Anacortes Dance School - Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop and Modern dance for preschool, elementary and adult students

Studio Staff

New Dance Instructors Always Welcome!
Fidalgo DanceWorks, a thriving non-profit in Anacortes devoted to dance education, is seeking to expand its excellent team of instructors. We offer classes for all ages in many forms, including ballet, hip hop, modern, tap, and more. Inspired by dance and passionate about passing on the art? Come join our creative staff! Competitive wages. Call (360) 299-8447 or contact us at dance@fidalgodanceworks.org for more information.

Glynna Goff
Executive Director
Glynna's life-long love of dance began at the age of three. She has studied with the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York, the Bella Lewitsky Dance Company in Long Beach, and was a featured dancer in Benita Bike's DanceArt Company in Los Angeles, as well as a choreographer in her own right. Glynna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, Dance and Theatre Emphasis, from Chapman University in Orange, California and is a graduate of the Professional Actor's Conservatory, a classical theatre school based on the American Conservatory Theater School in San Francisco.

Corrie Befort
Corrie Befort has been choreographing, performing and training internationally for the past 12 years including 2005-2008 in Japan. She is now dually based in Seattle and Anacortes, where she lives with her US Navy Chief husband. Corrie holds a BFA in Dance from Cornish College and trained to teach Dance for Parkinson's™ with the Mark Morris Dance for PDÂ® program (NYC). She has been teaching classes in Kirkland through Evergreen Hospital and Seattle Theater Group for the past two years. In Seattle, she also co-directs the dance company Salt Horse, producing and touring evening-length pieces and teaching workshops. Websites: www.cBefort.com & www.SaltHorsePerformance.com.

Cynthia Langston
A life-long devotee of dance in every style from ballet to ballroom, Cynthia received training from Juline School of Dance in Modesto, California, and gained performing and stage experience with Bravo! Repertory Dance Theatre (now Central West Ballet). Three years ago, she moved to Washington with her husband and two children, Draven and Aydrech. After taking a break from teaching to raise children, Cynthia is very excited to begin teaching and dancing again, sharing her passion for dance with others.

Sonya McNett
Sonya was trained in Canada under the Royal Academy of Dancing, earning Honors in her senior exam. She has been teaching Ballet and children’s dance classes since 1979, 8 years at Oak Harbor Academy of Dance where she was also co-founder of Dance Alive!, a non-profit childrens’ performing group. After moving to Anacortes she started Fidalgo Performing Arts School and was the owner/director for 10 years. After a brief retirement she is happy to be dancing and teaching again.

Jeanne Robson
Jeanne has been with Fidalgo DanceWorks since its founding. Trained in classical ballet and modern dance, she began her early training at the Atlanta School of Ballet and the School of American Ballet in New York. In Seattle, Jeanne danced professionally with Pacific Northwest Ballet. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Western Washington University and enjoys teaching all ages.

Breanna Seymour

Silja Shjarback
Silja has danced since she was three years old, starting with ballet and moving to modern in high school. She entered UCLA as a dance major, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology – the study of movement; and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Calfornia State University at Long Beach. She practiced as a Physical Therapist in Seattle for ten years, where she danced at the Creative Dance Center. She has two daughters with her husband Eric and enjoys exploring movement with young children!

Lynn Simonson
Advisory Member
Lynn teaches adult jazz. A founding director of Dance New Amsterdam in New York City, Lynn created the Simonson Technique, a concert jazz dance form founded on anatomically based principles of body awareness and alignment currently taught in 19 countries. She was director of the Jazz Project and New Vision for Dance at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival for 12 years. Lynn continues to train future teachers in NYC and teaches master classes worldwide, when away from Anacortes.

Lorrie Steele
Co-founder of The Dance Center
Lorrie started dance at 5 years old. She studied with Galina Ostashinko (Russian) and Janet Hayslip (jazz, tap and French ballet) in the Midwest. She later received training in the Cecchetti method with Betty Vehilig in California, and has more than 20 years in French, Vaganova and Bournonville techniques. Lorrie has danced with professional school companies and with 'pickup' companies in St Louis, MO and Long Beach, CA.

