter's guidance that her passion to teach was fully realized.
In addition to dance, Annie began working with costume design in 1985 and introduced her own millinery line; this was followed by numerous private commissions and eventually international recognition for her headwear devuonohats.com >>
annie@exitspacedance.com>>
Annie St.Marie (he/she/they) is a dance artist from the greater Seattle area. They trained for eight years at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School and went on to graduate magna cum laude with their BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts through the dance department's three year Accelerated Degree Program. Annie has been fortunate to dance in work by Bruce Wells, Wade Madsen, Alia Swersky, Bruce McCormick, Bruno Roque, and Danielle Agami. Annie is equally passionate about classical and contemporary ballet and spends their free time training in acrobatic dance styles.
anniestm@exitspacedance.com>>
Bri Wilson (she/her) grew up in northern Michigan before earning her BFA in dance at the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University of California. Since moving to Seattle in 2018, she has performed for The Three Yells, The Gray, Maia Durfee, Elia Mrak, and others while teaching at various settings across the city including Velocity Dance Center, North Seattle College, and The Creative Dance Center. As an educator certified in Brain-Compatible Dance Education, Bri strives to provide students with a comprehensive movement and choreographic toolbox while encouraging their growth as whole human beings. She is thrilled to be teaching in the supportive, nurturing environment that is eXit SPACE. When she is not teaching or dancing, Bri enjoys biking, hiking, and swimming in the Pacific Northwest.
bri@exitspacedance.com>>
Jennifer Carroll (she/her) has taught ballet at many schools including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle University, and Interlochen. Her ballet students fill her with amazement, which she reflects back to them with warmth, humor, patience and passion. Jennifer's professional training was in New York at the American Ballet Theater School, Joffrey, Louis-Nikolais Dance Lab, and Pilobolus. She performed in NY as a dancer and actress, and has performed with Pacific Northwest Dance, Mark Morris, Seattle Early Dance (Baroque) and many others. She has choreographed extensively for dance and theater, and produces concerts of her own work in collaboration with other choreographers, musicians, artists and writers.
Jennifer's dance company, Nightingale Dance, performs in traditional proscenium theatre such as the UW's Ovations concert at Meany Hall, and the Seattle Design Festival at Benaroya Hall. The company has also performed in many non-traditional venues, including Arts al Fresco at Shoreline City Hall, Groundswell and Pacifying the Dragon in various city parks. Jennifer performed as a puppeteer for Thistle Theatre for many years throughout the Pacific Northwest, across the country, and around the world. During the day, Jennifer works for the University of Washington Medical Center.
Kara Beadle (they/them) is a performance/movement artist, dance educator, and massage therapist based in Seattle, WA. Having studied improvisational dance and site specific performance at Texas Woman's University from artists such as Jordan Fuchs, Sarah Gamblin, and Rosemary Candelario, Kara continues to investigate and challenge the values of improvisation, time, and setting in their own choreography and performance. Kara was a company member in Terrance M. Johnson Dance Project and worked as a movement rehearsal assistant for Gender Tender in summer of 2021. As a freelance artist, Kara has performed for badmarmarDANCE, LanDForms Dance, Hope Goldman, Vladimir Kremenović, and Jordan Macintosh-Hougham in independent projects and festivals such as On The Boards' NW New Works, Velocity Dance Center's Next Fest, and Portland's Risk/Reward.
Kara has been teaching at eXitSPACE for 3 years teaching tap, modern, improvisation, and creative movement. Kara has trained in tap dance with Laura Rodriguez, Barbara Phillips, Katelyn Harris, and Kiera Leverton. Kara has attended multiple tap festivals including Third Coast Rhythm Project and Slide Tap Festival in New York where they performed for Anthony Morigerato. In Dallas, Kara trained and performed with the Dallas Drawbacks and Rhythmic Souls Tap Company.
