Teaching Jazz, Musical Theater and Progressions

Kirsten Cooper trained in Washington State then moved to Los Angeles when she was nineteen years where she primarily trained at Edge Performing Arts Center with Rhonda Miller, Liz Imperio, Jeff Amsden, Bill Prudich, Randy Allaire and many more. She also assisted and performed with/for Rhonda Miller, Jeff Amsden and Liz Imperio in class, conventions and various projects. While in Los Angeles she worked in film, video and stage. Kirsten danced on Costa Cruise Lines, toured demonstrating with Los Angeles Dance Force and Jeff Amsden instructional videos, Sony Disc Industrial Film and numerous ABBA hair shows. She also has performed original Fosse choreography set by Broadway dancer, Mary Ann Lamb.

Kirsten now teaches full time in the Seattle area as well as traveling the U.S. to do choreography and master classes. She regularly teaches at Westlake Dance Center and is the director of their pre-professional company. She does monthly master series classes throughout the Pacific Northwest and loves connecting with so many students. She was honored to teach in Bulgaria at the Iliev Dance Art Foundation Spring Dance It intensive in 2016-2018. Kirsten also teaches in the summer at the Pacific Northwest Summer Program, Dance This (Seattle Theatre Group) as well as guest teaching for Pacific Dance Project and SpoDance convention.

She has run a pre-professional jazz/contemporary company out of Westlake Dance since 1997 and is thrilled this year will be the 24th year! Her goal with her students is to train them for dance careers and instill in them that hard work is just as important as talent. Her students have performed at “Sign Of the Times”, “Dance This” at The Moore Theatre and the PONCHO gala benefit. Her company was honored to dance in the Tanzsommer Dance Festival 2006 in Austria.

Many of her students have gone on to do the one-year study program at Edge and summer programs Dance With The Force, Juilliard, Lines Ballet, Hubbard Street and Alvin Ailey . Her students have attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Marymount Manhattan, SUNY Purchase, Loyola Marymount, Juilliard and Chapman University. They have toured with Paul McCarthy, Backstreet Boys, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, “Glee” LIVE, Ricky Martin and Celine Dion. They have appeared in the award winning “La La Land”, “Teen Beach Movie” 1 and 2 , “Dreamgirls” ,“Dancing With The Stars” , “Wicked’ National Tour, “Pippin” National Tour, “Kinky Boots” National Tour, “Grease” LIVE and “Hairspray” LIVE. She currently has students dancing in the NYC Rockettes Christmas Spectacular as well as and Cirque Soleil show “Mystere”. They have also danced with Hysterica Dance Company (LA) and Odyssey (Salt Lake City).

Kirsten continues to share the passion of dance with all whether in the classroom or with her choreography on the stage. She feels blessed to be able to do this as her job.  Check out what she is doing in life and in work on her Instagram @kcooperdance .

Acting for Dancers

Emily DuVall grew up in Moses Lake all her life. She danced at Hirz Dance Company for 7 years before she got the theater bug as a freshman at Moses Lake High School. 

For the last 25 years she's been performing locally and honed her skills as an actress through participating in over 20 different community productions. For the last 4 years she's assisted with 3 shows the High School has put on and is currently directing Oklahoma the musical which opens in April.

Emily has a love for performing arts that runs deep and has had a special place in her heart for dance since she was little. She loves to merge the two worlds of acting and dancing and when she isn't able to be on stage she loves to find fun and exciting ways to do stuff on TikTok.

Erika grew up in the Boston area. She started dancing at age two at her mom’s studio and continued dancing competitively through high school. She graduated with an English & Psychology degree from UMass Lowell where she was President of the dance team for three years. Erika has been teaching and choreographing in all styles of dance for over 20 years, coast to coast. Her choreography has opened for Dave Chapelle and the Radio City Rockettes. She was on staff with NYCDA from 2007-2016 and choreographed the Miss Washington’s Outstanding Teen pageant for 7 years.

Erika has been been living in eastern Washington since 2011 with her husband and 4 children. She owns Dance Images West in Kennewick and is grateful to share her passion for dance while cultivating a safe and positive environment for kids.

Brittany Taylor graduated from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA with a BFA in dance with a focus on teaching and relocated to San Diego in 2009. As a professional dancer, she premiered the evening length work "Walking Through Ghosts" with Joe Alter Dance Group (2010). She joined Blythe Barton Dance in 2011 and The Malashock Dance Company in 2012 and continued to work and perform with these companies until her return to North Idaho in 2020.

She has been very fortunate to perform with Compulsion Dance and Theatre, Ion Theatre, [the] movement initiative, Khamla Somphanh, Andrew Holmes, and other independent San Diego artists. She was awarded “Most Compelling Performance by a Single Dancer” at the 2014 Young Choreographers Showcase and Prize performing for Jaime Nixon. Brittany and long time dance partner Desiree Cuizon-Fejeran premiered their work Avenue Lexicon in August 2016 as well as co-produced the mixed media event Doublespeak and then went on to establish the BAD Dance Collective in which they performed and produced Til Death at the 2018 San Diego International Fringe Festival. Brittany's choreography has been seen at the Spotlight 360 festival, Fresh Dances, Diversionary Theatre, Malashock Dance's student showcase and on the students of The Lynch Dance Institute in San Diego.

Currently Brittany teaches dance at Northern Dance Academy in the Coeur d’ Alene area and has received choreography awards from both Spotlight Dance Cup and Sheer Elite this season for her dance, The War.

She is also a Second Generation Pilates Teacher and Lolita San Miguel Pilates Master™ and International Educator. It is her passion to instill the love of dance in her students of all ages and to harness the power of movement, well-being and accomplishment that Pilates brings to all.

Hi! My name is Taryn Doane. I’ve been a dancer for 22 years. I was a competitive dancer from ages 9-18.

I won many overalls, titles, judges awards & scholarships! I’ve been in music videos, small commercials & also danced with Becky G at Velocity nationals! My favorite genre to dance is Hip Hop but contemporary is my favorite to teach!

Three dance teachers that impacted my dance career the most were Kristie Hoke, Joshua Deininger & the best Rian Miles!

I’ve been a dance teacher since I was 15. Routines I’ve choreographed have won awards. For the last 2 dance seasons 2 different groups I worked with went undefeated! My choreography is very much so movement based. I love creating routines on the spot, it’s exciting & seems to bring a better creative vibe to the classroom.

Now as a mother of 2 & one on the way, dance is my part time job but will forever be my first love!

Dr. Erica Crafts, physical therapist and owner of Edge Physical Therapy. I’ve been a PT in Moses Lake for 13 years and have always loved working with athletes. I grew up doing gymnastics and dance (ballet and drill team) so I know firsthand the demands on the body. It is so important to me to make sure my patients feel good and get better fast so they can continue to do what they love. I can’t wait to share my knowledge with you all!

My name is Breanne McIntyre, Registered Outpatient Dietitian at Confluence Health in Moses Lake. I am a Moses Lake native and have been working in nutrition for the past three years. I started my career as a personal trainer and eventually ended up pursuing nutrition as that is where my passion truly lies. As a dietitian, I work as a generalist and see all populations and disease states, ranging from athletes and weight management to eating disorders, oncology and other disease states requiring medical nutrition therapy. Overall, I truly feel I am working my dream job.