Education & Community Engagement > Meet our Artists

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/she) 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.

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@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. www.NinaWilliamsTeramachi.com

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.

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.

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

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.