Join us for an inspiring interview with our esteemed DWC Ambassador, Abby Jayne DeAngelo! 💫 Abby Jayne's journey in the world of ballet began under the guidance of the renowned Marcia Dale Weary at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) in her hometown of Carlisle, PA. With a passion for sharing her love of ballet with the next generation of dancers, Abby Jayne founded Adage Ballet Academy in Seattle, WA in March 2021.
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Pride month is upon us and what better way to celebrate pride than to highlight queer dancers in the Seattle community! We got the opportunity to speak with local teacher and dancer Annie St. Marie about their experience with the dance and LGBTQIA+ community. Read on to learn more about Annie’s dancing journey and their identity in the dance world!
Read MoreAshton Edwards, originally from Flint, Michigan, has studied dance since the age of four years old at the Flint School of Performing Arts. Ashton has attended summer ballet intensives on full scholarships at The Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago, Houston Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2018, Ashton represented Flint in the NAACP’s National Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition in San Antonio, Texas, against over 250 students of all high school grades all over the country. In the Performing Arts, Ballet dance category, Ashton came in 3rd place, winning a bronze medal. Ashton is currently a Professional Division student at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Read More“Human expression on the most natural level is non-binary,” said Ashton Edwards, former Dancewear Center (DWC) Ambassador, in an interview for the DWC Blog. Ashton is a dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, and an exquisite one. I’ve been following them on Instagram since they partnered with the DWC ambassador program in 2020. They inspire me and give me hope because when I was growing up, queer dancers were invisible.
Read MoreKirsten’s favorite thing about dance, she shares, is the connections people make through this art form are something that she finds to be the best thing about the dance world. “Through my teaching, I’ve seen people from different economical lives come and dance together and I think that that is just amazing,” she shares. She also shares that the connection through an emotional basis and a common love of dance is something that is very important to keep going. The relationships that she has made through people that she has taught are something that is very important to her and sets an example for the connection that dance can make through people.
Read MoreOne of Whim W’Him’s most important values is putting “people first always,” something that is not always upheld in the dance world. That’s why Olivier shares that ensuring his dancers are well-paid has always been a priority of his. “They are artists…They are highly skilled professionals and they should be paid for that,” he stresses. He started Whim W’Him with the intention of “changing the landscape of how dancers are often abused and exploited,” particularly when it comes to being under-compensated for their work.
Read MoreMy mission is to support dancers and their personal growth inside and outside of the studio to produce better performance outcomes and a more sustainable dancer long-term,” Josh says of his goal behind Flexible Mind Counseling. Through individual and group therapy sessions, Flexible Mind Counseling provides clients with “a bridge back to understanding [their] authentic needs.
Read MoreWhether its codified technique, body expectations, or gendered stereotypes, the dance industry has disseminated rigid values for many years. Such expectations can limit and harm talented dancers who don’t fit such cookie-cutter molds. Joshua Grant and Christopher E. Montoya are striving to knock down these barriers and foster a supportive and all-inclusive dance environment at Dance Conservatory Seattle. Under the tutelage of local talent, DCS is teaching Seattle dancers how to “live [their] best li[ves].”
Read MoreMany people are drawn to dance because it is a means of self-expression, allowing individuals to share their emotions with others and have a creative outlet to relieve stress. In many ways, clothing operates similarly to dance for many people, as it communicates a lot about a person’s identity and can invoke specific emotions in viewers and wearers alike. Founder of Jule Dancewear Julia Cinquemani knows all too well that wearing clothes that don’t fit right can make a significant impact on people, particularly with dancewear. Combatting this phenomenon was the inspiration behind Jule Dancewear, as well as creating dancewear products that cater to dancers with a variety of body types. Read on to learn more about Julia’s journey to Jule Dancewear.
Read MoreFor many young students, dance education consists of verbal instruction and demonstration from a teacher. While that has proven to be an effective means of teaching, having alternative methods, such as using visual aids and storytelling, can immensely benefit students. Thus, Terrel Lefferts and her daughter Kaelyn or “Ballerina Konora” have created Once Upon a Dance, a business that creates interactive movement and dance books for children of a wide array of ages.
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