News

Mandy Moore Workshop Date Changed!

Mandy Moore's Advanced Jazz workshop time has changed to Wednesday, July 1, 8:30-10pm.

Westlake Performing Group Auditions

The Westlake Performing Group is looking for advanced dancers in jazz, contemporary, and ballet, ages 13-20 years old.

Auditions are July 5th at 10am (check in at 9:30am). Additional information and contracts are available at the WDC front desk beginning June 25th.

For more information, contact Kirsten Cooper (director) at kcdance@msn.com.

New Classes at Westlake!

Cameron Lee is back from performing and teaching in China. Cameron is teaching Contemporary, Fridays 5:30-6:30 starting June 19 and Advanced Hip Hop, Fridays 8:30-10:00 starting June 12. Cameron will be heading back to China in September so come take from him this summer while he is home.

Natasha Greenwalt begins teaching Ballet IV, Thursdays 4:00-5:30 starting July 2.

WDC is closed July 4!

The studio will be closed in observance of Independence Day on July 4. The studio reopens Monday, July 6. Enjoy the holiday!

Summer Master Classes at Westlake

Join us for an exciting series of master classes this summer at Westlake! All classes are $20. Class cards cannot be used for master classes.

  • June 15, 7:30-9pm: Elizabeth Parkinson (Fosse and Moving Out) teaches Advanced Jazz
  • June 29, 7:30-9pm: Mary Ann Lamb (Chicago, Fosse) teaches Advanced Jazz
  • June 30, 8-9:30pm: Mandy Moore (So You Think You Can Dance, Celine Dion Tour) teaches Advanced Jazz
  • July 2, 7:30-9pm: Dominic Chaiduang (Wicked Nationa Tour, Celine Dion World Tour, Dancing With the  Stars, and former Westlake dancer) teaches Advanced Lyrical

New Class: Belly Dancing with Suzanna Starts June 1

Dance with mystical power and grace and embody the magic of this captivating art form.

Suzanna guides you through an intensive hour of belly dance drills and hot combos, awakening powerful hidden core strength, and skillfully engaging essential body mechanics and subtle weight shifts to develop accurate muscle memory, musicality, movement vocabulary, and improvisational capacity. A great start for beginners as well as a technical foundation builder for practicing dancers of all disciplines.

Suzanna has offered classes and private coaching in Seattle since 2004. Students experience growth at a turbo pace through her incisive teaching style and wealth of knowledge acquired from years of performance as well as travels and field study with Egypt's most renowned choreographers.

Suzanna's Belly Dance class meets Mondays in Studio 1 from 5:30-6:30 starting June 1.

New Class: Lyrical II with Lauren Witmer Starting May 6

Join Lauren Witmer for her new Lyrical II class Wednesdays at 7:30 in Studio 1!

Westlake Performing Group presents Unplugged

Watch the talented dancers of the Westlake Performance Group in our annual in-house show, Westlake Unplugged, May 16 at 6:30pm and 8:30pm.

Space is limited so pre-purchase your tickets now at the WDC Front Desk. Tickets can be purchased for $10 pre-sale or $12 at the door by cash or check made out to "WPG". (Front desk hours are 5:15pm-9pm Monday-Friday, 10am-2pm Saturday.)

Dancers interested in joining Westlake Performing Group for the 2009-10 year should stay tuned for audition date announcements (auditions will be most likely be held in June or September).

Free Yoga and Pilates April 22 - May 7!

Come find out for yourself why Yoga and Pilates are so beneficial for dancers — core strength, balance, alignment, flexability  and body awareness.

Try Yoga and Pilates for free from April 22 to May 7 to see why these forms of training are a must for dancers:

  • Yoga Strengthening with Charlotte Howe : Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30
  • Pilates / Modern witih Angela Schaffer : Thursdays, 5:30-6:30

R&B Gospel Group Triiiune at Westlake

R&B Gospel group Triiiune will be singing live for Sheri Lewis's Jazz lll/lV class on Monday, April 20th at 7:30. Come dance to incredible live music!

Master Classes with Bryan Tanaka

Bryan Tanaka is currently on tour with Rihanna, has toured with Destiny's Child, Mariah Carey and more.

Bryan taught at Westlake Dance Center, performed with Team Boogiezone.com - Breed (as dance captain/choreographer), Cruz Control, Twisted Elegance, and the Sonics Dance Team before he moved to LA and danced professionally.

Bryan Tanaka teaches Hip Hop master classes at Westlake on Sunday, April 5:

2-3pm: Hip Hop I, $15.
3-4:30pm: Hip Hop IV, $18.

No class cards.

In-house Improv Show

Join us Saturday, March 28 for improv dance, live music, theater sports, and much more

The Improv Show will be held in Studio 1 at Westlake Dance Center.

Only $7.00!

New Hip Hop I/II with Niecey Chong

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Malaysian-born / Seattle native Niecey discovered her love for dance in high school, training at Westlake Dance Center under the guidance of Daniel Cruz. Past and present companies include KINetics, In-Effect, Boogiezone " Breed" Seattle, Cruz Control, Girls Gone Buck, and Asylum Dance Company.

As a teacher, Niecey instructed and administered the popular Hip Hop dance courses at the ASUW Experimental College for three years. She also taught at Mercer Island's Definitive Dance Studio in 2007, teaching both advanced and beginning level classes to young students. She also coached the studio's competitive hip hop team, garnering an impressive 1st Place Group Category/Platinum rating at International Dance Challenge, and 1st Place Overall Category/Platinum rating at West Coast Dance Explosion.

As a dancer, LA Niecey assisted Miss Prissy in her Krump classes at Debbie Reynolds Studio. She is also a member of Miss Prissy's all-female Krump crew, "Girls Gone Buck". Niecey's credits include 'Battle of Seattle' with Daniel Cruz, Dance This! at the Paramount, Boogiezone's 'EVE: Dawn of a New Horizon', Krump Awards, Battlezone, Choreographer's Carnival, Team Millennia Summer Intensive Showcase, a TV pilot directed by Teresa Espinosa and choreographed by Lindsey B. (both from Beat Freaks of ABDC), and recently REDKEN Industrial choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo and Gustavo Vargas. Niecey is represented by MSA Agency.

She will be teaching Hip Hop I/II every Friday from 7:30-8:30pm in Studio 2 at Westlake Dance Center....as well as teaching Advanced HipHop on Tuesdays from 9-10pm at Connection Performing Arts Center, and HipHop on Wednesdays from 7-8pm at BPDC.

Her class is a mix of both Hip Hop and House. I think everyone can agree that her style is definitely different but really, really DOPE!!! Check out her videos on Facebook!!!

She's one teacher that you will definitely get much wisdom, style, and technique to help advance your skills and swag to higher levels!