Ambassadors

Dance Wire Ambassadors are dancers and leaders. Their role is to help us stay connected to the wide array of dance activity happening in Portland, by bringing their unique collection of experiences and insights to the table. Please meet our 2019 Ambassadors who have a combined total of 292 years experience in dance!

Sivagami "Shivy" Vanka

years dancing: 45

years in Portland: 33

styles: Classical Indian, Bharathanatyam

current titles: Founder + Artistic Director of Kalabharathi School of Dance

website: https://www.kalabharathi.com/

favorite dance quote: "When spirituality, reverence, and discipline are brought to art, something special is bound to happen." White Plain Times

Kenya Márquez

years dancing: 39

years in Portland: 16

styles: Mexican Folkloric Dance, Middle East Dances, basic aerial

current titles: Founder: Artistic Director and performer of Ballet Papalotl (Authentic Culture and Mexican Dance). Freelance choreographer. Dance instructor of Cultural International Dances for after school program, at Portland Public Schools/SUN/ IRCO

website: www.balletpapalotl.org

favorite dance quote: "If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it". “Si pudiera decirlo con palabras, no tendría que bailar” -Isadora Duncan

Kelsey Leonard

years dancing: 26

years in Portland: 25

styles: tap dance, hip hop, lindy hop

current titles: Co-Founder of Portland Tap Alliance, Tap Dance Instructor at Element Dance Studio, Artistic Director of Portland Tap Company

website: www.portlandtapalliance.com

favorite dance quote: Tap dancing to me, is communication. Primarily, it’s a loving way of transmitting your messages.” -Dr. Jimmy Slyde

Laura Blake

years dancing: 11

years in Portland: 4

styles: Experimental Fusion Bellydance, Pole Dance

current titles: company performer/choreographer with Allegro Dance Company, freelance performer, teacher and choreographer

favorite dance quote: "For I have trained myself and am training myself always to be able to dance lightly in the service of thought.” -Soren Kierkegaard

Bárbara Lima

years dancing: 15

years in Portland: 2

styles: contemporary, urban dances

current titles: Founder/Director of Ela Fala and Choreographer for Polaris Dance Theatre

website: www.elafala.com

favorite dance quote: "Every child has known God, Not the God of names, Not the God of don'ts, Not the God who ever does anything weird, But the God who knows only 4 words, And keeps repeating them, saying: "Come Dance with Me."
Come Dance." -- Hafiz (1320-1389)

Beth Whelan

years dancing: 20

years in Portland: 1

styles: contemporary, modern

current titles: freelance dancer and choreographer

website: https://elizabeth1028.wixsite.com/whelan

favorite dance quote: “I move, therefore I am.” -Haruki Murakami

Brandy Guthery

years dancing: 27
years in Portland: 24
styles: contemporary, modern, aerial
current titles (who do you perform with, teach for, are producer of etc): Artistic Director/Dancer at A-WOL Dance Collective, freelance choreographer, Coach/Choreographer for Clackamas Cavalettes
website: www.awoldance.org
favorite dance quote (can be by you or someone else): "Where rhythm is life and life is rhythm." -Warren G

Sitara Lones

years dancing: 25

years in Portland: 5

styles: Kathak (classical North Indian); Afghani folk; Persian; Bollywood; Ethno-Contemporary

current titles: Independent teacher, performer, and choreographer

website: thedanceinspired

favorite dance quote: "When we dance, we must dance until we vanish in the dance, relinquishing control to the rhythm of the world. Then we cannot claim that we are a good or bad dancer. We have already disappeared. We then carry this fire to every task in which we engage". -Ari Honarvar

Bevin Victoria

years dancing: 25

years in Portland: 19

styles: jazz, belly dance, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre, aerial

current titles: Director of Hybrid Dance Company, member of Baksana, Performer and Choreographer of Allegro Dance Company

website: Allegro Dance Company

favorite dance quote: “To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful… This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking” -Agnes De Mille

Aphyna Zoe

years dancing: 18

years in Portland: 2

styles: contemporary, modern, aeriel silks, burlesque, butoh

current titles: AWOL Dance Collective company member (apprentice), freelance choreographer, contemporary/modern teacher for Van De Veere Productions and AWOL's adult aerial training company FlyCo.

website: www.wildmoonastrology.com

favorite dance quote: “Dancing is not rising to your feet painlessly like a whirl of dust blown about by the wind. Dancing is when you rise above both worlds, tearing your heart to pieces and giving up your soul.” -Rumi

Rebekah WolfsonKilayko

years dancing: 10

years in Portland: 10

styles: classical ballet and modern

current titles: Youth Company Member at The Portland Ballet

website:

favorite dance quote: “You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back... but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.”—Merce Cunningham