Courtland Weaver

Courtland Weaver studied at the University of Utah on the Willem F. Christensen Scholarship, then danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet of Los Angeles, Ballet Arizona, and as guest artist in several companies throughout the western United States. In 1991, he began dancing with Le Ballet du Rhin, the French national company of the Alsace region, then returned to the US to dance for the 1994 San Francisco Opera season. Mr. Weaver lived in France until 2002, working as a guest artist, teaching at several private dance schools in the Basel/Mulhouse/Colmar region, and modeling and choreographing for industrial shows. He continued dancing and choreographing with a small group of friends in Art'Maniac, a guerilla modern dance company.

Mr. Weaver joined Alaska Dance Theatre, in Anchorage, in September 2002 and was Associate Director from 2004 - 2009. He choreographed for ADT concerts and collaborations with other Anchorage arts organizations, including the 2009 celebration of the 50th anniversary of Alaska statehood at the Dena'ina Center. Through ADT he also taught ballet for the University of Alaska, Anchorage, from 2002 - 2009, and choreographed a number of works for East Anchorage High School's Contempo dance group and for Anchorage Ballet.

He attended Robert Redford's Sundance Institute Dance to Video workshop in 1988, received the Anchorage Concert Association's Educator of the Year Award in 2004, attended the Dance USA Director's Conference in Seattle in June 2005, and was a panelist for the National Endowment of the Arts Grant Review Commission for Dance in Washington, DC, in December 2005.

Paula Clancey
Co-founder of The Dance Center
Paula, co-founder of The Dance Center, now Fidalgo DanceWorks, has been teaching and choreographing dance for 40 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Ohio University and did post-graduate study in dance at Ohio State. She danced professionally for 16 years, dancing first with The Cleveland Ballet Guild, Fairmont Dance Theater, Dance Theater Seattle/Bill Evans Dance and then as a solo artist and master teacher.