kara@exitspacedance.com>>
Micaela Gonzales is a native Texan that has dedicated her life to dance. Born and raised in San Antonio, she began her training at age three thanks to the help and support of her mother. Micaela studied with Connally's Dance Workshop and then later joined the studio's pre professional dance company, San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet. She graduated with her BFA at Cornish College of the Arts in 2018 where she was trained by local Seattle natives Pat Hon, Wade Madsen, Deborah Wolf, Michele Miller, and Lodi McClellan. Along with those, she has done past performances with Danielle Agami, Tinka Gutrik-Dailey, and Ethan Rome. In her last semester at Cornish, Micaela decided to explore a genre of dance outside of her comfort zone and took the Burlesque 101 class. This led to the discovery of her burlesque persona…
Scarlett Folds -- Miss Folds if you're nasty -- is THE raunchy red-lipped lady. Scarlett knows love can be tough sometimes. She also knows you like it that way. This latinx rebel will whip you into shape and light a fire inside you that only she can put out.
With her extensive background in dance as a performer and a movement director, Scarlett brings jaw-dropping shimmies and twirls that will mesmerize you to follow her every whim. She studied burlesque under Cherry Manhattan, and was a TA for the dirty debutante's Neo-Burlesque class at Cornish College of the Arts. Scarlett made her professional burlesque debut in 2018, and has since had a joyously naughty time in many shows such as BurlesKaraoke, Queer Prom, Hollywood Burlesque Festival and more.
A sought-after dancer, Scarlett is a member of The Devil's Advocates, The Dirty Darlings, Simone Pin and Noveltease Theatre. She has no time to mess around -- well, maybe just a little.
micaela@exitspacedance.com>>
Miranda Chantelois (she/her) is a Seattle-based dancer, performer, educator, writer, arts administrator, and advocate who has performed in the works of nationally renowned artists Kyle Abraham, Sidra Bell, and Mike Esperanza as well as dances by Bennyroyce Royon, Jason Ohlberg, Deborah Wolf, Marlo Martin, and others. A graduate of College of the Arts (magna cum laude – BFA, dance), Miranda is certified in Autism Movement Therapy®, Pilates Mat, Progressing Ballet Technique®, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and Youth Protection Advocates in Dance® with training in physically adaptive dance (Full Radius), Dance for PD® (Mark Morris Dance Group), and Brain-Compatible Dance Education. As an Early Childhood Educator in New York City, Miranda was awarded an Outstanding Contribution Award by NY Kids Club and Preschool and has since co-presented at the Dance Educators Association of Washington (DEAW) Conference. Miranda currently teaches for Seattle Theater Group's STG Dance for PD® and Dance with Life creative aging programs while on faculty at eXit SPACE School of Dance and Evergreen City Ballet. She is also a writer for SeattleDances, performer in Marlo Martin's project-based company badmarmarDANCE, and master's student in Eastern Washington University's Early Childhood Education M.Ed. program. At eXit SPACE and beyond, Miranda seeks to cultivate equitable classroom environments informed by physical accessibility, dance history, and social-emotional learning.
miranda@exitspacedance.com>>
Natascha Greenwalt (she/her) is a Seattle based performer, teaching artist, choreographer and GYROTONIC® Instructor. In 2005 she graduated magna cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts as a Kreielsheimer Scholarship recipient and has performed with many local companies including Spectrum Dance Theater and House of Verlaine. She has received choreographic commissions from institutions such as Ballet Bellevue, Western Washington University, and Cornish College of the Arts. This marks her 6th year on faculty with eXit Space and 4th as a creative resident. With the support of the Creative Resident program she created Danses des Cygnes which was featured in Dance Magazine. Additionally she is a trainer with Pivot Movement Studio, and has served as a guest ballet instructor for Whitman College SDL, the Montana Dance Arts Association, DANCE This and Velocity Dance Center's Strictly Seattle. This year marks Coriolis Dance's 13th season for which she is the co-artistic Director and co-founder along with Christin Call. Natascha continues to explore matters of the heart through emotionally driven technical contemporary ballet. When out of the studio she enjoys hiking with her partner, pup, and baby or cozying up knitting with a good podcast. For more info please visit www.coriolisdance.com
Nikki began her dancing here in the Pacific Northwest. She trained extensively in classical ballet from primary ballerina to apprentice with Olympic Ballet Theatre and performed corps de ballet and soloist roles throughout the years in productions of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Copellia, The Sleeping Beauty and Giselle. Nikki also received training with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Pre Professional Division where she performed alongside the company in theatre productions and was coached by renowned faculty members in ballet, modern, and choreography styles. She spent numerous summers at Intensive Programs around the U.S. such as Cornish College of the Arts, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Oklahoma City Ballet.
