Education & Community Engagement > Meet our Artists
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Meet our Artists
Our Education & Community Engagement team is fortunate to work with an incredible group of artists in our programs! You can read about them below, organized by art discipline and in alphabetical order by artists’ last names.
Learn more about our STG Education & Community Engagement programs and events here.
Dance/Movement
Daniela Armendáriz

Daniela Armendáriz (she/her) was born in Mission, TX, but raised in the beautiful Mexican State of Chihuahua and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2001. She started dancing at a very young age in her father’s dance company and attended Univesidad Autónoma de Chihuahua- Instituto de Bellas Artes (Chihuahua State University). Daniela obtained her BA in Art (Dance Education) when she was only 17 years old and was in many dance companies in Mexico and the USA. In 2009 she joined Bailadores De Bronce as a dancer and later on as a choreographer. In 2013 Daniela was invited to be a guest dance instructor in Herencias Mexicanas and now currently works as their Artistic Director and President. Daniela enjoys Mexican Folk Dance, sports, reading, listening to music, and spending time dancing with her two kids. She loves to share the history of all dances and show others the richness of Mexican culture.
Daniela Armendáriz (ella) Nació en Mission, Tejas, pero creció en el hermoso estado de Chihuahua, México y se mudo a Seattle en el 2001. Daniela empezó a bailar desde temprana edad en la compañía de baile de su padre. Recibió su Licenciatura de Arte en Educación de Danza de la Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua- Instituto Bellas Artes a los 17 años. Daniela ha bailado con varias compañías en México y Estados Unidos. Se unió a Bailadores de Bronce en el 2009 como bailarina y después como coreógrafa. En el 2013, Daniela fue invitada a ser maestra de danza con Herencias Mexicanas y fue Directora Artística hasta el 2018. Daniela disfruta enseñarles, a sus hijos Danza Folklórica Mexicana, deportes, leer, escuchar música, y pasar tiempo con sus hijos. Ama compartir con otros la historia de los diferentes bailes tradicionales y la riqueza de la cultura mexicana.
Deborah Birrane

Deborah Birrane (she/her) has a B.A. in Social Work and M.F.A. from the University of Arizona. Deborah has danced in companies in AZ, PA and WA as well as being the Director, Choreographer, Dance Educator and Dancer of Deborah Birrane Dance with Unexpected Company (’99). Her works have been passionately embraced by audiences in Eastern Europe, Israel Canada, China and the U.S. Since 2009, she has performed as a solo artist, via commissioned works. Deborah was invited to St. Petersburg, Russia for a week’s workshop to share the powerful experience of creative movement for children to dance teachers. Currently Deborah is Teacher for Dance for Parkinson’s and Dance with Life. She also works at the YMCA of Greater Seattle as a certified Lifestyle Coach for Diabetes Prevention, Chronic Pain and LiveStrong as well as teaching Yoga. She is a Radiant Health Yoga® certified teacher.
Etienne Cakpo

Etienne Cakpo (he/him) is an award-winning professional dancer, choreographer and musician from Benin, West Africa. He is specialized in instruction and performance of traditional African dance from Benin as well as contemporary African dance styles, and has been building his dance repertoire for nearly thirty years. He is director of Gansango Music & Dance, a dance company registered in Washington State. Gansango works closely with public libraries, schools and independent arts agencies locally and nationally to make performance of dance and music from Africa available to a wide range of audiences, including young children. This year Etienne was honored with the 2020 Dance Educator of the Year Award from DEAW (Dance Educators Association of Washington).
GANSANGO MUSIC & DANCE presents traditional and contemporary dance and music from West Africa – drawing on the stunning talent of multicultural dancers and musicians. Gansango is directed by Etienne Cakpo, originally from Benin and now a choreographer and teacher based in Seattle, Washington. Gansango company collaborating artists perform regularly in the Seattle area, nationally and internationally for audiences of all ages. The company performances fuse music and movement from across the African continent, drawing heavily from the dance and music traditions of Benin, Ghana and Togo, among other countries. More information about Gansango Music and Dance is available at https://gansango.com or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sinae Cheh