Board Members

Annette Woolsey
President of the Board

Carol Bergner
Vice-President & Secretary

Lowell Doyle
Treasurer

John Guinn
Board Member

Pamela Caper
Board Member

Annette Olson
Board Member

Lynn Simonson
Advisory Member

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Home About Us Events Classes Staff Gallery FAQ & Forms Location & Hours Contact Us Upcoming Events Monday - April 02 Spring Break--Studio Closed Monday - May 28 Memorial Day--Studio Closed Saturday - June 09 June Dance Concert More Events »	Studio Staff New Dance Instructors Always Welcome! Fidalgo DanceWorks, a thriving non-profit in Anacortes devoted to dance education, is seeking to expand its excellent team of instructors. We offer classes for all ages in many forms, including ballet, hip hop, modern, tap, and more. Inspired by dance and passionate about passing on the art? Come join our creative staff! Competitive wages. Call (360) 299-8447 or contact us at dance@fidalgodanceworks.org for more information. Glynna Goff Executive Director Glynna's life-long love of dance began at the age of three. She has studied with the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York, the Bella Lewitsky Dance Company in Long Beach, and was a featured dancer in Benita Bike's DanceArt Company in Los Angeles, as well as a choreographer in her own right. Glynna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, Dance and Theatre Emphasis, from Chapman University in Orange, California and is a graduate of the Professional Actor's Conservatory, a classical theatre school based on the American Conservatory Theater School in San Francisco. Corrie Befort Corrie Befort has been choreographing, performing and training internationally for the past 12 years including 2005-2008 in Japan. She is now dually based in Seattle and Anacortes, where she lives with her US Navy Chief husband. Corrie holds a BFA in Dance from Cornish College and trained to teach Dance for Parkinson's™ with the Mark Morris Dance for PDÂ® program (NYC). She has been teaching classes in Kirkland through Evergreen Hospital and Seattle Theater Group for the past two years. In Seattle, she also co-directs the dance company Salt Horse, producing and touring evening-length pieces and teaching workshops. Websites: www.cBefort.com & www.SaltHorsePerformance.com. Cynthia Langston A life-long devotee of dance in every style from ballet to ballroom, Cynthia received training from Juline School of Dance in Modesto, California, and gained performing and stage experience with Bravo! Repertory Dance Theatre (now Central West Ballet). Three years ago, she moved to Washington with her husband and two children, Draven and Aydrech. After taking a break from teaching to raise children, Cynthia is very excited to begin teaching and dancing again, sharing her passion for dance with others. Sonya McNett Sonya was trained in Canada under the Royal Academy of Dancing, earning Honors in her senior exam. She has been teaching Ballet and children’s dance classes since 1979, 8 years at Oak Harbor Academy of Dance where she was also co-founder of Dance Alive!, a non-profit childrens’ performing group. After moving to Anacortes she started Fidalgo Performing Arts School and was the owner/director for 10 years. After a brief retirement she is happy to be dancing and teaching again. Jeanne Robson Jeanne has been with Fidalgo DanceWorks since its founding. Trained in classical ballet and modern dance, she began her early training at the Atlanta School of Ballet and the School of American Ballet in New York. In Seattle, Jeanne danced professionally with Pacific Northwest Ballet. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Western Washington University and enjoys teaching all ages. Breanna Seymour Silja Shjarback Silja has danced since she was three years old, starting with ballet and moving to modern in high school. She entered UCLA as a dance major, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology – the study of movement; and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Calfornia State University at Long Beach. She practiced as a Physical Therapist in Seattle for ten years, where she danced at the Creative Dance Center. She has two daughters with her husband Eric and enjoys exploring movement with young children! Lynn Simonson Advisory Member Lynn teaches adult jazz. A founding director of Dance New Amsterdam in New York City, Lynn created the Simonson Technique, a concert jazz dance form founded on anatomically based principles of body awareness and alignment currently taught in 19 countries. She was director of the Jazz Project and New Vision for Dance at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival for 12 years. Lynn continues to train future teachers in NYC and teaches master classes worldwide, when away from Anacortes. Lorrie Steele Co-founder of The Dance Center Lorrie started dance at 5 years old. She studied with Galina Ostashinko (Russian) and Janet Hayslip (jazz, tap and French ballet) in the Midwest. She later received training in the Cecchetti method with Betty Vehilig in California, and has more than 20 years in French, Vaganova and Bournonville techniques. Lorrie has danced with professional school companies and with 'pickup' companies in St Louis, MO and Long Beach, CA. Courtland Weaver Courtland Weaver studied at the University of Utah on the Willem F. Christensen Scholarship, then danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet of Los Angeles, Ballet Arizona, and as guest artist in several companies throughout the western United States. In 1991, he began dancing with Le Ballet du Rhin, the French national company of the Alsace region, then returned to the US to dance for the 1994 San Francisco Opera season. Mr. Weaver lived in France until 2002, working as a guest artist, teaching at several private dance schools in the Basel/Mulhouse/Colmar region, and modeling and choreographing for industrial shows. He continued dancing and choreographing with a small group of friends in Art'Maniac, a guerilla modern dance company. Mr. Weaver joined Alaska Dance Theatre, in Anchorage, in September 2002 and was Associate Director from 2004 - 2009. He choreographed for ADT concerts and collaborations with other Anchorage arts organizations, including the 2009 celebration of the 50th anniversary of Alaska statehood at the Dena'ina Center. Through ADT he also taught ballet for the University of Alaska, Anchorage, from 2002 - 2009, and choreographed a number of works for East Anchorage High School's Contempo dance group and for Anchorage Ballet. He attended Robert Redford's Sundance Institute Dance to Video workshop in 1988, received the Anchorage Concert Association's Educator of the Year Award in 2004, attended the Dance USA Director's Conference in Seattle in June 2005, and was a panelist for the National Endowment of the Arts Grant Review Commission for Dance in Washington, DC, in December 2005. Paula Clancey Co-founder of The Dance Center Paula, co-founder of The Dance Center, now Fidalgo DanceWorks, has been teaching and choreographing dance for 40 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Ohio University and did post-graduate study in dance at Ohio State. She danced professionally for 16 years, dancing first with The Cleveland Ballet Guild, Fairmont Dance Theater, Dance Theater Seattle/Bill Evans Dance and then as a solo artist and master teacher. Board Members Annette Woolsey President of the Board Carol Bergner Vice-President & Secretary Lowell Doyle Treasurer John Guinn Board Member Pamela Caper Board Member Annette Olson Board Member Lynn Simonson Advisory Member
Copyright 2012 Fidalgo Danceworks. All Rights Reserved. 901 3rd St. Anacortes, WA 98221 Phone: 360-299-8447