Faculty

Professionally Trained

The Academy of Dance offers an outstanding faculty. Our teachers have the educational degrees, teaching and professional performance experience to know what to teach and how to teach it. The program is guided by a syllabus created by our Director, Kristen Potts.

KRISTEN POTTS

Owner/Director/Ballet/Pilates-based Conditioning for Dancers/Adult Program
35 years teaching experience ~ M.A. in Dance from Mills College ~ Professional Performance Experience ~ Pilates Certified ~ Founded and Directed the West Coast Conservatory of Ballet in California for 25 years ~ Founding Artistic Director of Orange County Regional Ballet for 26 years ~ On the faculty of Chapman University in California teaching Ballet and Kinesiology for Dancers for 15 years ~ Students of Ms. Potts have been placed in professional companies including New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Fort Worth Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Ballet Met, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Texas, Sacramento Ballet, and others.

TERRENCE GRIZZELL – Ballet

Terrence Grizzell began his professional dance training with Thelma Lloyd Young in Spokane. Mr. Grizzell has performed with San Francisco Ballet, Chicago Ballet and Irish National Ballet. Following the success of six seasons as Artistic Director for Spokane Ballet he went on to teach ballet at the University of Washington, Cornish College of the Arts and Dance Fremont in Seattle.

SARA TALBOT – Children's Ballet

Sara originally trained in Moses Lake, WA with the Broadway School of the Arts and Ballet Academy of Moses Lake. Sara continued her education to receive a Ballet and Modern Dance degree at Texas Christian University in 2006. Sara's professional experience include Ballet Concerto, Fort Worth, TX; and Ballet Spokane. Sara has held the title of both  Moses Lake's Junior Miss and Miss Moses Lake. Sara received many honors at both the local and state level coming in 1st runner up to Washington's Junior Miss and in the top ten at Miss Washington. Sara's favorite award, however, has been Miss Congeniality which she has received at both the state and local levels. Sara looks forward to working with Kristen Potts and teaching for the Academy of Dance this coming year.

DARLA GREENE-BAINBRIDGE – Jazz

Darla started her dance career training with Award Winning Choreographer, Jo Emery in Tacoma at age 15.  She danced with her company for 3 years.  There she was exposed to Fossey style jazz, Ballroom and a little Latin.  She later went on to join Seattle's Spectrum Dance Theater as a company member for 3 years. There she began to solidify her love for teaching dance and her love for Bob Fossey.  Darla’s training and professional experience comes from working with the likes of Ray Bussey, Ann Renkin, Dale Merrill, Pat Graney, Mark Haines, Hubbard Street's Claire Baitell, Andre' George, Ze'Eva Cohen, and more.  During her last year with Spectrum, she became a prominent dancer on the Seattle Supersonics Dance Team 90/91 season.  She left Spectrum and Seattle for three years to work as a soloist, dancer & line captain for Greg Thompson Productions.  During that time she taught abroad at several dance studios in Japan.  Shortly after her return to Seattle in 1995, she collaborated with local hip hop dance artists to form the professional Hip Hop Dance Team, INEFFECT.  She taught their style at Westlake Dance Centre and Elizabeth's Dance Dimensions in Bellevue.  Darla taught the jazz classes at Spokane's Academy of Dance from Aug'03 - June'05 before leaving for England.  She taught in Norfolk for 1 year and I missed the studio so much....she’s back!