Sinae Cheh (she/her) is the Artistic Director for Morning Star Korean Cultural Center, where she has been sharing Korean culture with the local community and around the world since 1985. She started dancing with Morning Star at the age of 5 and never stopped. With Morning Star, Sinae has choreographed and produced numerous shows, performed in 27 countries, at over 2500 events. Outside of Morning Star, Sinae has taught Korean dance and music in Boston, New York, and Minnesota for special programs and events, and was also commissioned by the Korean government to share Korean culture in various cities. Sinae is grateful that she’s been able to share her passion through Morning Star.
The MORNING STAR CULTURAL CENTER is committed to enriching the lives of those we encounter through artistic expression, educational opportunities, and cultural appreciation. We proudly serve a global community to promote awareness and encourage positive cultural exchange.
Marianne Chikos

Marianne Chikos trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet and the School of the Richmond Ballet, and danced with Charleston Ballet Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, and the Ruth Rosenberg Dance Ensemble, a Sacramento based modern dance company. During her time in northern California, Marianne taught ballet extensively to students of all levels and ages. It is through Ruth Rosenberg that Marianne was introduced to the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Dance for PD® program; she attended teacher training with David Leventhal in Davis, CA in 2011 and began teaching for Seattle Theater Group shortly thereafter. Marianne lives in Seattle with her husband and two children. She loves the opportunity to spark creativity and share the joy of movement with Dance for PD® participants each week.
Danny Gallardo

Daniela (Danny) Gallardo (she/her) is originally from Mexico. Her love for music and dancing started at a young age leading her to be one of the principal dancers at the music festivals in her school. She then got invited to create her first choreography at the age of 15 where she discovered her passion for teaching. Daniela’s salsa background started in 2009 giving her the opportunity to dance in Canada and Mexico. Soon after, she got invited to join a team back in Mexico where she was able to discover new skills, which in turn led her to grow as a dancer. As soon as she moved to Seattle, WA, Daniela got invited to join “La Clave Cubana” team and right away she started performing and traveling around the US. La Clave Cubana developed her skills as an instructor, which has given her the opportunity to share her knowledge and love for dancing to everyone from kids to adults. She also works as a Teaching Artist and has taught for STG’s Disney Musicals In Schools program for several years. Daniela is now the Co-Director of “La Clave Cubana” and teaches alongside Reinier Valdes at their dance academy and at Congresses all over the US sharing her passion and talent everywhere she goes.
Daniela (Danny) Gallardo (ella) es originaria de México. Su amor por la música y danza empezó a temprana edad y la llevo a ser una de las bailarinas principales en festivales musicales en su escuela. Daniela fue invitada a coreografiar cuando tenia 15 años y es así donde descubrió su pasión por dar clases. Su trayectoria en Salsa empezó en 2009 cuando tuvo la oportunidad de bailar en Canadá y México. Poco después, fue invitada a ser parte de un equipo de danza en México donde tuvo la oportunidad de descubrir nuevas habilidades, y eso la llevo a crecer como bailarina. En cuanto se mudo a Seattle, WA, Daniela fue invitada a unirse al equipo de “La Clave Cubana” y empezó a presentarse y a viajar alrededor del país. En “La Clave Cubana” Daniela desarrollo su habilidad como instructora y maestra, y eso le ha dado la oportunidad de compartir su conocimiento y amor por la danza con todo el mundo desde niños hasta adultos. También ha trabajado como Artista-Docente con los Musicales de Disney en las Escuelas con STG por varios años. Daniela es la Co-Directora de “La Clave Cubana” y da clases junto con Reinier Valdes en su academia de danza y en congresos en todo el país donde puede compartir su pasión y talento ha donde vaya.
Naomi Glass

Naomi Glass (she/her) enjoyed a decade-long career as a Soloist with the Houston Ballet, where she was nominated by Ben Stevenson, OBE, to represent Houston Ballet for the Princess Grace of Monaco Award. Amongst Naomi’s favorite works were those of Stanton Welch, Jiri Kylian, Trey McIntyre, George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe and Sir Kenneth MacMillan. Naomi has taught in every dance sector, including serving as faculty at the Houston Ballet Academy, University of Houston, and Cornish College of the Arts. Naomi is delighted to manage Pacific Northwest Ballet’s DanceChance program and to as serve as PNB School faculty. It is her great honor to teach STG Dance for PD® classes, in which she is continually inspired by the compassion of her colleagues and the creativity of the dancers within her classes. Naomi holds a Bachelor of Science degree and is completing a Master of Arts in Education.
Deborah Kenner

Deborah Kenner received her BFA from the University of Arizona on a full academic and dance scholarship and a MS in Kinesiology from A. T. Still University. Ms. Kenner performed professionally with Colorado Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theatre and State Street Ballet. She holds a Pilates certification through the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA), specializes in neurological disorders, barre training through Balanced Body, and has been certified in Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT). Ms. Kenner is also part of the Balanced Body Faculty to train Pilates Instructors.
Jess Klein

