Terah Partridge: Ballet/Pointe/Lyrical/Performance Instructor, Owner

With over twenty-five years of dancing experience, and numerous years of dance instruction experience at various companies (including the Dance Evolutions studio, Lakewood Community Education, and the Marysville Performing Arts Center) Terah has been a committed patron of the art of dance her entire life. Although ballet is her first love, Terah also has experience as Co-Captain of the Lakewood High School Varsity Cheerleading squad, and also professionally coached the Rocky Mountain Junior High School cheerleading squad, leading them to place #1 in the Golden State Cheerleading competition in Ogden, Utah.

After searching for a ballet class for her five-year-old daughter, Lydia, Terah realized there was a need for a superior dance school here on Camano Island. Terah began the Camano Dance Academy in early 2007, and it has been growing by leaps and bounds ever since.

With dance education from Cornish College of the Arts, Brigham Young University, Casper College, and Weber State University, along with a special education teaching degree from Utah State University, Terah combines technical and artistic dance knowledge with the class management and motivational techniques she learned while teaching public school.

As a teacher and a mom, Terah is committed to producing artistically advanced, technically sound, healthy and happy dancers - while instilling a love of dance in her students.

Marissa Wenner: Hip Hop/Jazz/Lyrical/Combo/Performance Dance Instructor (pictured at bottom)

Marissa studied dance for twelve years at the Burien Dance Theater, taking classes in Jazz, Ballet, Show Biz, Hip Hop, Modern, and Pointe. Currently, Marissa is on the dance team at Western Washington University, where she is earning her degree.

Marissa is a favorite at CDA - her wonderful energy, enthusiasm, and love of dance make her a great addition to our staff. In addition, she is a gifted choreographer, designing dances that push her students to excel in not only the technical aspects of dance, but in their artistry, as well. We are so happy to have Marissa as an intregral part of the CDA team.

Sarah Cooper, Guest Instructor for Ballet and Performance Classes (pictured at top)
 

Sarah was trained in ballet at the Moving Company Dance Workshop in Everett, WA. She went on to become a Cheer Captain at Lakewood High School, then became a college cheerleader at Southern Virginia University. Sarah has also been a member of the Hip Hop Dance Team at WWU. 

A former full-time teacher at CDA, she is currently taking off some time to spend with her newborn daughter and two-year-old son. However, she is planning on spending as much time as she can with our school this year - and may be coming back full time in the future. We love when Sarah comes to participate in our classes at CDA, and her presence always encourages our students to perform at their highest level.

Melita Bevington - Instructor, Tap I/Tap II (pictured on Right)

It is rare to find an adult with as much passion and enthusiasm for dance as Miss Melita. With a discerning eye and quick mind, Melita can not only pick up choreography quickly, but is a natural teacher, always giving helpful suggestions to her fellow students during ballet and jazz classes.

A trained tap dancer, Melita began teaching some of our advanced students some basic tap this year. Now that we are moving to our own location and do not need to worry about damaging floors, we are so excited to offer Miss Melita two official tap classes!

We know that our students will be receiving top technical training from Miss Melita, and will love her enthusiasm for both tap and the Camano Dance Academy.

Lisa Anderson, Pre Pointe Instructor

As the ballet instructor for the Camano Chapel Co-op, and the Pre Pointe instructor for the Camano Dance Academy, Lisa's love for her students shines through! At CDA, we are incredibly committed to our students' health. Two years ago, we implemented a new training regimen in our classes. It is our goal to create the healthiest, happiest dancers - and it is very important to us that our dancers are trained in the safest possible manner. Therefore, it is Lisa's job to instruct our students in the Perfect Pointe System, designed by world-famous and renowned dance Physiotherapist, Lisa Howell.

As far as I know, we are the only local school to invest in this program, and offer this amazingly effective training to our students. The training will take place in our normal classes, and our younger students will probably not be aware of it. However, our older students will notice an increased emphasis on correct body placement, strength building, and flexibility training. They will also be provided with workbooks, etc., to track their progress.

instruction will allow our younger students to progress rapidly, while maintaining good health - and will allow our older students to achieve the competency level required for pointe earlier, and perform safely once en pointe.

Since Lisa has begun working with our Pre Pointe students, they have been progressing rapidly - and the students who have advanced to Pointe work have accomplished amazing proficiency en pointe already!

Emily Callies: Dance Assistant

Emily has been studying ballet for several years, and it shows! She is a graceful and gifted dancer. Currently, Emily attends our Ballet II and Pre-Pointe classes, and recently starred as "The White Rabbit" in CDA's "Alice in Danceland." The younger ballet students could not have a better example to look up to!

Becky Samii (Dance Assistant - pictured on Right)

Becky is an amazingly strong and athletic dancer, most likely due to her background in karate. The younger students at CDA absolutely adore her, and she is a very gifted assistant. You may remember Becky's memorable performance as the March Hare in "Alice in Danceland." Becky is a wonderful addition to our Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet II and Pre-Pointe classes.

Caylyn Rich (Dance Assistant - pictured on Left)

Caylyn is an exacting and careful dancer, who always executes choreography to perfection. Last year, Caylyn played the starring role in CDA's 2010 recital, "Dreams of Dance." With beautiful footwork and lovely lines, Caylyn is always a joy to watch and have in class.

Becca Gascoigne - Dance Assistant

Becca began studying dance with Miss Terah four years ago. She loves all kinds of dance, and works extremely hard at perfecting her craft. Currently, she is attending classes at CDA in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz and Hip Hop. Becca began pointe work last year, and loves it! Becca was a huge hit in our 2011 recital, starring as "Tweedle Dee" in both Hip Hop and Pointe numbers. She is one of the rare dancers that is able to excel in both classical ballet and more modern dance forms.  We are so glad to have Miss Becca as a part of our team.

Sarah Bentz - Dance Assistant

Sarah dances and with a maturity and technique beyond her years. Currently, she is taking classes at CDA in Ballet, Pointe, Hip Hop and Jazz. Sarah charmed audiences as the sleepy "Dormouse" in this year's production of "Alice in Danceland." Her strong pointe work and turning ability make her a natural dancer -and a wonderful reflection on our school.

Anna Lienau - Dance Assistant

As our newest dance assistant and Pointe student, Anna has progressed by leaps and bounds over the past few years. Although she began ballet later in adolescence than some of our other CDA students, her hard work and dedication have allowed her to keep pace and excel in her dance classes. Anna did a fabulous job in her role in this year's recital, as "Alice's Sister" in our big production. We know our younger students will really enjoy having Anna assist in their classes, as her sweet personality and love of dance positively impacts everyone around her.

Jordyn Midyette (pictured on Left)

Jordyn is hands-down one of the best amateur Hip Hop dancers around. In addition, she has a deep love for ballet, and has been working extremely hard in her Pre-Pointe class for the opportunity to earn her pointe shoes. She gave an unforgettable performance in CDA's "Alice in Danceland," where she performed as the "Cheshire Cat" - and did most of her dance suspended from a tree! Jordyn's sweet personality and spunky dance style make her a favorite of all the younger CDA students.