Marysville Performing Arts Centre has been an active establishment in the Marysville are since 2002. We are also a home base for Charity Dance Project. Between these two entities we have multiple performance opportunities each year and a little something for everyone! We hope you'll come give us a chance to be your home-base for dance!

Emily Price - Owner/Instructor

Emily has enjoyed dancing since she was six years old. Loving all kinds of dance, she has trained in tap, jazz, modern, hip hop and ballet and is always happy to try something new. Growing up, she went to dance classes four nights a week before studying and performing with Western Washington University’s Dance Department, earning 35 credits (equivalent to a minor today) while earning a B.A. degree in English Literature in 2007 and a Masters in Teaching in 2011.

Emily has been teaching dance since 2003 at various studios and is also the owner of Marysville Performing Arts Centre. In addition to teaching dance, Emily spent 12 years teaching in public education including working with multiple school productions and musicals.

Charity Dance Project - a local dance/arts group whose main ambition is to organize arts events for charity purposes was founded by Emily. The group has hosted an annual fundraising event, organized community dance classes, and helped youth find the spotlight since 2014. Charity Dance Project has raised $8091 to date for community-based non-profits.

In an interest to serve the community to the best of her ability Emily is also a certified Rhythm Works Integrative dance instructor to help work with dancers who have different needs. Emily is currently 200 HR RYT and working on her 500 HR now; she loves sharing yoga with her students and her two kids, ages 6 and 4.

Charlotte Blanchett - Instructor

Charlotte has been dancing since the age of eight, after seeing the Radio City Rockettes on TV. She was determined to be a tap dancer just like them. After twenty-two years and studying forms of dance including Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Hip-Hop, Lyrical and Swing, Tap still remains her favorite. Charlotte studied dance as much as five days a week and was successful at competitions including the Tremaine convention and competition and the Paula Abdul Co-Dance competitions where she earned "High Silver(s)" for her own choreography at the age of 14. Charlotte has had experience both teaching classes and creating her own choreography for students and recital since high school. During college Charlotte continued to teach at multiple studios and earned her Associate of Arts degree from Edmonds Community College in 2005.

Charlotte has a passion for just about anything performance related and is always eager to learn new things. Charlotte performed with her high school's Theatre Department including the productions, "Anything Goes,"  where she tutored other students in Tap dancing and, "Crazy for You." She also did stage work for "Into the Woods". Charlotte spent several years in her schools woodwind and pep bands playing flute before dance took over the last of her free time.

Besides just dance, Charlotte believes that good community is achieve throuh helping one another in any way that we can. Charlotte has actively been involved in clubs and organizations that promote equality and anti-bullying messages since she was in high school. She also believes that extra-curricular activities help to shape our youth to be responisbile, structured, team players who put the whole of the group above the needs of just one. Through self-expression in a safe environment we learn there is beauty in all of our differences and that each individual has something special and unique to offer that can shape us all into something better. Charlotte also takes community one step farther by making an effort to support our local businesses whenever she can and by participating in Charity Dance Project, raising money for those who are less fortunate or a cause that is benefitting us all.

Charlotte is excited to work with the students of Marysville Performing Arts Centre! 

Teresa Hanawalt - Instructor

Teresa Hanawalt graduated Cornish College of the Arts with a BFA in dance in 2003.  Teresa danced with Kristina Dillard’s Big Red Dance Company in 2004 and 2005. In January 2006, Teresa’s piece ALL AGAINST ME was reset by Maya Soto on the Vancouver School of Arts and Academic’s dance company. Teresa has been co-artistic director of NorthWest Dance Syndrome, a collaborative modern dance company, for the past 5 years. 

Teresa has choreographed and performed professionally as part of NorthWest Dance Syndrome throughout the Seattle area, working with many artists and performing at a variety of venues. Teresa presented her choreography and performed at the Juan De Fuca Festival of the Arts in 2002 and with NorthWest Dance Syndrome in 2004 and 2007. She performed site specific work with NorthWest Dance Syndrome as part ofSiteWorks at the Tacoma Museum of Glass in 2006.  In January 2007, NorthWest Dance Syndrome produced their third full-length evening of dance premiering their new work Red Tent. In April 2007, NorthWest Dance Syndrome premiered Perch as part of the Walrus Dance Company’s production, Elegant Absurdities and guest performed in Exit Space’s spring show at the Broadway Performance Hall. 

