FACULTY
Artistic Director, Ballet, Premiere Co.
CAROLYN FARRAR
Carolyn Farrar, known for her unparalleled classical ballet and pointe training, is accomplished in jazz, lyrical, modern, tap, yoga, gymnastics and character.
Dancing since the age of nine, her professional career is noted for six levels of training and certification in The Cecchetti Method of Ballet. Carolyn received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from The United States International University where she benefited from the exemplary training of Erling Sunde, the ballet Master and Elaine Thomas, the ballet mistress of England’s, Royal Ballet. After graduating from USIU, Carolyn went on to dance professionally under the direction of Ronn Guidi. There she performed in such famous works as, Les Sylphides, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker and Billy the Kid. In Washington, Carolyn received Vagonova training under Don and Helena Snyder, the founders of Ballet Petite. Here she performed in The Little Match Girl, The Centar and many other original works. She has remained a part of the Washington dance community ever since.
From 1992-2003 Carolyn has been the primary ballet teacher for The Dance Academy of Bellevue where she became a member of the Dance Masters of America (DMA) and The Dance Educators of America (DEA).
Throughout her competitive career, she has received numerous choreography awards. Her students have earned such prestigious titles as, 2nd and 3rd Runners up for Junior Miss Dance of the Pacific Northwest (DMA), Teen Mr. Dance of the Pacific Northwest (DMA), Miss Teen Dance of the Pacific Northwest (DEA), Miss Junior Dance of the Pacific Northwest (DEA), Miss Dance Rave, Miss Spotlight, Jr. Miss Spotlight, 5-6-7-8 Showtime’s Dancer of the Year and 1st Runner up Miss Teen Dance of America at the Las Vegas Nationals for Dance Educator’s of America.
In addition her students have been chosen for scholarships from Dance Masters of America, Dance Educators of America, LADF, Co. Dance, Rainbow Connections, Spotlight Dance Cup and many more for such things as workshop admission, National Ballet Intensive workshops at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and The Broadway Dance Center in New York.
Now, as a new page begins, Carolyn would like to introduce you to Premiere Dance Center, a state of the art facility with the highest quality teachers on the eastside. A place to have fun, to learn and to grow.
Hip Hop
ALI GAROUTTE
Ali Garoutte is a dancer, instructor, choreographer, and personal trainer based in Seattle, Washington. She has trained in hip hop, jazz, jazz funk, ballet, contemporary, tap, and heels dance. For the past 5 years she has been training and teaching at Kreativ Mndz Dance Complex where she was a member of PG Fam and KM Elite. Her credits include performances such as WE DAY Seattle, Jete and Carnival in LA, Monday night football halftime show with Ciara, assisting on the 541 Vibe City Tour, and more. She is a passionate student and teacher and loves to continue training to better her craft so that she can provide the best training to students that she can. Along with her passion for dance, Ali is also passionate about fitness. She has been a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise since 2017. Whether it be in fitness or dance, Ali loves helping people achieve their goals and aspirations, while creating a welcoming space where students feel free to express and be themselves.
Ballet
ALISON EPSOM
From London, England, Alison trained at The Royal Ballet School under Katya Zvelebilova and Valentina Moukhanova, before completing her training at The English National Ballet School and on scholarship at The London Studio Center, graduating with a BA Hons in Theatre Dance, First Class Honors. She has enjoyed a diverse career, with theater credits including: On Eagle’s Wing, U.S. tour and DVD (The Rembrandt Ballerina); Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film); show dance partner to Latin Ballroom legend Paul Killick for The Fire and Ice Dance Spectacular, Ballroom’s Best at The Vail International Festival of Dance,, Paul Killick’s ballroom exhibitions in London, Portugal and Hong Kong, and the prestigious Wintergarden Ballroom; Follies in Concert at The London Palladium. Since moving to Seattle she has enjoyed dancing for International Ballet Theatre in Dracula, Giselle, Coppelia and The Nutcracker. She also maintains her interest in ballroom dance, training in the American Smooth style and dancing in productions for Microsoft and the Hyatt Olive 8. Commercial credits include trade shows, campaigns and music videos for The Rakes, Sky TV, Unilever, Marks and Spencer, Tatler magazine, and Japanese dance magazine DDD.
