Faculty

Anne Green Gilbert started her teaching career as an elementary school teacher in Chicago where she first used movement to teach the academic curriculum. In 1981, Anne founded the Creative Dance Center, a school specializing in dance education for infants through adults and Kaleidoscope, a modern dance company of young people. Anne is the author of Teaching the Three Rs Through Movement (1977), Creative Dance for All Ages (1992), and Brain-Compatible Dance Education (2006). She has produced two DVD's, Teaching Creative Dance (2002) and BrainDance (2003). As a member of the Arts Education Standards project, she helped write the Washington State Dance Standards and Learning Goals. Anne has received a number of awards for her teaching and service to dance education including the prestigious American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Honor Award (1999) and the NDA Dance Scholar/Artist Award (2005). Anne directs the Summer Dance Institute for Teachers, now in it's 14th year at the Creative Dance Center, and is in demand throughout the world for her fun, engaging, and transforming workshops.

Ines Andrade has been teaching at CDC since Fall 2000. She received her BFA from University of Florida/New World School for the Arts with honors in dance & choreography. She has performed, choreographed and taught young children in Paris, Florida, and the San Juan Islands before moving to Seattle. Ines is currently part of the Seattle Early Dance Company and performs various other dance styles.

Tom Bergersen (dance musician) works with the University of Washington Dance Department and with PNB. He has worked previously with Bochinche's school program, and with Bill Evans. Currently Tom performs with the Seattle based Latin Jazz group, Sonando.

Eric Chappelle (Music Director) has been creating music with dance for over 20 years. He works with many local theaters and has composed and produced four exceptional compact disc volumes of Music for Creative Dance.

Sara Coiley received her BA in Theatre Arts Performance and Education from Central Washington University, graduating with honors for performance/choreography. She has taught art, musical theatre, drama, and dance to students of all ages in university, public schools and studios since 1994. She studied extensively with international movement educator Anne Green Gilbert, joining her faculty at the Creative Dance Center in 2000, where she embraced the philosophy of brain compatible/conceptual education and forged this with her own belief that all children have the right to dance with meaning and joy! She also teaches and choreographs for Village Theatre's Kidstage, and is the founder/artistic director of Little Stars, a mobile preschool dance education program.

Christy Fisher is a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher and a practitioner of Kripalu for over 12 years. She is also a certified Laban Movement Analyst, a dancer and choreographer. Christy enjoys teaching people of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging attitudes of acceptance and fun.

Jessica Gleason is a graduate of UW with a degree in dance. Since graduating she has been performing and teaching throughout the Seattle area. Jessica has twice attended the Creative Dance Center's Summer Dance Institute for Teachers.

Theresa (Terry) Goetz is Director of Education and Outreach for the Creative Dance Center in Seattle, Washington. Terry has been on the faculty of the Creative Dance Center since 2000 and began training intensively with Anne Green Gilbert in 1997. Terry has taught in preschools, elementary classrooms, and dance studios throughout the Seattle area since retiring from Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1995. Prior to performing with PNB, she was a member of Pittsburgh Ballet Theater from 1986-1988. She presents to PEPS groups and Early Childhood specialists focusing on the importance of movement in the early years of life, and trains educators in BrainDance and Brain-Compatible Dance Education. Terry is an active member of the NDEO and DEAW.

Gail Heilbron has a MFA in Dance/Theater from Case Western Reserve University. She has been a dancer, teacher, and choreographer for 30+ years including artistic director of Co-Motion Dance.

Helen Landalf has been teaching Creative Dance in local preschools since 1987. She is the author of five books for teachers, including Moving the Earth: Teaching Earth Science through Movement and Moving is Relating: Exploring Interpersonal Skills through Movement.

Anna Mansbridge has been teaching at CDC since Fall 1999. She has also created three pieces on Kaleidoscope Dance Company, and is the Mentorship Coordinator at CDC. Anna has a Bachelor degree in Dance and Education from the UK, and an MFA from Mills College, CA. In addition to her work at CDC, Anna is the Artistic Director of Seattle Early Dance which specializes in reconstructing the court dances of 16th-18th century Europe. Anna is the proud mother of Isabelle.

Rebecca Schroeder received her BFA in dance at California State University Long Beach. She has performed and taught in New York City, California, and Washington. Currently, she teaches ballet and modern dance throughout the Seattle area. Rebecca holds a certificate from the Creative Dance Center’s Summer Dance Institute for Teachers.

Jennifer Shevitz was a dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet for seven years. Following her dance career she became a massage therapist and is currently working with the ballet. Two of her specialties outside the ballet include pregnancy massage and teaching infant massage to parents and caregivers. Jen is enjoying teaching the babies and toddlers this year at CDC. She did the Summer Dance Institute in 2004 and has been teaching ever since. Jen is also the mother of two-and-a-half year-old girl who has been dancing since she was four months old.

Meghan Sissom graduated from the University of Colorado with a double major in psychology and sociology. She has over eight years experience working with children and teenagers specializing in the areas of at risk youth and youth with special needs. She has danced all her life engaging in many different forms including jazz, tap, ballet, African, modern, swing, and improvisational dance and continues her journey with dance here in Seattle.

Jamie Stults is a graduate of UW with a degree in Dance, and she has twice attended Creative Dance Center’s Summer Dance Institute for Teachers. Besides training in dance, athletics and martial arts, she has also volunteered at local physical therapy clinics and incorporates this anatomical information in her classes. Jamie has taught dance for all ages in the Seattle area, as well as coaching high school lacrosse, developmental movement for toddlers and gymnastics for children.

Bridget Thompson is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® practitioner and director of m’illumino, movement arts and education center. She has been a dancer all her life and some years ago started BOLD, a company for dancers over 40. She also co-founded Next Stage Dance Theatre, and has taught creative and contemporary dance as well as yoga for the past 30 years in the States, Europe and her native Africa. Her passion is in learning and healing through movement, which she pursues both in her Feldenkrais practice and in the study of Aikido.