Teresa also performed with NorthWest Dance Syndrome at 12 Minutes Max at On the Boards in March 2007, and was part of the 12 Minutes Max Showcase at Bumbershoot in September, 2007. In September and October, 2007, Teresa premiered a new choreographic work titled Angle Of Repose in NorthWest Dance Syndrome’s 4th full length evening of dance, CHARGING RHINOS. Teresa currently enjoys teaching at MPAC and PNB. 

Heather Smith - Office Manager

Heather has been married for 41 years and has three grown children (her pride and joy), along with four absolutely adorable grandkids.

As a parent, Heather has enjoyed watching her own daughters grow up with a passion and love for dance and performing. She was involved in most aspects of her own daughters dancing careers. Heather served on the Board of Directors for twelve years at another dance studio where she helped with fund raisers, organized costume orders, programs and many of the other details involved in recitals.

Heather has a background in customer service and is very detailed and organized. She loves to spend any time she can with her family and friends. She also enjoys scrapbooking and reading.

Heather is excited to be part of the staff at MPAC and is looking forward to seeing all of you!

Jan Hodgen - Office Staff

Jan has been part of the MPAC team since the studio opened in 2002. The same year her daughter began dancing at Marysville Performing Arts Centre. Jan and her husband married in 1985. They have three children and recently became proud grandparents.

Living in the Marysville/Arlington area her entire life, Jan has enjoyed volunteering for many organizations and events including the Marysville School District, PTA, Marysville Strawberry Festival, and the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

Jan loves spending time with her family, attending sporting events and working with the staff, parents and students at MPAC.

Kaitlyn Bostrom - Dance Instructor/Office Staff

Kaitlyn began dancing when she was 12 after years of doing Rhythmic Gymnastics and continued to dance ever since then. During her teen years she focused on performance and composition opportunities which lead her to work with After high school she went on the Cornish College of the Arts to pursue her BFA in Dance. During that time she choreographed and performed with many people in the Seattle area.

Alyson Bennett - Dance Instructor

Emily Holmes - Dance Instructor

Ian Howe - Guest Instructor

Ian Howe was inspired to start tap dancing at age 5 when he watched Savion Glover perform on Sesame Street.  He started training at a small studio in Woodinville, later moving to what would become his dance home for almost 18 years, Backstage Dance Studio owned by Marty Roberts.  While at Backstage, Ian competed regionally and nationally on their competitive dance team.  While competing he was able to take classes from greats like Frank Hatchet, Joe Tremaine and Joe Lantieri. In 2004, Ian took the incredible opportunity to travel and perform all over the world as a dancer and singer on Holland America Line, where he remained for almost eight years. Returning to both land (and his roots) in 2011, Ian started teaching again at Backstage, throwing himself into the hip-hop world and choreographing award-winning numbers for four years.

Ian became Owner + Artistic Director of Pacific West Performing Arts, serving two locations in both Snohomish & Lake Stevens in 2018.  He continues to teach at various studios around the Seattle area while also traveling around the US setting competitive choreography, running intensives and getting to meet some new and wonderfully inspiring dance teachers and students. In 2021 Ian Co-Founded, The Power of 3 Dance Training Intensive, with Chris Wendorff & Fernando Naranjo, traveling around the US bringing decades of experience into the studio space, training the next generation of dancers.
 

Ian performed regularly with 3rd Shift Dance under the direction of Xaviera Vandermay and he was also Associate Director for the 3rd Shift Dance Youth Ensemble.  With 3SD, Ian has had a plethora of performances, including live collaborative performances with musicians Caela Bailey, The Bad Tenants, Naomi Wachira, and Whitney Mongé, back up dancing for Fly Moon Royalty and Mike Illvester, music videos with Vespera, Naomi Wachira & Whitney Mongé, getting Gooed with photographer Meagan Hall of Blue Cone Studios, became community partners with the Lupus Foundation of America, performing on stage across the Pacific Northwest and Los Angeles.

Ian has choreographed numerous musicals, he works with Platinum National Dance Competition, Platinum Performance Plus Competition & Empire Dance Challenge as Judge, Emcee & Teacher. Ian & Karyn Tobin started “Apropos Motus” in 2021, their new dance company set to unveil new works in the Summer of 2022. He's worked with artists Lauren Edson, Eva Stone and he has many projects coming down the line!  Ian enjoys teaching all over and he hopes to continue to "Motivate & Inspire through Dance" wherever he goes.

WE ARE HIRING!

If you’re interested in joining our team please email your resume to emily@mpacdancestudio.com we are currently hiring for the 2023-2024 school year for the following positions:

Hip Hop

Saturday Morning Littles

Daytime Office Staff