Dance Wire Ambassadors are dancers and leaders with 303 years combined experience in dance!
Meet our 2023 cohort of Ambassadors below
Dance Wire Ambassadors are both dancers and leaders. Their role is to help keep us connected to the wide array of dance activity happening in Portland. We rely on our Ambassadors to set the standard for dance in the area, to bring their connections, insights, and unique stories to the table. We specifically want dancers who seek to build community across dance styles and feel like leaders in their genre, role, and/or community.
Antuanet S Powell
Years Dancing: 37
Titles: Founder Peruvian Pride PDX, Freelance Performer and Choreographer, Studio Manager Vitalidad Movement Arts Center
Invitation to Follow: https://antspowell.tumblr.com/ and Peruvian Pride PDX https://www.peruvianpridepdx.com/
It would be a dream to collaborate with: A typography animator
Katie Janovec
Years Dancing: 16
Titles: Dancer, Freestyle Mover, Popper, Freelance Event Producer, Founder of The Beautiful Street
Invitation to Follow: katiejanovec.com and thebeautifulstreet.com
It would be a dream to collaborate with: I’d like to collaborate with other street or club style dancer, a musician as well – beat maker, drummer, bassist!
Nicole McCall
Years Dancing: 35
Titles: Director/Owner of Dance Your Heart Out®, Creative Dance Teaching Artist for Arts for Learning NW and the Right Brain Initiative, Musical Theater Choreographer/Instructor, Swing and Salsa instructor for beginners
Invitation to Follow: www.danceyourheartout.com
It would be a dream to collaborate with: A graphic designer!
Imani Underwood
Years Dancing: 12
Titles: Multi-disciplinary artist
Invitation to Follow: Imani on Instagram
It would be a dream to collaborate with: Zendaya (actress), Tara Stong (VO Artist), Steven Spielberg and/or Tim Burton (filmmakers), Jade Chynoweth, Bob Fosse, Gene Kelly, Josephine Baker or Emma Porter (dancers).
Eric Nordstrom
Years Dancing: 26
Titles: Visiting Instructor of Dance at Lewis and Clark College; Instructor of Dance at Portland State University; Filmmaker at Portland Performing Arts Video; Freelance Performer.
Invitation to Follow: www.eric-nordstrom.com
It would be a dream to collaborate with: Co-teacher for workshop of class series; dance on film project; dance performer with multimedia collaboration.
Lauren Crowe-Mueller
Years Dancing: 40
Titles: Co-Founder & Director of the An Daire Academy of Irish Dance, Certified Instructor (T.C.R.G.), Choreographer, Irish Dancing Adjudicator (A.D.C.R.G.), Performer, Instructor Mentor and Trainer.
Invitation to Follow: www.AnDaireAcademy.com
It would be a dream to collaborate with: Highland Dancer or Tap Dancer!
Anna Hooper
Years Dancing: 25
Titles: Freelance dance performer & choreographer
Teacher at BODYVOX Dance Center & Community Outreach, Hillsboro Dance Center, The Portland Ballet, and Shaun Keylock Company.
Invitation to Follow: https://prolabdance.com/break-to-build
It would be a dream to collaborate with: My dream collaboration is with a set designer. It would be incredible to create an immersive dance experience, like Meow Wolf productions!
Kenya Márquez
Years Dancing: 40
Titles: Founder and Artistic Director of Ballet Papalotl, Authentic Mexican Culture and Folkloric Dance. School counselor, Ethnic Dancer and Educator, perfumer, Choreographer. Founder of Dinastía Genial (Human development), You-tuber (Dinastía Genial), ambassador for a multicultural harmonic society.
Invitation to Follow: balletpapalotl.org
It would be a dream to collaborate with: I dream about collaborating with a painter, a Photogrpher and a videographer to capture the result of my dances on wet paint (I can describe it more when we meet).👨🎨 The result of me ‘painting’ with my feet while dancing , we can make an exposition and sell the outcome (painting).
Sara James
Years Dancing: 29
Titles: Aerial+Burlesque Performer. Instructor and choreographer specializing in aerial silks, trapeze, and pole dance.
Invitation to Follow: https://sarajamesaerial.com/
It would be a dream to collaborate with: Filmmakers, other aerialists, jazz and contemporary artists, musicians, metalworkers who could create a piece of art that could be danced on!
Jennifer Camp
Years Dancing: 43
Titles: Director of Dance/ Associate Professor of Dance at Pacific University. Educator of Dance, Choreographer, Dance Artist
Invitation to Follow: www.jenniferlcamp.com and https://www.pacificu.edu/dance/faculty
It would be a dream to collaborate with: I am open to having a dialogue and finding ways to collaborate with all other artists, but working with filmmakers, animators, and dance artists in different genres would be fantastic.
Former Ambassador Cohorts
2021 Ambassadors
Gitanjali “Anjali” Hursh
Conrad Kaczor
Laura Cannon
Thorey Mountain
Mianel Araujo
Alicia Cutaia
Robert Hilario
Kelly Koltiska
Amelia Unsicker
Melissa Rumsey
2019 Ambassadors
Aphyna Zoe
Bevin Victoria
Barbara Lima
Kenya Marquez
Beth Whelan
Kelsey Leonard
Laura Blake
Brandy Guthery
Sitara Lones
Rebekah Wolfson Kilayko
Laura Onizuka – Committee Chair
2018 Ambassadors
Maria Tucker
Kathryn Harden
Angela Bryant
Zachary Carroll
Adrianna Audoma
Victoria Rose White
Alexander Dones
Jesus Rodales
Laura Onizuka – Committee Chair
2017 Ambassadors
Jack “Sir Cupcake” Stocklynn
Linda Austin
Elise Morris
Anne Mueller
Mizu Desierto
Yulia Arakelyan
Laura Onizuka
Rebecca Morse
Hannah Luckow
Tia Palomino – Committee Chair