Nikki shares her passion with the next generations of aspiring artists as a teacher and choreographer in classical and contemporary styles around the greater Seattle area.
nikki@exitspacedance.com>>
Rose Amlin (she/her) grew up dancing in Seattle and is an alumni of the program at exit space. She continued her education at the University of Washington, pursuing a dual degree in dance and psychology. There she furthered her training in modern, jazz, and ballet as well as street and club styles. She has performed in works by Dani Tirrell, Mike "Majinn" O'Neal, Alethea Alexander, Rachel Lincon, Roel Seeber, Amy Lambert, and many others. Rose has also found joy through dance in the vertical space and has participated in workshops with BANDALOOP in Oakland, CA. She is interested in blurring the lines between genera and has a great love for finding community and shared experiences through dance.
rose@exitspacedance.com>>
Tyra Kopf (she/her), originally from Des Plaines IL, moved to Seattle in 2017 in pursuit of building on her dance performance, education and choreography experience. She graduated magna cum laude with honors in 2016 from Webster University with a BFA in dance. Tyra studied ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, aerial and Thai classical in school and furthered her artistic interests with painting and other art forms. Her multimedia explorations culminated in an evening length performance collaborating with Corbin Hall and produced through ANNONYArts in St. Louis, MO. Tyra presented her own work in St. Louis at the Spring to Dance Festival and Artica Fest, in Seattle with RAW Artists and the Full Tilt Dance Festival. She is grateful for the performance opportunities she's had here, notably with Catapult Dance (Michele Miller), AJnC Dance Theater (Amy J. Lambert), Gender Tender (Fox Whitney) and The Three Yells (Veronica Lee-Baik). Besides creating, performing, and teaching, Tyra spends most of her free time with her two dogs going on long walks.
tyra@exitspacedance.com>>
Virsavia Rudenko (she/her) is a mover, choreographer, and dance educator currently based in Seattle, WA. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and stems from a Russian immigrant family. Although she is a contemporary movement artist; she was trained in Lyrical, Jazz, Acro, Salsa, and Ballet (RAD) as well as being on the competitive team at Elite Artists Dance Company in Montebello, CA for 3+ Years. After attending and culminating from Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Virsavia was fortunate enough to relocate to Washington to obtain her Bachelor's degree in dance from Cornish College of the Arts in 2015. While juggling the shift of finding sanctuary and a space within the Seattle dance community, the gravitational pull of the badmarmarDANCE (by Marlo Martin) gave her the opportunity to be involved in multiple processes that debuted at SIDF and Full Tilt Dance festival. Since then, she has taught at Crescendo Dance Academy and Emerald City Dance Complex — As well as creating her own personal ventures through choreography and partnered improvisation for upcoming festivals. Stay Tuned.
virsavia@exitspacedance.com>>
Wade Madsen (he/him) has been a dance maker and teacher in Seattle since 1977. Madsen has created over 180 works and had various dance groups under the name of Wade Madsen and Dancers from 1979 till present, and has received multiple grants and fellowships for his choreography form the NEA, For Culture, Artist Trust, and Seattle Arts Commissions . Madsen has been commissioned for work by ON the Boards, University of Washington, Cal Poly, Riverside Community College, Velocity Dance Center, Full Tilt, Spectrum dance and Dance Gallery in Bellingham, along with commissions from Seattle Rep, Seattle Opera, and Seattle Men's Chorus. Wade received his bachelor degree from the University New Mexico where he majored in art, theater and dance. Wade toured and performed for various choreographers over his career most notably with Tandy Beal, Bill Evans, Dayna Hanson and Peggy Piacenza. Madsen has premiered over forty works for the Cornish dance company since joining the faculty in 1984, along with being an associate faculty at Dance Center Seattle and Velocity Dance Center since 1977. Wade has years of experience in teaching all levels of contemporary technique classes, multiple levels of Choreography and creative practice courses, Reparatory, partnering, and courses in Hybrid/Collaboration and pedagogy. As an instructor Madsen brings to his classes his years in contemporary training from Graham Limon, Cunningham and has found inspiration from Pina Bausch, Trisha Brown,Crystal Pite and many others. Wade is also a certified Yoga and Gyrotonic method teacher. He facilitates strength, ease of movement, and clear core connections in his contemporary classes. He utilizes all the above and addresses improvisation as a creative support tool for a more facile, adaptable, mover on their journey to becoming the creative dancer spirits they are meant to be.
