Ambassadors

Dance Wire Ambassadors are dancers and leaders. Their role is to help us stay connected to the wide array of dance activity happening in Portland, by bringing their unique collection of experiences and insights to the table. Please meet our 2019 Ambassadors who have a combined total of 292 years experience in dance!

Sivagami Vanka

Sivagami "Shivy" Vanka

years dancing: 45
years in Portland: 33
styles: Classical Indian, Bharathanatyam
current titles: Founder + Artistic Director of Kalabharathi School of Dance
favorite dance quote: "When spirituality, reverence, and discipline are brought to art, something special is bound to happen." White Plain Times

Kenya Márquez

years dancing: 39
years in Portland: 16
styles: Mexican Folkloric Dance, Middle East Dances, basic aerial
current titles: Founder: Artistic Director and performer of Ballet Papalotl (Authentic Culture and Mexican Dance). Freelance choreographer. Dance instructor of Cultural International Dances for after school program, at Portland Public Schools/SUN/ IRCO
favorite dance quote: "If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it". “Si pudiera decirlo con palabras, no tendría que bailar” -Isadora Duncan
Kenya Márquez
Kelsey Leonard

Kelsey Leonard

years dancing: 26
years in Portland: 25
styles: tap dance, hip hop, lindy hop
current titles: Co-Founder of Portland Tap Alliance, Tap Dance Instructor at Element Dance Studio, Artistic Director of Portland Tap Company
favorite dance quote: Tap dancing to me, is communication. Primarily, it’s a loving way of transmitting your messages.”  -Dr. Jimmy Slyde

Laura Blake

years dancing: 11
years in Portland: 4
styles: Experimental Fusion Bellydance, Pole Dance
current titles: company performer/choreographer with Allegro Dance Company, freelance performer, teacher and choreographer
favorite dance quote: "For I have trained myself and am training myself always to be able to dance lightly in the service of thought.” -Soren Kierkegaard
Laura Blake
Lima

Bárbara Lima

years dancing: 15
years in Portland: 2
styles: contemporary, urban dances
current titles: Founder/Director of Ela Fala and Choreographer for Polaris Dance Theatre
favorite dance quote: "Every child has known God, Not the God of names, Not the God of don'ts, Not the God who ever does anything weird, But the God who knows only 4 words, And keeps repeating them, saying: "Come Dance with Me."
Come Dance." -- Hafiz (1320-1389)

Beth Whelan

years dancing: 20
years in Portland: 1
styles: contemporary, modern
current titles: freelance dancer and choreographer
favorite dance quote: “I move, therefore I am.” -Haruki Murakami

 

Beth Whelan
Brandy Guthery

Brandy Guthery

years dancing: 27
years in Portland: 24
styles: contemporary, modern, aerial 
current titles (who do you perform with, teach for, are producer of etc): Artistic Director/Dancer at A-WOL Dance Collective, freelance choreographer, Coach/Choreographer for Clackamas Cavalettes 
website: www.awoldance.org 
favorite dance quote (can be by you or someone else): "Where rhythm is life and life is rhythm." -Warren G

Sitara Lones

years dancing: 25
years in Portland: 5
styles: Kathak (classical North Indian); Afghani folk; Persian; Bollywood; Ethno-Contemporary
current titles: Independent teacher, performer, and choreographer
favorite dance quote: "When we dance, we must dance until we vanish in the dance, relinquishing control to the rhythm of the world. Then we cannot claim that we are a good or bad dancer. We have already disappeared. We then carry this fire to every task in which we engage". -Ari Honarvar
SItara Lones
Bevin Victoria

Bevin Victoria

years dancing: 25
years in Portland: 19
styles: jazz, belly dance, contemporary, hip hop, musical theatre, aerial
current titles: Director of Hybrid Dance Company, member of Baksana, Performer and Choreographer of Allegro Dance Company
favorite dance quote: “To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful… This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking” -Agnes De Mille

Aphyna Zoe

years dancing: 18
years in Portland: 2
styles: contemporary, modern, aeriel silks, burlesque, butoh
current titles: AWOL Dance Collective company member (apprentice), freelance choreographer, contemporary/modern teacher for Van De Veere Productions and AWOL's adult aerial training company FlyCo.
favorite dance quote: “Dancing is not rising to your feet painlessly like a whirl of dust blown about by the wind. Dancing is when you rise above both worlds, tearing your heart to pieces and giving up your soul.” -Rumi
Aphyna Zoe
Rebekah WolfsonKilayko

Rebekah WolfsonKilayko

years dancing: 10
years in Portland: 10
styles: classical ballet and modern
current titles: Youth Company Member at The Portland Ballet
website:
favorite dance quote: “You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back... but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.”—Merce Cunningham

Rositsa Nikolaeva

years dancing: 11
years in Portland: 17
styles: Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha, Merengue
current titles: Founder, Marketing Director, Choreographer, Instructor and Event Planner - Son Latino Dance & Event Company
favorite dance quote: “If you hit a wall, climb over it, crawl under it, or dance on top of it." -Unknown
Rositsa Nikolaeva
LauraProfile

Laura Onizuka - Ambassador Committee Chair

years dancing: 20

years in Portland: native

styles: Flamenco

currently working with: Portland Flamenco Events/Experience Flamenco

website: https://www.experienceflamenco.com/

favorite dance quote: "Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor." -H Jackson Brown Jr.

2018 Ambassadors

Maria Tucker

Kathryn Harden

Angela Bryant

Zachary Carroll

Adrianna Audoma

Victoria Rose White

Alexander Dones

Jesus Rodales

Laura Onizuka - Committee Chair

2017 Ambassadors

Jack "Sir Cupcake" Stocklynn

Linda Austin

Elise Morris

Anne Mueller

Mizu Desierto

Yulia Arakelyan

Laura Onizuka

Rebecca Morse

Hannah Luckow

Tia Palomino - Committee Chair

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