Mick Gunter (Owner) - Boys Explore Dance and Ballet
Mick began training in ballet in 1998 with Ballet Northwest in Olympia, WA. During that time, he has performed in The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and many others. He also served on the board of Ballet Northwest for several years. Mick has been involved as a teacher and panelist for the Male Dancer Conference and has consulted with dance studios aiming to grow their boys programs. He is also the author of Fritz the Rat King, a re-telling of The Nutcracker from the point of view of Clara's younger brother.
Nancy Gunter (Head Teacher) – Ballet, Pointe, Explore Dance, Jazz
Nancy began her training at The Dance Factory in Springfield, VT studying with Susan Hagen. Went on to receive her BA with honors in Dance from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Began teaching at the School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet. Choreographer-in-residence for Burklyn Ballet Theatre 1998-99, directing their Emerging Choreographer's Showcase in 1999. A founder of City Center Ballet, a non-profit student ballet company based in Lebanon, NH, where she served as choreographer-in-residence and assistant to the directors. Locally, has choreographed for the Evergreen Playhouse, W.F.West High School, Tenino Young-at-Heart Theatre, Centralia College Theatre Department. Teaching experience includes ballet, pointe, creative dance, and jazz to students of all ages and levels at schools around New England and western Washington.
Emmy Keo - Advanced Lyrical
Emmy Larson has been dancing for 14 years. Starting at Southwest Washington Dance Center in Chehalis and continuing at Allen Creek Dance in Napavine. Throughout this time she has completed 12 years of classical ballet, 3 years of Pointe, 5 years of lyrical, 5 years of contemporary, 1 year of jazz, and 1 year of hip-hop. Along with her yearly recitals, she has also performed in the 2019 World of Dance, in Morton and in Ballet Theatre of Washington's "The Nutcracker." She is a graduate of Centralia College. When she is not dancing she enjoys playing piano and ukulele.
Kyle Leapline - Ballet, Boys Ballet, Pas de Deux, Musical Theatre
Kyle is originally from Tulsa, OK where he grew up singing, acting, and dancing with internationally renowned companies such as Tulsa Opera and Tulsa Ballet. He received his BFA in Ballet Performance from Friends University in Wichita, KS under the direction of Stan and Sharon Rogers. While at Friends he had the opportunity to work with Shawn Stevens of NYC Ballet, Dominique Walsh of Dominique Walsh Dance Theatre, and James Wallace of the James Wallace Experience, as well as originated roles in numerous neoclassical Ballets choreographed for Wichita Ballet Theatre by Friend’s school director, Mr. Rogers.
After graduation in 2012 he worked professionally with Dance Theatre of Tennessee, Lexington Ballet, Ballet Wichita, and Wichita Grand Opera. Kyle started teaching professionally in 2016 around the greater Wichita area with emphasis in Ballet until his move to Washington state in 2020.
Theresa McMurry - Tap
Theresa received her dance training from the Shell Dance Studio and Vancouver Dance Academy. She was a member of the Linfield Dance Ensemble at Linfield College, performing Tap, Jazz, Modern and African dance. She has choreographed in Tap and Jazz styles for both the Linfield Dance Ensemble and the Vancouver Dance Academy. Theresa also taught tap at the 2016 SOTA/Evergreen Playhouse Youth Musical Theatre Program.
Aris Rajala- Moving Together, Explore Dance, Explore Ballet, Lyrical
Aris started dancing at age 7 at Allen Creek Dance. Taking jazz and lyrical classes she began ballet and contemporary at age 11 and started pointe at age 13. Aris took gymnastics from ages 4-7 at Thorbecks fitness center. Aris grew up in a musical and theater loving family. She was in band from the age of 9-15 and started playing piano at the age of 3. Aris was part of the theater tech at Shelton high school; running lights sound and video production as well as making sets, doing costume makeup, and sewing costumes. Aris started training in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) in January 2019 and began assistant teaching in 2013 and teaching ballet, jazz, lyrical and contemporary in 2015.
Lisa Weber - Floor Barre®, Explore Ballet, Ballet
Lisa Weber Cochran has been dancing off and on since age 3. She is a certified instructor for the Zena Rommett Floor-Barre® Technique. Her childhood training was under Annie Galle, former dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, and Ed Collins, former Broadway dancer and actor. Throughout the years she has also studied with the School of the Hartford Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the University of Washington Dance Department, Johansen Olympia Dance Center and Centralia Ballet Academy.
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