Jess graduated from Cornish College of the Arts with a BFA in dance magna cum laude after studying at Reed College and the London Contemporary Dance School. Jess has studied yoga for 20 years with luminaries Kathleen Hunt, Shiva Rea, Dharma Mittra and Mittra Rawat. In 2018 she received a grant to further her studies in Rishikesh, India. Jess teaches at Velocity Dance Center, the Gage Academy of Art and at UPrep, where she’s been on the Fine Arts Faculty for 12 years working with students in grades 6-12. For two decades Jess has danced with many notable choreographers and companies including the Seattle Opera, Pat Graney, Macklemore, Molly Scott, Rainbow Fletcher and more. In Seattle she has performed at On The Boards, Velocity, Seattle Art Museum, McCaw Hall, MoPop and Chop Suey. She has toured work to the Southern Theater, PICA's TBA Festival, the Myrna Loy Center, Dance Theater Workshop, the Joyce Theater, American Dance Festival, Colegio San Jose in Barranquilla, Colombia and the ArtDanThe Festival in Paris, France. In 2015 she performed with Mark Haim's piece This Land Is Your Land which was named "one of the most influential works in the past 15 years." -Dance Magazine.
Rachel McKinney

Rachel McKinney (she/her) is a Seattle native and currently a student at Greenriver College. Her passion for dance started at the age of five. She was a member of the young performing company, Totally Tap Kids. Her love for dance grew and she began to study all types of dance from ballet, modern, hip hop, and African but her main focus was rhythm tap. Rachel is currently a tap instructor at Northwest Tap Connection. She has performed at Floripa Tap Festival in Brazil, Cross Cultural Exchange trip in Barbados, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and STG’s DANCE This and Global Party. She has also been a member of Youth Tap Ensemble, Color Lines Dance Ensemble. Over the 17 years of dancing, Rachel has trained under Pamela Yasutake, Shaina Mitchell-Proctor, Alexander Jackson, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Jason Samuel Smith, Diane Walker, Chloe Arnold, Shakiah Danielson, Dani Long and numerous others. Rachel loves working with young kids and sharing her passion for dance.
Nia-Amina Minor

Nia-Amina Minor is a movement artist and dance educator from South Central Los Angeles. She studied at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, received her BA from Stanford University, and holds an MFA in Dance from UC Irvine. Nia-Amina's work is interdisciplinary focusing on the body in social, political, and digital contexts. Through dance, she investigates black realities through the intersection of movement, memory, and rhythm. In 2014, Nia-Amina co-founded No)one Art House, a Los Angeles based multi-disciplinary collective. She is currently in her fourth season with Spectrum Dance Theater as a Company Dancer and Community Engagement Artist Liaison.
Daniel Nery Dos Santos Filho & Aileen Panke

Daniel and Aileen's story began in Daniel’s native city of Salvador, Brazil where they met in 2004 studying dance. They shared a dream of opening a studio which offered a place to build community and promote cross-cultural understanding through their love of dance. Daniel has been studying, performing and teaching Afro-Brazilian dance and Capoeira for 24 years and holds the rank of Mestre in Capoeira. With much enthusiasm, Daniel joyfully shares his native Afro-Brazilian culture through Capoeira and dance, two of the most significant artistic expressions of Black Brazilian culture. As a native New Yorker, Aileen began her dance training at an early age and advanced her studies at Broadway Dance Center, Steps and Phil Black. She performed and choreographed with local theatre productions and expanded her studies to include Afro-Cuban, West African, Salsa, Tango, Orixa Dance Movement and the Silvestre Technique in New York, Seattle, Brazil and Argentina. Aileen’s charisma and enthusiasm radiates her belief in dance as an art form which allows expression, joy, balance, and the cultivation of cross-cultural understanding through a common corporal language. In 2008 Daniel and Aileen married and moved to Seattle. They have worked diligently over the past 10 years to create Bahia In Motion and their Capoeira school: Moringa de Barro. In June 2012, they opened Balance Studio where they currently teach Brazilian Dance and Capoeira classes.
Ayanna Omar

