Getting to Know DWC Staff Member Ethan Rome
Photo by Catlyn Griswell
Ethan Rome is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer in Seattle, Washington. He graduated from the University of Iowa with degrees in Dance, Psychology, and Entrepreneurial Management. From there he trained at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and then relocated to Seattle.
He has danced professionally for the Khambatta Dance Company, the Seattle Opera, and his own companies: Forthun+Rome Dance Theater and Trillium Dance Collective. Ethan has performed and taught around the world including in Puerto Rico, Lithuania, India, Mexico, and Brazil.
Ethan has choreographed original works for the Seattle International Dance Festival, the University of Iowa, Gonzaga University, Ballet Chelsea, the Khambatta Dance Company, Price Arts N.E.W., Intrepidus Dance, and multiple pieces for his own companies. He has also received the Bridge Project residency and the James Ray Residency.
His choreography often explores psychological and philosophical concepts, as well as his Korean heritage. Ethan uses his background in hip-hop and martial arts to influence his contemporary movement.
If you would have told Ethan Rome before college that he would have a career in dance, he likely would have been a bit confused. What started as dabbling in his college’s breakdancing club has become an integral part of the dancer, choreographer, and DWC Director of Marketing’s life. From performing around the world to co-founding his own dance companies to overseeing Dancewear Center’s image, Ethan has acquired rich experience in the dance industry and plays a crucial role on the DWC team. Read on to learn more about how he got here.
When Ethan first began college in Iowa, he was intending on studying psychology to become a therapist. Nevertheless, he decided to explore some other areas of interest and ended up walking into his school’s breakdancing club. He started dancing with the club members and made some friends. During his second semester, some of Ethan’s breaking friends wanted to take a modern class for fun and Ethan decided to join them. “I thought, ‘Oh wow, this is pretty cool’ and so I decided to take the next class, and the next class after that…” he recalls, until finally he decided to pursue a double major in psychology and dance. He also achieved a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management during his time in school.
After college, Ethan went to Jacob’s Pillow, home of one of the most prestigious dance festivals in the nation, for the summer in Massachusetts. “It was really awesome to be able to see all of the different professional companies that came in,” Ethan says. Attending the festival helped him redefine what he considered “contemporary dance” to be.
During his time at The Pillow, Ethan began sending out dance reels, which is how he got connected with Cyrus Khambatta of Khambatta Dance Company in Seattle, WA. Ethan moved to Seattle to dance with Cyrus and got the opportunity to tour all around the world, including India, Lithuania, Mexico, and Brazil. “It was really amazing to be able to travel to different places and see the differences in dance as well as the similarities,” Ethan reminisces.
Ethan eventually left Khambatta Dance Company to begin his own company with CarliAnn Forthun known as Forthun+Rome Dance Theater. The company performed throughout Seattle at various festivals and even traveled to Gonzaga University for a choreographic and performance residency.
Before the pandemic, Forthun+Rome Dance Theater disbanded and the chaos of COVID-19 quickly followed. However, through the pandemic, Ethan joined local dancers Catlyn Griswell and Melissa Krienke to dance together and make videos for fun. Soon, they realized that not only were they enjoying dancing together, but what they were producing was interesting to all of them. Trillium Dance Collective, a dance organization founded by the three dancers, was born. Trillium Dance Collective has performed at the Seattle International Dance Festival, makes various videos and films, and focuses on bringing unique outside elements into its dance and art creations, such as stainless steel cubes made by artist De Carbón Azul.
Photo by Catlyn Griswell
Ethan first began doing graphic design projects for Dancewear Center, such as creating the store logo, but recently he’s become the store’s director of marketing. “Essentially, that means that I am in charge of the image overall and how we can connect with people. I look at marketing as a tool for us to bring positivity to the people that want our stuff, our connection, our services, [and] our products,” he shares.
Ethan enjoys the flexibility that his role offers, as it allows him to pursue a lot of different avenues within the art world. He loves working on graphic design projects, planning out the big picture of the store, and getting to work in a positive environment. “The store, everything about Dancewear Center, [is] true to its values,” says Ethan. “It’s really good knowing that this is a place with integrity.”
As a dancer and choreographer, a change that Ethan hopes to see happen in the larger dance world is more funding for smaller companies. He believes that the insufficient funds allocated to the arts can “hinder a lot of people” and “stop a lot of dancers from even the thought of pursuing dance [professionally].” “If you are someone that likes to donate and has the capacity to do that, consider donating to smaller local companies and dancers...and if you are someone who just enjoys the art or enjoys dance, go and see a show,” he encourages.
From the wealth of knowledge he’s obtained from his dance experiences to his commitment to creating sincere art in various forms, Dancewear Center is thrilled to have the dynamic Ethan Rome as a part of the DWC staff!