wade@exitspacedance.com>>
Robbi Moore from Hamden, CT, began dancing at New England Ballet and continued at Dee Dee's Dance Center and New Haven Ballet. Robbi is an alumnus of Earl Mosley's Institute of the Arts, the Ailey Summer Intensive, Cunningham Trust Workshop, Jacob's Pillow's Commercial Dance Program, and the Complexions Intensive. Robert graduated magna cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program and has danced with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre, The Steps Repertory Ensemble, AATMA Performing Arts, Whidbey Island Dance Theatre, Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center, Karin Stevens Dance, the Guild Dance Company, Kinesis Project Dance Theatre, The Gray, PRICEarts, Coriolis Dance, Khambatta Dance Company, and Spectrum Dance Theater.
Kaitlin McCarthy is a Seattle-based dance artist, writer, and teacher. She has choreographed and performed across the city, as well as toured nationally and internationally as a dancer with MALACARNE Dance Company under the direction of Alice Gosti. As a teaching artist, Kaitlin has specialized in working with beginning adults since 2014, and prides herself on bringing safe practices, down-to-earth vibes, and the joy of dance to the classroom.
Kaitlin's Class: Traditional and not-so-traditional ballet exercises combine for a thoughtful, anatomically-aware workout while increasing grace, coordination, posture, and strength. Working through imagery and sensation, the class will help students develop a solid foundation in basic ballet steps as well as working with musicality and developing skills for learning choreography. The fun, supportive environment is perfect for the beginning dancer looking to tackle new steps, or more experienced dancers wanting to hone their technique. This class celebrates ballet's rich theatrical history with choreography that encourages a broad range of dramatic expression and unbridled, joyous dancing!
kaitlin@exitspacedance.com>>
Lauren (she/her) grew up dancing in Calgary, AB, Canada, where she first fell in love with teaching through her studio's student-teacher education program. When she moved to Edmonton to complete her BA and BEd at the University of Alberta, she continued her dancing journey with MOD Contemporary Dance Movement. At this time, she also began teaching tap and jazz at Flexpointe Studios, where she taught for eight years. She also taught at a junior high school in Edmonton where she developed and implemented a beginner dance program for 7th-9th grade students. Lauren has also been a part of Viva Dance Company, a professional company that has performed in numerous events throughout Edmonton and beyond.
Since moving to Seattle in 2020, Lauren has continued to train and perform, as well as teach. She currently teaches Dance and P.E. at a middle school in Bellevue and also enjoys hiking, camping, and biking. In her classes, Lauren encourages dancers to explore, develop, and celebrate their individual artistic expression, while challenging them through strong and balanced technical training to reach their fullest potential.
lauren@exitspacedance.com>>
Arinze Okammor is a dancer, choreographer, musician, and composer, originally from Palatine, Illinois. While he has been dancing and choreographing for over 7 years, he has been a composer for 9, and a musician for over 15 years, and his musical knowledge influences his choreography greatly. Over his choreographic career, his work has garnered national and worldwide acclaim for its unique use of musicality, speed and space. Also being an award winning composer, Arinze often times will compose the music that he uses in his choreography, which has also gotten acclaim. Most recently, Arinzewas resident choreographer with Water Street Dance Milwaukee, under the direction of Morgan Williams. Additionally, he recently received his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studying music technology and electrical engineering, which he also combines with music and dance.