Ayanna Omar (she/her) is a Seattle based dancer/choreographer trained in hip hop, house, modern, tap and ballet. She currently coaches for Purple Reign Dance at Washington Middle School and works for Northwest Tap Connection, a dance studio that focuses much of their work through the lens of race and social justice. Ayanna has participated in STG’s DANCE This and in the nationally recognized dance number by the legendary Donald McKayle "Shaker Life" in 2017 at the Moore Theatre. Her credits include participation in Hamilton's mixed tape "Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)" choreographed by Shakiah Danielson, the GROOVEMENT, and various dance performances through Northwest Tap Connection.
Kara O'Toole

Kara O'Toole is thrilled to be a Dance for Parkinson's teaching artist. She and her family currently live in Tacoma where she teaches dance to diverse populations at the Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center and the Tacoma Art Museum. Kara has been on faculty in the Dance Departments of the University of Washington, the University of Memphis, George Mason University, and Cornish College of the Arts. She was the Executive/Artistic Director of Orcas Center on Orcas Island and before that she was the Executive/Artistic Director of Velocity Dance Center. As a performer, Kara danced professionally in the work of many notable choreographers including Jose Limon, Bebe Miller, Mark Morris, Vaslav Nijinsky, Paul Taylor, and Pat Graney. She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Washington and a BA from Mount Holyoke College.
Lex Ramirez

Lex Ramirez (she/her) is a Latinx teaching artist, performer, choreographer and arts administrator from Oakland, Ca. Lex created and runs STG Young Ambassadors, a program aimed at removing financial barriers so that youth from diverse backgrounds have the opportunity to learn about career paths in the arts while getting fairly compensated.
Additionally, Lex teaches Hip Hop dance classes for Velocity Dance Center and Westlake Dance Center. Her main mission is to make dance accessible and less intimidating to all people so that they can experience the joy of movement. She mainly focuses on introducing beginner adults to the world of Hip Hop dance and running Drop Squad, a crew open to dancers of all experience levels. Lex has also choreographed live sets and music videos for local musicians.
She values community, authenticity and equity above all else. Connect with Lex Ramirez on Instagram or Facebook at @lexsmoove or visit her website at www.lexramirez.com.
Sheree Seretse

Sheree Seretse (she/her) graduated from the University of Washington and studied the world of Zimbabwean Music and dance through Dr. Dumisani Maraire. Sheree was instrumental in developing several performing ensembles through the Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center. Seretse has also taught at a number of locations including multiple schools in the Northwest, Northeast and Canada. She is currently teaching at the Spruce Street School in Seattle and Jewish Day School in Bellevue. Sheree is the music director of Anzanga, Zambuko and Simba Marimba Ensembles. Sheree’s mission is to make the music known and accessible for all ages by inspiring and highlighting the rich culture of the Shona people of Zimbabwe.
ZAMBUKO MARIMBA ENSEMBLE performs traditional and contemporary marimba of Zimbabwe. The music is joyful to listen to and very conducive for dancing. Zambuko has been performing for over 10 years throughout the Northwest.
SIMBA YOUTH MARIMBA ENSEMBLE has been together for about 8 years with members ranging in ages from 13-18. The group has performed throughout Washington and Oregon
Gaynell Walker

Gaynell T. Walker (she/her) is a former elementary teacher and retired elementary principal. She taught Kindergarten, 4th and 6th grade and was Principal of a Title I K-6 school all in the Kent School District. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Teacher Certification from the University of Washington. She holds a Masters of Education and Principal Certification from Seattle University. Gaynell also has a passion for dance which began as a teen. Her dance training was under the supervision of the late Dr. Darrlyn Smith, owner and artistic director of TTAAPP Central Studio. She has participated in trainings with the late Cholly Atkins and Diane Walker at the New York Dance Festival. Currently Gaynell works with former owner and artistic director of Ewajo Centre, Edna Daigre, focusing on health and wellness through dance. She has performed at events sponsored by the Central Area Senior Center, MLKFame Community Center, Dance This 2015 and with the Women's Steel Pan Band at Folklife Festival 2016. Gaynell also taught low impact dance classes for healthy aging participants and was a guest dance instructor for an STG student workshop teaching dances of the Motown era.
Multidisciplinary
Angie Bolton

Angie Bolton (she/her) has been an instructor with the STG Dance for Parkinson’s program since it began in 2008. She is an ACE certified instructor teaching Fitness for Living, a program she developed at Spectrum Dance Studio The class is focuses on people 40 years old and up. Some of her students are in their 80’s and many of them have exercised with her for over 10 years. Angie is an actress, singer, dancer and teaching artist. She is performer with Tickle Tune Typhoon an award winning children’s and family music group. Angie came to Seattle to study with the Bill Evans summer institute in 1979 and decided to stay. In the 40 years living here she has been a teacher for Powerful Schools and numerous other school residencies. Angie has performed for the Bathhouse Theatre, Alice B. Theatre, Village Theatre, Mirror Stage, Seattle Public Theatre, Arts West and numerous other venues.
QuiQui Dominguez