Contemporary, Acro, Premiere Co.
DAKOTA ELIZABETH
Dakota Elizabeth is an artist from Seattle, WA who specializes in dance, photography, and makeup artistry. Raised in the PNW, Dakota trained at studios such as Premiere Dance Center, Westlake, and The Connection and specialized in contemporary, hip hop, and tap. She has trained under some of the industry's brightest including Daniel Cruz, Kolanie Marks, Cameron Lee, and many more. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Biology, she moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a photographer and makeup artist for companies such as Break The Floor and on several independent films. Dakota is now back in Seattle and is so excited to be back teaching at Premiere Dance Center! Check out www.dakotaelizabeth.com for more and be sure to follow @dakota.elizabeth on Instagram!
Contemporary, Jazz, Premiere Co.
DANA DOUTHWAITE
Dana Douthwaite is born and raised Seattle dancer. She began training seriously around the PNW at age 15 under Premiere Dance Center, Westlake and KreativMndz, specializing in contemporary, hip hop, jazz and tap. Dana has participated on local companies such as Hannah Wintrode’s Westsiders and Josh Scribner’s Alchemy Tap Project. In the past year, she was hired on as Celebrity Dance Convention’s Professional Assistant for the 2018-2019 season. This gave Dana the opportunities to perform on a cruise ship, assist professional choreographers such as Cat Cogliandro and Aaron Turner, and build relationships with dancers around the country. Dana has found a passion for teaching and choreographing and works is an essential part of Premiere Co. Currently Dana lives in Los Angeles, and visits Premiere regularly for pop-up classes and Premiere Co. events.
Adult Ballet, Silver Swans
EUGENIA ROJAS GARCIA
Eugenia has been a dance teacher for over 30 years. She started dancing when she was 6 years old in Mexico City, and studied until reaching the Advanced level from the Royal Academy of Dance. She was a fellow of the Compania Nacional de Danza and a member of Ballet Arte Neoclasico. She is an ARAD RTS registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance of London, she also has knowledge in jazz, contemporary and character dance. She was owner and director of a dance school, Academia del Desierto, in Mexico City for 9 years where she also worked with challenged kids. After that she moved to Barcelona, Spain where she kept teaching in a number of schools for 7 years. Then she returned to Oaxaca, Mexico where she had another dance school, Espacio de Danza Aguyaa, for four years until 2013 when she moved to Washington. We look forward to having Eugenia share her experience and knowledge of dance with our Premiere Dance Center students.
Tiny Tots, Acro, Jazz, Tap
FUMI HASHIMOTO
COMING SOON...
Tiny Tots, Jazz, Premiere Co.
HANNA ORBAN
Hanna has been dancing with Premiere Dance Center ever since she was 6 years old. She has enjoyed learning many forms of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and lyrical. Hanna began competitively dancing at the age of 10. During her time on the team she’s enjoyed winning many awards alongside her fellow teammates and has received scholarships from well-known artists. Just a couple years ago Hanna had the opportunity to assist a Tiny Tots class where she fell in love with the little kids. Hanna is very excited to be sharing her knowledge and passion for dance with the younger students at Premiere Dance Center.
Tap, Premiere Co.
JOSH SCRIBNER
Josh Scribner trained in tap dance for ten years under one of Seattle's tap icons, Cheryl Johnson, where he had the opportunity to study with heavyweights like Savion Glover, Sam Weber, Dianne Walker and Van Porter. As an adult, he has toured with Cirque du Soleil and the Las Vegas-based Iron Beats, appeared on the TV show Showtime at the Apollo at New York's famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, and participated in the creation process for Cirque du Soleil's Zaia. As much as he loves performing, Josh found another passion in choreography and instruction, and has spent the last ten years developing Premiere Dance Center's tap program for all ages and ability levels, as well as teaching workshops and setting choreography on dancers around the US and Canada. In 2012, he founded the Alchemy Tap Project, a performance company dedicated to experimenting and furthering the evolution of the art form. It has quickly become a regular presence on stages around the Seattle area, performing at Benaroya Hall, the Seattle Art Museum, the Can Can, Folklife Festival, and many more. When not tap dancing, Josh is an avid cyclist and reader, and is currently working toward a degree in Climate Science and Policy from the University of Washington.
Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, Premiere Co.
KRISTINA KOUMAEVA
Kristina Koumaeva (she/her) is a professional dancer, educator, and choreographer represented by BLOC and Big Fish NW. She grew up as a competitive dancer in the greater Seattle area and graduated from the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. During her undergraduate, she had the opportunity to travel the US assisting Nuvo dance convention, dance with the UW Cheer and Pom squad, and perform with The Three Yells modern dance company. After completing her undergrad, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a commercial dance career. During her 3 years in LA, she danced in commercials and events for luxury brands such as Gucci, Hermes, Redken, and Louboutin, performed with a handful of musical artists including JoJo Siwa and Justin Timberlake, and had the opportunity to work for amazing choreographers such as: Marty Kudleka, Ivan Koumaev, Richy Jackson, Chris Scott, Teddy Forance, Dana Wilson, Andrew Winghart, Carine Charaire, and Olivier Casamayou. She was also a manager for Millennium Dance Complex and the HUB, a Versaclimber trainer at CRUX, and produced events with Artists Creating Entertainment. She likes to say that she “wears many hats and dances in any shoe.” In July of 2020 Kristina relocated back to the PNW and pursued her passions for teaching, choreographing, and performing. You can find her on the weekly schedule at Premiere Dance Center teaching jazz and contemporary and mentoring the competitive dancers of Premiere Co. while also dancing in/creating work around Seattle. Aside from dance, Kristina loves to explore different corners of the world through cooking, travel, and live music with her partner, Josh, and their rescue pup, Banjo.
Tiny Tots, Tap, Premiere Co.
KRISTINA MORRIS
Kristina first began dancing as a five year old at Premiere Dance Center. She has continued her training in a variety of styles including Hip Hop, Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, Contemporary and Tap ever since. At the age of ten, she entered into the Teacher Assistant Training Program at Premiere Dance Center. She developed a passion to work closely with dancers to encourage their improvement in all styles of dance. While a part of the Premiere Dance Center Competition Team, she has received numerous scholarships and has been recognized by some of the best in the industry. She is currently a member of Alchemy Tap Project, a professional tap company that performs in a number of gigs and shows throughout Washington State. Kristina is excited to be a part of the Premiere Dance Center faculty where she plans to use her knowledge and experience to help younger dancers achieve their dreams.
Contemporary, Ballet, Tap
PAIGE DOMINGUEZ
Paige Dominguez began dancing at the age of 4, fell in love immediately, and has never stopped. She progressed through the years to train in many styles, including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop and modern. She began training very seriously at Premiere Dance Center at age 11, and performed on the competition team for 2 seasons. At age 14, she began training at Westlake Dance Center under the instruction of renowned Seattle dance teachers, such as Hannah Wintrode, Zaydi Ong, Kirsten Cooper, Phi Voba and many others. During her training, she began to perform all over Seattle with different dance groups. She performed in shows such as Foundry10, Sign Of The Times, Moisture Festival, Kreativ Mindz: Unrated, Alchemy Tap Project: Beatscience, and many others. Currently, Paige is spending her time training with Josh Scribner and performing with Alchemy Tap Project across Washington, as well as attending Cascadia Community College.
Contemporary, Ballet, Jazz
TYLER DUNCAN
Tyler was born and raised in the PNW and began dancing at a young age. Before he began dancing, Tyler trained and performed in musical theater from the age of 6 with Tacoma Children’s Theater which brought him to the world of dancing. Tyler has trained in and taught styles such as Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Theater, and Commercial.
Tyler has trained in dance with Tacoma City Ballet under direction of Erin Cerigioli and with Allegro Performing Arts Academy. During High-school he split his time with Westlake Dance Center training in commercial-focused styles such as Hip-Hop and Jazz Funk as well as Classical Jazz training with Kirsten Cooper. During his sophomore year he began focusing on more technical work and trained and performed in Ballet Northwest’s Company in Olympia, Washington. Tyler has performed in works such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Currently, he lives in Seattle Washington and teaches all over the pacific northwest. Tyler professionally dances for a Seattle based male contemporary company, Artistry in Motion; As well as a professional heel dancing company, Z.Theory, where he performs in Seattle as well as Los Angeles.
