Delee Baker: has over 20 years in fitness, theatre, gymnastics, and dance instruction. She is the Assistant Director and chorographer for Heavier Then Air Family Theatre. Ms. Baker also works in a kindergarten classroom for the Kent School district which includes ELL experience. She is excited to be a faculty member at Children’s Dance Theater since 2009.
Mackenzie Bir: recieved her dance training at Dance Expressions in Maple Valley. She danced with Ensemble Ballet Theater for 5 years, performing in such ballets as the Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Coppelia and the Nutcracker. Mackenzie has also danced at Summer Dance Lab in Walla Walla, Washington, Westlake Dance Center in Seattle and Steps in New York City. She later continued her training at Eugene Ballet and the University of Oregon, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communication.
Erin Briones has 17 years of dance training and performing experience. Erin has studied Ballet and Jazz with Jackie College, founder of Utah Regional Ballet, where she performed for many years in pproductions of the Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Coppelia. She was the head Jazz choreographer in her competition dance group which won honors in several competitions. Erin has helped with youth dance camps, a multi-city dance festival involving Kent, Auburn, and Maple Valley, and is a certified Zumba instructor. Erin loves various dance styles, and strives to pass her enthusiasm along to all students.
Doris Rai Cannon: has 23 years of dance training, performing and teaching experience. She has studied with Elizabeth Lanning, Stephanie McDougal, Montie Alderman and Tim Hickey. She has performed with the Eugene Ballet Company in Oregon, in the 2002 Green River community College production of Cabaret, as well as multiple dance competitions. Her talents earned her the 1999 Miss Teen Washington Coed Talent Winner. In addition to teaching multiple styles of dance, Ms. Cannon has served as Cheer Coach for various schools in Covington and Kent.
Stephanie Cox: received her training from the Evergreen City Ballet, the Hartford School of Ballet and Westlake Dance Center. After receiving a serious ankle injury, Stephanie matriculated at the University of Oregon where she received a Bachelor of Arts with a dance major and double minors in business and art administrations. While dancing at the University of Oregon, she received many faculty and university honors, awards and scholarships. Upon returning to Washington, she became a well known jazz, ballet and children’s instructor, began teaching for Pacific Northwest Ballet School. In recent years Stephanie has become a well known choreographer for shows such as Honk! (Auburn Riverside) Annie (Rainier Middle School) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat (Auburn Regional Theatre). As a children’s instructor, she is known for creating a positive and fun atmosphere while maintaining a high level of loving discipline. In other dance styles, she is known for high energy, technically challenging classes and multi-genre choreography. Mrs. Cox’s personal philosophy is that a fun environment will enhance learning, but “you better come to work!” (Debbie Allen from the movie, FAME!)
Erin Karalus: has been dancing for 18 years. She studied Ballet, Jazz, and Modern at Ninth Avenue School of Dance and has also enjoyed taking classes at Cornish College of the Arts and Velocity Dance Center. She currently dances with Aria Dance Company performing throughout the Puget Sound area. Through the company Erin has worked with choreographers such as nationally known Daniel Wilkins, internationally known Cyrus Khambatta, and Gerard Theoret of Cornish College of the Arts and 5th Avenue Theatre. Erin is currently studying at Seattle University. She is very excited to teach at CDT this year!
Eva McGowan: graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Music and Theatre Arts. Over the past 5 years in Eva has been teaching in various settings such as Elementary Schools, Churches, and Theatres in the Tacoma and Seattle Area. She is looking forward to helping your child learn new concepts, build confidence, and make beautiful music for years to come!
Heather Meister: Began dancing at the age of 3 and fell in love with Hip Hop. Heather trained under Stacey Petteruti and competed in many national dance competitions. She began teaching in 2001 in Las Vegas. In 2003 Heather and her students opened for Jessica Simpson in 2003 at the Cox Pavilion. She danced proffessional in Las Vegas as a GoGo dancer and at some of the world’s biggest events in Las Vegas and California with world class DJ’s such as Deadmou5, Armin Van Buuren, Bad Boy Bill, Robbie Rivera, DJ Skribble, DJ Irene, Eddie Halliwell, and many more. In 2009, Heather decided to hang up the Gogo boots and teach in the studio full-time. She was on the faculty of Summerlin Dance Academy and Merluzzi School of Dance in Nevada. Heather can’t get enough of this passionate artistic expression that allows her to touch others’ lives in a positive way and is excited to be on the faculty of CDT.
Valicia Valiani:has twelve years of dance training in Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop and Modern. Valicia has studied at Ninth Avenue School of Dance, Westlake Dance Center, Cornish College of the Arts and Walla Walla SDL program. She was also a member of the Washington State University dance program where the team placed second in the Hip Hop category two consecutive years and continued as the coach for the 2007-2008 season. She has most recently worked with Daniel Cruz, Yoshi Wright and Daniel Wilkins. For the past three years she has been coaching the Todd Beamer High School Dance Team where the team has won many competitions, including 2009/2010 Hip Hop State Championship. Valicia is currently dancing in a Ballet and Modern based performing group, Aria Dance Company.
Bryn Wells:began dancing at the age of two, and has trained in the field of classical ballet, later adding jazz, tap, and contemporary to her repertoire. She received her training at Pacific Northwest Ballet and Evergreen City Ballet. She spent summers training at Boston, Ballet Chicago, Long Beach Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Sonia Dawkins Prism Dance Theatre. She later continued her training at University of North Carolina School of the Arts majoring in Contemporary dance and working with DASSdance in Seattle. She’s been teaching the past couple of years locally as well as choreographing for companies. Theatrically she performed in Auburn Dinner Theatre’s roductions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat and Annie. Bryn is excited to be teaching at Children’s Dance Theater!
Office staff:
Kim Etchevvery
Dawn Foster
Tazshia Gibson