Marquicia Dominguez (they/them), known as QuiQui to most, is a Director, Actor, and Teaching Artist in the Seattle area. In 2012 they received a B.F.A in theatre from Cornish College of the Arts and in 2018 received a Master’s in Education: Applied Behavior Analysis Programing and Instruction from Arizona State University. QuiQui has worked with companies such as ACT, Book-It, Greenstage, Seattle Repertory, and Seattle Shakespeare Company. Outside of teaching, QuiQui is a Licensed Assistant Behavioral Analyst where they use theatre and creativity to teach life skills to individuals with autism. Their desire is to create inclusive arts programs for all individuals, no matter that individual’s abilities.
Sydnii Hodge

Sydnii Hodge (she/her) started dancing when she was four years old and has maintained a love of the arts ever since. In her youth she participated in the productions of MAAFA put on by the Sankofa Theater and Macbeth put on by the UW Actors Group. She has been working with kids younger than her since she was in high school, mentoring middle school students to do better in school and extra-curricular activities. All while staying active in the arts by participating in Honor Choir as well as school plays. After graduating she worked in the educational field as an after- school program assistant through Puget Sound Educational Service District. She has found her passion in teaching and helping to inspire a love of dance and the arts in our youth. For the past two years she has spent her summers as a Group Leader for STG's AileyCamp.
Neve Mazique

NEVE (they/he) is a multiply Disabled multigender femme fop mixed-race {Indigenous} Black Choreographer/Dancer, Composer/Singer, Writer/Actor, Painter/Model, Hoodoo Voodoo Magician, and Performance Artist based in Duwamish (Seattle) and other Unceded Coast Salish Territories (Puget Sound), though they hail from other waters, growing up in occupied Lenni Lenape land (New Jersey). NEVE creates body-based storytelling through a mixture of dance, music, and theatre particularly for people with body, space, and place-based trauma, in order to continue our true evolution towards liberation. Vice President/President-Elect of the Dance Educator’s Association of Washington. Selected participant in the Intiman Theatre Emerging Artist program 2018 and 2020, cast in ensemble devised THE RACE 2020. 2020/21 Pina Bausch Fellow for Dance and Choreography. Anarchist, Abolitionist, AntiCapitalist. Unitarian Universalist. Vodouisant. Cofounder of Access-Centered Movement, Mouthwater, and Lover of Low Creatures LLC. Neve is currently an arts writer contributing poet at The South Seattle Emerald. He has also been published in Curve, The Black Scholar, Everyday Feminism, and MaximumRockNRoll among others. Levar Burton, Reading, and Rainbow Lover. Great Great Grandchild of the Author of The Velveteen Rabbit. A river fairy and a merqueer and chip of hard sap shimmering down to the bottom if there ever was one. They love drinking wine, tea, water, tears, other fluids, and sinking into the dance. He is not afraid to rescue you from the sunken place or assist you in seeing her more clearly. They are polyamorously gay married, and they talk to animals, including their two King Charles Spaniels, but the talking to animals came first and shed light on future relating. Much like the aforementioned rabbit, they are magic, mutable, and real.
Follow them and support on:
Instagram, Twitter, Patreon, Facebook, YouTube
@nevebebad & nevebebad.com, AllMyLinks.com/nevebebad
Nina Williams-Teramachi

Nina Williams-Teramachi (they/them) is a Japanese- American multidisciplinary artist and educator originally from Sapporo, Japan and Portland, Oregon working in Seattle. Nina recently worked on multiple shows as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Dublin Fringe Festival in the UK and had their Off-Broadway debut with the Obie-Award winning production, Suicide Forest. Nina also works with students on a variety of different styles of theatre and visual art all across various residencies across Washington state. Nina believes that students of all backgrounds should be represented in the materials and be presented an opportunity to create their own stories and let their lives inform their work. More at NinaWilliamsTeramachi.com
Music
Shakiah

Shakiah is a Seattle-based emcee and choreographer. She enjoys fusing different genres of music and dance to broaden the scope, language and usage of hip-hop. As a choreographer, Shakiah saw over the Hip Hop program at NW Tap Connection and with that group her piece, "Hell You Talmbout", went viral with its pressing and vital message. As an emcee, she has collaborated with Gabriel Teodros, Rell Be Free, Debra Kendrick and more. Shakiah is inspired by her community in the South Sound and Tacoma area. Listen to some of her work on Spotify.
Justin S Davis

