Demi/Developing Coach:  

“I grew up in a small, Utah farm town without a lot of opportunities. When I was in 5th grade, a very small dance school opened in our community and changed the trajectory of my life! Dance has been such a gift to me. I feel so lucky for the opportunity to pay it forward and pass this gift to a new generation. In High School, I taught jazz and lyrical in my  private studio, and choreographed for my  High School dance team and drama department. In 2005, I earned  my Modern Dance Minor (and BS in Psychology) and I jumped right back into teaching ballet, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop, coaching a competition team, and choreographing for a local theater company. Next came a long detour into motherhood and professional photography. In 2020 I came full circle and joined ESPA as a dance photographer and coach.  My husband and I have 4 kids, 2 cats, and a deep love for nature, dessert, and continuing education.”

Demi/Developing Coach: 

"What has been my dream in the arts is to take what I have learned throughout the years and inspire my students and others with it.

I want to inspire others in ways of pushing through hard seasons, the way I learned to discover myself, and the way I express myself through movement.

I have had the opportunity to create and perform through competing dance for 7 years, and doing shows through local theatre. They both taught me to express myself in ways I can't explain simply through speaking.

The ones who have inspired me along the way are my lovely husband Donivan, my family, my amazing dance coaches Brenda, Jessica, and Katrina who I grew up training with, as well as Kiana Thoreson who I always looked up to as a young dancer and my first solo choreographer.

They all have had a huge impact in my life and have inspired me in so many different ways."

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Demi/Developing Coach:

"My dream in the arts has been to learn and grow more in the art form and share my knowledge as best I can with those wanting to learn and grow also! I am an ESPA alumnus from the start of my dance journey! I have had the wonderful opportunity to perform and compete with Expressions and now I get to create alongside the same coaches that taught me to be the dancer I am today. The biggest inspiration in my dance career has been from all of my former coaches as they provided me with the opportunity and guidance to learn and grow with them, followed by my former peers with all hat they contributed to my growth to push myself out of my comfort zone in not only my dancing by in my everyday life as well.

Dance holds a large place in my life as it has given me a way to identify and work through my emotions when I need it most!"

Demi/Developing Coach:

"My dream is to keep the style of hip hop thriving and exciting here at Expressions! I hope to help form a community where learning and growing is key. I have had the opportunity to create art and perform for basically my entire life. Starting dance at the age of two, I've grown up in the studio and onstage. I have been dancing with Expressions since 2011, when I took my very first hip hop class and enjoyed it ever since! I am currently in my Senior year of High School, and still attending classes as a student at ESPA and the is my first year as a coach! Throughout my years of dancing, my various coaches have inspired me tremendously. Along with Expressions Alumni students that thrived in hip hop; I looked up to them very much. My parents are also a big inspiration to me and they are always there to support me!" 

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Demi/Developing Coach:

ESPA is where I found my love for dance and it opened the door to so many opportunities! In high school I performed with the Spokane Nutcracker and CDA Summer Theater. I then went to WSU and earned my Bachelor's in Kinesiology, and made the Crimson Girl dance team. I danced for a D1 program and performed at home football and basketball games, the Men’s PAC-12 basketball tournament in Vegas, the Holiday Bowl, and on the UDA Nationals floor (where we made school history 2 years in a row). In Pullman WA I also started teaching at a local studio and ran their summer camps. After  college I moved to Florida and taught dance in Daytona Beach, then had an owner of a baton studio reach out to me to start their dance program. The past 1.5 yrs I got their dance program up and thriving! My husband finished chiropractic school  in FL and we are  back to the PNW. I couldn’t be happier to be joining the team back where it all started for me.

Developing/Devoted Coach:

"I have performed with Expressions from ages three to eighteen. I danced in a few musical theatre productions and was on the kickline for Traditions of Christmas. I attended Boise State University and earned my Bachelor's in Media Arts and my Minor in Dance, and performed and choreographed for the student showcases during my schooling. My dream has always just been to keep dancing. I love choreographing and it would be amazing to be a part of a company someday! I want to continue learning, growing, and inspiring others as well.  Brenda and Jess have always been an inspiration, as well as my big sister Lydia, and my friend Kiana Thoreson, who I danced beside here at Expressions. Marla Hansen and Yurek Hansen from BSU inspired me with trying new things and pushing myself further. I am so grateful  to be back with ESPA as a coach as well as  managing their Social Media!"

Devoted/Dynamic Coach:

"My dream in the arts is to inspire dancers to train hard, love what they do, keep their passion ignited and to keep pushing until they get the result they desire! Being in this industry is not easy and nobody is going to hand you a free ticket to success; BUT, you can determine your own definition of success and work hard to achieve that! The classroom is my favorite place to create, and in a sense, perform. I loved performing on stage, but the studio is the place where you can train the hardest, fail, try again, create and be the most vulnerable. Brenda is a huge inspiration to me, her artistry, choreography, passion, business and family commitments are so admirable. All of the amazing coaches and choreographers I have learned from have inspired me to start teaching myself, and my students inspire me daily as I see them learn and grow and become wonderful people."

Devoted/Dynamic Coach:

"ESPA has been my home and my creative environment since I was 14. Every opportunity I have had has come from here. My dream has always been to impact the youth in a positive way through the shared passion of dance. I have been teaching for over 20 years now and am also the director of our Team X Company, our competitive team.  I enjoy traveling and taking classes from a variety of coaches so I can provide a well rounded teaching experience and always continue learning. I have had the opportunity to learn and teach new skills, such as aerial silks, and various styles of cultural dance.  Brenda and my dad have always been my greatest inspirations. Both support me to be the me-est me possible. Sometimes through encouragement and affirmations, sometimes through challenge and tough love. I am so grateful to have them both in my life."

Devoted/Dynamic Coach:

"Throughout my dance career I have created and performed with multiple local studios,
BYU-I Dance Alliance, Divinity Dance Co. (Apprentice), Junction II and Junction Dance Co.

I wanted to spend a few years training and learning as much as I could, then bring everything I learned back to the dance scene in Northern Idaho. I LOVE teaching! There are endless things to learn and expand on and I enjoy every second of the process. So many people inspire me: My parents always had my back no matter what, and Brenda and Jess taught me how to dance since a very young age and mentored me in my journey after high school. There are so many amazing teachers in Utah that inspired me everyday and helped me excel in my dancing that it would be impossible to name them all! And of course all of my students inspire me with their work ethic and passion."