Contemporary
VALARIE SANTOY
Valarie is a recent PNW transplant from Texas. She began dancing in middle school and quickly fell in love. During her young years, she had opportunities to perform and compete with her studio. After high school graduation, she took some time off from dance to pursue her education in mental health services. After only a few years away she realized she missed being in the studio. Valarie began to attend adult classes to train and was able to connect to the dance community in Dallas, Texas. Through training, she was able to connect with several studios including Contemporary Ballet Dallas, Park Cities Studio, Live Arts Conservatory, and Art of VIII. These connections opened doors to performing with several dance companies. Her love for dance was reignited and although she loves to perform she finds great joy in being in the studio and sharing space with students whether that be kids or adults.
GUEST FACULTY (SUMMER)
Musical Theatre, Jazz Progressions, Stretch & Strength
CHLOE ALBIN
Chloe Albin (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist. She grew up dancing in the Seattle-area, and received her collegiate education from Chapman University. She continued her jazz, ballet, tap, modern, and contemporary training within Chapman's rigorous, high-caliber dance department.
Chloe has performed on regional, national, and international stages, including on London's West End. Most recently, she performed on the international tour of "The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show". She also serves as Dance Director for BenDeLaCreme Presents.
Other stage credits include works by Cafe Nordo, Cameo Lethem, The Three Yells, and Wade Madsen. Film credits include BenDeLaCreme's “The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Special” (Apple TV, Amazon Prime).
Chloe teaches and choreographs for dance studios, and choreographs musicals for high school theatre programs (past productions include “Chicago”, “Anything Goes”, and “Beauty and the Beast”). She strives to create a positive environment in which her students feel motivated to take risks, widen their knowledge of dance, and discover their own joy of movement. Stay connected with her work at chloealbin.com!
Jazz, Floorwork, Stretch & Strength,
MARIKA JAFFE
COMING SOON...
Jazz Funk, Grooves
ISAIAH RASHAAD
Isaiah was born and raised here in Seattle, WA. He found his love for dancing and performing early on as music videos, award shows, magazines and radio hits became his fuel for pursuing stage and entertainment. He joined high school dance teams, musical theater programs, performance training groups and trained with some of our most prominent hometown choreographers; Isaac Tee, Daniel Cruz, Alvedo Hobson, Maxie Jamal and Kabby Mitchell among many others.
After receiving a scholarship at Monsters of Hip-Hop Seattle in 2009, he was granted the opportunity to move to Los Angeles, CA to pursue his passion for performance. Making his mark on the industry, Isaiah had the opportunity to work alongside some of the best choreographers in the industry. Tina Landon, Tanisha Scott, Kevin Maher and Rich and Tone to name a few. He’s also worked with world renowned musical recording artists Rihanna, Chris Brown, Kelly Rowland, Todrick Hall, Shangela, and Jane Zhang.
Isaiah’s love for performance art and travel has allowed him to see the world through a more artistic lens. Connecting his experiences through music, art, life, and movement, he’s had the opportunity to create for major brands such as Ubisoft Just Dance, Porsche, Adidas, Nike, Skoda and Ed Hardy. From China to Thailand, Korea, Hawaii, and other studios around the U.S., Isaiah has been able to teach, connect and build community with dancers all around the world.
Isaiah is now the Creative Director and Founder of “A Day with Zay” (ADWZ)” a company that focuses on artist development, performance training, personal branding, and content creation. He is also the founder of “Zay’s Baes”, a performance heels company that works to empower and encourage the community through dance. He is also the Co-Founder of “Camera & Choreo”, a workshop designed to provide an on-camera training experience with performance choreography and live music!
Isaiah’s main mission has always been to equip, empower and prepare upcoming artists and dancers who are looking to work in any capacity of the entertainment industry. His mission has always been community and bringing the world together through art, music and movement.