Justin S Davis is one of Seattle’s most in demand guitarists. Initially known for his work as the lead guitarist for Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs, Justin has gone on to perform with some of the world’s finest musicians, including Mike McCready and Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam, Shawn Smith of BRAD, Santana’s drummer Michael Shrieve, Alan White of YES and The Plastic Ono Band, Brendan Hill of Blues Traveler, Howard Leese of Heart, Chad Channing of Nirvana, the Seattle Symphony, and many others. Justin has been a featured performer on the stages of Benaroya Hall, McCaw Hall, The Paramount, The 5th Avenue Theatre, The Moore, The Neptune Theatre, The Showbox, and he has toured the U.S.A. many times, both with his own bands and as a hired sideman.
In addition to his busy performance schedule, Justin loves teaching music and is passionate about the craft of songwriting. Teaching is fulfilling, joyful work that he has done with success since 1999 and has been, for him, a constant reminder that music is a gift. “When a student reaches past a previous goal, writes a first song, or their eyes light up with a sudden new understanding, it makes everything feel fresh again for me too,” Justin says. “I feel incredibly grateful to be able to teach and share with my students.”
Justin is the author of The Guitar Player’s Notebook, a theory primer for creative guitarists, and his formal musical training includes having earned a BA in Music from Central Washington University for classical guitar performance, Jazz guitar performance studies at Cornish College of the Arts, and Flamenco guitar lessons with Miguel Serrano in Salamanca, Spain. Justin’s most valuable training, however, comes from being out there, writing music and performing. It’s his real-world experience that is often the biggest benefit to students who want to become professional musicians, or who just want to sound better when jamming with friends.
Learn more about Justin online at JustinSDavis.com.
Angela Rinaldi

Angela has been a dance musician in the Seattle area since 1979 at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Cornish College of the Arts, University of Washington, Spectrum Dance Theater, Dance Fremont and the Summer Dance Lab at Whitman College, to name a few. As a trained dancer, herself, Angela's extensive dance background has given her great insight as an accompanist. She has been a musical theater Teaching Artist since 2003 at Seattle Children’s Theater and has been accompanying Dance for Parkinson’s classes for the past 10 years. Along with performing professionally as an actor, she has composed over 250 songs for Variety Plus Theater, which she cofounded with her husband in 1995 - www.varietyplus.org. As a recording artist, she has four Ballet CDs available in iTunes, Apple music, Spotify, etc., along with original Meditation Music on You Tube. She is a proud Union Member of Musician’s Association Local-76.
Aria Storm

Aria Storm was born in Pasadena, CA and currently resides in Seattle, WA. She holds a BA in the Composition and Theory of Music from UCLA, where she also studied modern art. She has enjoyed being a multi-instrumentalist dance musician since 2000, working with Seattle Theater Group, various dance studios and Universities across the west coast. She is a singer/songwriter/producer, currently working on her third album with husband Kai Ariel, performing and recording as the duo Ariel Storm. Aria is an abstract painter, having sold her works through cafes and galleries. You may view her paintings and listen to her original music at www.arielstorm.com.
Theatre
Anuhea Brown

Anuhea Brown (pronounced ah-new-hay-uh; she/her/they/them) is an emerging actor, playwright, and activist. She is a graduate of Cornish College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with a minor in playwriting and directing. Notable collaborations include Seattle Shakespeare Company, Live Girls Theatre, and One Coast Collaboration. She has worked with Cory McDaniels, Malika Oyetimin, Michael Place, Sheila Daniels, and emerging Humana Festival playwright Mara Nelson Greenberg. Her new work has been workshopped at Live Girls Theatre as well as Cornish College of the Arts’ annual New Works Festival in 2019. Anuhea’s original work focuses on creating stories for marginalized communities such as the brown queer experience. Anuhea is a proud Hawaiian Portuguese Filipino womxn that hopes to decolonize theatre and create a theatrical space that is fearless, daring, and most of all, inclusive of multiple identities.
Samantha Canela