A dancing "jack-of-all-trades!" Joseph has performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, renowned tap artist Savion Glover, Seattle's ARC Ballet Company, and the Stone Contemporary Dance Collective of Seattle. Mr. Joseph is a graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in performance art focusing on physiology and dance pedagogy and a current faculty member for the Elite Performance Dance Convention. He is also a competitive dance judge for MOVE Productions and is the Ballet, Tap and Acro director of the Surge Dance Center. He currently choreographs for the Voltage competitive team at the Surge in Lake Tapps as well as with Nova Rhythmic Gymnastics in Bellevue. His choreography has won multiple regional and national top achievements and championship titles. Joseph's choreography has recently been featured in a music video for SYML's recent single entitled Girl. Currently he choreographs and teaches dance & acro in the greater Seattle area.
DaeZhane is a California native born in Vallejo, CA and raised in Sacramento, CA. In her adolescence, DaeZhane attended Creative Connections Arts Academy (CCAA), where she was able to study and compete at the Musical Theatre Competition of America (MTCA) for several years. Currently, DaeZhane is finishing her BFA in Dance at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA and works as a tour director for Fly Dance Competition this season. She has trained in various styles including but limited to Hip Hop, Breakdance, Hula, West-African and South African diasporas, Salsa, Pro Jazz/Jazz funk, and Tap. Before coming to Seattle, DaeZhane obtained an associates degree in Dance from Lane Community College and was able to work with choreographer and artistic director of Project Bandaloop, Melecio Estrella. DaeZhane has performed at half time for the Portland Trailblazers at the Moda Center, the Mondavi Center, and has participated in various conventions and summer intensives like Adrenaline and Project Bandaloop's Open level and Advanced level intensives, and University of Oregon's Cheer workshop. DaeZhane has taken class from artists like D-Trix, Charolette Boye-Christensen, and is currently in process of collaboration with Future Arts, a Seattle based AI inclusive art company. DaeZhane aspires to run her own institution one day for artists of all mediums to explore and flourish in their work.
daezhane@exitspacedance.com>>
Born in Manila, Philippines and raised in Southern California, Mike Esperanza has established himself as a sought after teacher and choreographer throughout the nation. With a BFA in graphic design from California State University, Fullerton, Mike's approach to visual construction has influenced a unique movement orchestration on stage. His works have been commissioned by prestigious college and university dance programs including Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, UNLV, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Utah Valley University to name a few. Six choreographic works have made regional gala appearances at the American College Dance Festival with 3 going on to perform at the American College Dance Festival National Gala held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
In 2005, Mike was awarded the "Dance: Creation for Performance" grant presented by Dance/USA and the Irvine Foundation. With this distinguished award, BARE Dance Company began. BARE has produced numerous show around Southern California including the Lestor Horton Award nominated "Manhattan" - an alternative take on West Side Story.
Mike has also been a finalist at the Palm Desert Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 taking second place in 2009 and winning the paid engagement award in 2010. BARE was recently part of the "Innerstate" roster presented by ODC Theater and funded by the Irvine Foundation. The program allowed the company to perform numerous cities in Southern and Northern California.
Nicole Cardona (They/She) is a movement artist from Chicago Illinois. Holding a BFA from Columbia College Chicago, their midwest roots are sunken greatly into finding spaces where community can grow and flourish. After graduating in 2017, Nicole lived in Los Angeles full time, receiving secondary training from The American Musical and Dramatics Academy (AMDA). As her budding career continued to grow, Nicole was a scholarship recipient for the LA contemporary Dance Company's 2019 and 2021 Summer intensives, giving her the opportunity to perform as a Guest Artist in Genevieve Carson's work; "Ebba". Nicole joined Psychopomp Dance Theater in 2019 as a performing artist. They have been a co-facilitator for their 2021 and 2023 summer workshops as well as a close collaborator with Artistic Director, Shenandoah Harris. Now in bloom in Seattle since 2021, Nicole has truly found a home in the dance community here. Nicole has performed works by Dance Undercurrent, Coriolis Dance Collective, and Badmarmar DANCE, among others. Nicole was granted two residencies in January of 2023 through Velocity Dance and Coriolis Dance Collective. During these two separate but simultaneous residencies, Nicole created two iterations of "These Heavy Bones" - a work that deals with the weight that depression and anxiety holds on our bodies. Nicole hopes to combine these two iterations in the future, culminating in an evening length immersive experience. When Nicole is not dancing or choreographing they are also a certified personal trainer and is very passionate about how we can bring functionality and strength into our dance practices.