Samantha Canela (she/her) is a proud mixed latinx artist-creative-type and San Diego native currently exploring South Korea as an English teacher, learning about the world, and deepening her work as an educator. She’s a graduate of Cornish College of the Arts where she majored in Theatre with an emphasis in Original Works. Her most recent projects include assistant directing both Juan Palmieri with Thriving Artists and El Niño de Cabeza/The Upside Down Boy for Book-It’s educational tour. As a performer, she was last seen playing Medjo in The Great Inconvenience with Annex theatre and understudying for The Prince in The Little Prince at the Seattle Children’s Theatre. Additionally, Samantha has worked as a Teaching Artist for Seattle Theatre Group's Disney Musicals In Schools.
Faith Howes

Faith Howes (she/her) is a theatre educator and performer who has taught and performed with theatre companies across the United States and internationally in Canada, Japan, India, and the UK. She’s worked with companies such as Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Disney Theatricals, Warner Bros. Pictures, The Brit School, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Seattle Children's Theatre. Faith is passionate about arts education, arts outreach, and improvised musical theatre. faithmargarethowes.com
Cassidy Huff

Cassidy Huff (she/her) is an eighteen-year-old actress, singer-songwriter, best-selling author, and voice-over artist from Seattle, WA. Cassidy has performed on stages all over the world, including the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and Lincoln Center in New York City, and she is looking forward to pursuing her BFA in Musical Theater at AMDA in Los Angeles starting in the Fall of 2020! Cassidy has participated in several of Seattle Theatre Group’s (STG) programs and events including performing with Maya Rudolph at the DOORS Fundraiser in 2019, performing in More Music @ The Moore in 2019, participating in the Young Ambassador cohort for two years, and volunteering with the Sensory Friendly Performances at The Paramount Theatre and STG + MCP In Hospitals (a partnership with Melodic Caring Project). Cassidy is thrilled to be continuing her journey with STG through the Broadway Inclusion Program as a Teaching Artist! Cass has recently become a best-selling author with a book that she co-authored called Becoming An Exceptional Leader, and you can catch Cass in the new season of Dreamworks “Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy” available on Netflix.
Amberlee Joers

Amberlee Joers (she/her) endeavors to build and support greater equity, accessibility, and inclusion in the arts through her work as an arts administrator, teaching artist, and theatre artist.
Most recently, she was Seattle Theatre Group's (STG) Education Manager, overseeing programs such as Disney Musicals In Schools, a free musical theatre program for Title I elementary schools in partnership with Disney Theatrical Group, and the Broadway Inclusion Program, a free musical theatre program for disabled and/or neurodivergent community members of all ages and their families and caregivers. Her other work at STG includes collaborating with Teaching Artists to create a free library of digital arts content for STG's Art Sessions program, supporting Sensory Friendly & Inclusive Performances in partnership with Sensory Access, creating theatre arts programming for refugee students in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and STG+MCP (Melodic Caring Project) in Hospitals program that brings local and national artists to hospital patients.
Amberlee recently served on the Education Materials Team in collaboration with Seattle Children’s Theatre to create a free Active Audience Guide for A Kids Play About Racism, which includes curated activities as a resource for families to learn and engage on the topic of racism. She has also facilitated professional development workshops and events for educators and teaching artists and has taught with Seattle Children's Theatre, Village Theatre's KIDSTAGE program, and Youth Theatre Northwest, among others.
She received her B.A. from Oklahoma State University and is a graduate of Washington's Teaching Artist Training Lab and Creative Dance Center's Summer Institute for Teachers, which focuses on brain compatible methodology through movement. Amberlee strives to foster arts environments and experiences where people can connect, create, and celebrate.
Adrienne Mendoza

Adrienne Mendoza (she/her) is a theater and opera stage manager based in Seattle. She is passionate about equity and inclusion, and bringing those values to the spaces she’s in. STG Credits include: More Music at the Moore 2020, DANCE This 20th Anniversary (2018), DANCE This 2019, Disney Musicals in Schools 2019 (Seattle Theater Group). Other credits include: Public Works: As You Like It, Nina Simone: Four Women, Here Lies Love (Seattle Rep); The Elixir of Love, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, Eugene Onegin, The Falling and the Rising, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Seattle Opera); And in This Corner: Cassius Clay, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mwindo (Seattle Children’s Theatre); The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Kiss Me, Kate, Mamma Mia!, Holiday Inn, Ragtime, Paint Your Wagon, A Night With Janis Joplin, How to Succeed in Business... (5th Avenue Theatre)
Mara Palma

Mara Elissa Palma (she/her) is a teaching artist, writer, and multi-passionate person. Originally from the Philippines, she calls Seattle and Los Angeles home. Mara’s teaching experience includes the Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, Center Theatre Group, Seattle Theatre Group, and Seattle Public Theater. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre Studies and Political Science at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA. She is also a Creative Consultant, which means she helps aspiring artists how to figure out if a creative career is their calling in order to set up a firm foundation for a long fulfilling career, write their own hero’s story, and learn how to have a productive conversation with family and friends. Connect with her: www.marapalma.com @marapalma.creative
Teague Parker

Teague M. Parker (he/him) is an actor, playwright, improviser, producer, and teaching artist. A graduate from Western Washington University, he received a BA in Theatre with concentrations in Acting and Playwriting. He founded Come Up Productions which highlights up-and-coming artists, while bringing Free Theatre & Live Events to the Washington community. As a teaching artist, he brings Improv for wellness workshops/classes/training to various groups, organizations, and people looking to develop a better love and awareness of themselves. Teague has performed around the country and internationally in plays such as Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, won the KCACTF Region VII Award for best full-length play, and provides Improv workshops & masterclasses ranging from local theaters including Seattle Theatre Group, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and VillageTheatre: Kidstage, to graduate programs such as University of Florida. His goal is to unite artist and audiences to form mindful communities.
Brodrick Santeze Ryans

Brodrick Santeze Ryans (He, Him) is currently serving as the Education Coordinator at Seattle Children’s Theatre, supporting the Drama School, Community Engagement and Arts Based Learning Programs. Brodrick is a current 2020 TYA/USA Emerging Leader in TYA Fellowship. He is an arts leader, actor, teaching artists and podcast founder and host. His podcasts TIMEOUT w/ Brodrick is dedicated to bridging the gap between BIPOC culture, creative art forms and educational theatre. Brodrick strongly believes in the work of arts education. “It is through arts education that we can inspire, direct and implement creative change in young people and how they move through society. It is our job as artists and educators to help young people tell their stories.” Brodrick’s background as a performer helped him to morph into the position of teaching artists and coordinator. He has worked as the Operations Coordinator for the School of Social Work at The University of Alabama, a tour director and actor for Missoula Children’s Theatre, and as a professional freelance actor and artist. Brodrick holds a degree in Behavioral Sciences and Humanities from The University of Mobile, where he took classes focusing on Music, Theatre, Education, and Communications. Some of his past credits include; The Wiz, Dreamgirls, Disney’s Newsies, Footloose, Ragtime, Carmen Ghia in The Producers, Major Metcalf in Mousetrap and Sweaty Eddie in Sister Act. “Our future success is dependent on the work that we are doing with young people now.”
Instagram: @i3rodier – Personal; @timeoutbrodrick – Podcast; @blacksouthernvegan – Foodie Brodrick’s Podcast Links: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud
Brad Walker

Brad Walker (he/him) is an actor, director, and teaching artist. Seattle born and raised, he is an alumnus of the University of Washington, where he studied Theatre and Communications. Brad has directed shows with Second Story Rep, Pork Filled Productions, Burien Little Theater, and school plays at Bryant Elementary, McDonald International, and Sacajawea Elementary. While Brad loves to direct, he works predominantly in theatre as an actor. He has performed with Seattle Children's Theatre, Book-It Rep, Taproot Theatre Company, Village Theatre, Harlequin Productions, and StoryBook Theater. He currently teaches with Seattle Theatre Group’s Disney Musicals In Schools program and collaborates with educators to create sustainable theatre arts programs. www.walkerbrad.com
Visual Art
Maria Luisa Guillen Valdovinos

Maria Luisa Guillen Valdovinos (Poesia Mariarte) (she/her/they) is a visual creative thinker/artist, illustrator & graphic designer, writer, educator, art therapist and Indigenous Rights observer in environmental, food, and social justice movements. Based in occupied Coast Salish Territories with Art ingrained in cultural experience; she graduated in 2010 from the University of Washington in Bio-Cultural Anthropology with a minor in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies. Maria was born in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero Mexico and after studying graffiti in Lima, Peru in 2009 with Jorge Miyagui & drawing flowers in Biology projects, began building creatively in cultural political movements. A Published Writer featured in “Chapter 9: Travels of a Diaspora Community: From La Sierra Madre Y Tierra Caliente to the Pacific Northwest” MEXICAN-ORIGIN FOODS, FOODWAYS, AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: A DECOLONIAL PERSPECTIVES, The University of Arkansas Press 2017; and an academic publication “Xin Fronteras” with Seattle Journal for Social Justice Seattle University School of Law. Maria loves flowers and all things creatively expressive.
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