Love Notes Over the Years

  • "Dance Wire is always leading from the front."

    Helen Daltoso (Regional Arts & Culture Council)

  • “I have known Dance Wire and Emily since 2013 when Dance Wire was newly incorporated, and Emily attended her first Dance/USA Conference. Immediately I noticed how eager Emily was to support the creative workers in her community and connect them to the national dance ecosystem. Since that initial meeting it has been a privilege to witness Dance Wire’s growth because of Emily’s vision and leadership. While Dance/USA’s Service Organization Council includes 26 similar orgs from across the US, Dance Wire was the first, and continues to be the only organization of it’s kind serving the Northwest Region. Dance Wire is deeply rooted in its local community and possesses strong support from across the nation."

    Kellee Edusei (ED Dance/USA)

  • "Artists are hungry for information that will help them do their work well, but they need someone who speaks their language."

    Theresa Koberstein

  • "Dance Wire is a very special and unique organization that is invaluable to the Portland Dance Scene! Not only have they connected my company with incredibly talented and passionate dancers, but they are a hub of information for all kinds of dancers and producers! And, everyone at the organization is so kind, helpful, and inspirational! I highly suggest all dancers and dance enthusiasts check out their website to get more info about the local dance scene, and any producers in town, looking for talent, you can pass up their early Dance Connector Event because they always bring the BEST DANCERS out for your consideration! LOVE DANCE WIRE!"

    Courtney Gomez

  • “The friendly, inclusive tone of Dance Wire’s website and programs, and the unique model of its 1:1 coaching sessions for dance professionals and those who aspire to that status are exemplary.”

    Debra Cash Boston Dance Alliance

  • I moved to Portland with no job, no connections, and no specific plan. I knew I wanted to become immersed in the dance community. Through the connections I made with Dance Wire, I ended up getting a job at White Bird, setting a new work for a show just two months after I moved in, and finding a group of friends to dance with. Dance Wire provided me with the tools to find my place here in Portland as an artist. I am so grateful!

    Elizabeth Whelan, movement-based artist, choreographer, teacher, and writer

  • “It's a forum that is non-denominational for all dancers in the community so even weird dance sub cultures (like mine) can enjoy and benefit from it!”

    Ashley Lopez, Experimental Fusion Bellydancer

  • “I love that Dance Wire provides a resource for all dance styles! There's so many styles of dance out there, and most people don't know anything outside of their comfort zone. But Dance Wire provides access to so many great studios and classes, and I'm glad they are helping dance reach a bigger audience in Portland!”

    Victoria Rose White - Irish Dancer

  • “Dance Wire is indeed a great asset to the Portland dance community, and the greater arts community on a national level.”

    Jane D’Angelo Ohio Dance

  • “I love that Dance Wire is fostering a community of cooperation and mutual support in the dance community. “

    Anne Mueller Dancer, Choreographer, Educator

  • “Dance Wire PDX is a true gem. It is as excellent and vivacious as the dance scene it invigorates. It has connected Rose City Ballet School with dancers seeking quality training and families eager to expose their children to the many benefits of intentional ballet. I also love that you connect dancers with jobs and help choreographic visions and educational missions come to life in that way. The Portland dance scene gets stronger and stronger every year because of you.”

    Renée Meiffren, Owner & Ballet Mistress of Rose City Ballet School

  • Time and time again, I have turned to Dance Wire looking for work, auditions, a class to take and just for some support knowing there are lots of other dancers in this community sharing the same struggles and experiences. I think it is such a wonderful thing that you have created. “

    Eve Brindis, dancer, teacher

  • “It's so great to see how Dance Wire is investing in the arts and dance community of Portland! Through the seminars, classes, calendar of events, and countless other resources, they are providing a way for people to not only be able to know what's going on in our city but to connect personally, refine their craft, and get involved.”

    Autumn Dones dancer/choreographer/patron

  • “As a parent of a dancer I’m excited about the resources Dance Wire provides the community. Having a one stop shop where both we as parents, as well as the dancers themselves, can research opportunities helps dancers do what they need to do to pursue their dreams.”

    Rodney Krause, parent of a dancer

  • “As a nurse practitioner for 48 years, I have prescribed movement and dance for many ailments. Dance helps with depression, cognitive problems and physical problems. I regularly send people to Dance Wire to find those opportunities.“

    Denise Busch

  • “Dance Wire is filling a much needed niche, working to promote and strengthen the connection between local dancers, companies and audiences as the performance arts struggle to survive in Portland.”

    Elise Morris (President of the Bellydance Guild)

  • “I love the way Dance Wire brings the eclectic world of dance together in a common forum.”

    Maria Tucker (Freelance Dance Artist)

  • "Community is such a valuable resource! Everything DanceWire does helps to build community amongst dancers and Portland is a better place because of this organization. Highly recommend attending an event."

    April Fox

  • "I’ve been a dance teacher in Portland for 25 years, and was a dance ambassador for Dance Wire a few years ago. I was so impressed with Emily and the entire organization, and the mission they have of networking and solidifying the dance community at large. Dance Wire is a great resource for dancers, choreographers and teachers of all styles and levels!"

    Zachary Carroll

  • "Dance Wire is essential to the arts! The value it brings to the community through its breadth of knowledge and experience navigating the arts landscape and helping dancers find resources is invaluable. From coaching to community building to advocacy, Dance Wire is truly keeping Portland dancing!"

    Megan Fleck

  • "As a dancer who moved to Portland, Dance Wire was an incredible resource for connecting me to the dance community here in town! Now, I'm proud to volunteer with Dance Wire and to see how their resources and offerings for the dance community have grown over the past few years. New to Portland and looking for dance classes? Need support in navigating your professional dance career? Want to connect with dancers like you? Check out Dance Wire's website!"

    Sarita Persaud

  • "As filmmakers, we deeply appreciation what Emily and Dance Wire do for our creative community in Portland. During the pandemic we helped film a dance performance stretching along the Tilikum Crossing Bridge. Through Emily's wonderful direction, an amazing project got to be shared with the world. Thanks to her support we have continued to find more fantastic performers to collaborate with. We highly recommend Dance Wire for dance education and community!"

    Hungry Mantis Films

  • "DanceWire is a fabulous organization bringing dancers together and sharing this beautiful art form with our community. Their website has lots of great resources"

    Monica Parra

  • "Love love love Dance Wire. So great to have a non profit tied into such a broad range of dance styles, dancers, and dance organizations."

    Shannon Butler

  • "Dance Wire is a total gem of a resource for both dance artists and audiences in the Portland area. They do business coaching and consulting for people who are looking to build a career in dance or build sustainable dance companies, they have a calendar of dance events and a registry, which makes it easy to list your own work and find other dance classes and shows, and they have a fiscal sponsorship program to help dancers get more access to grants and other sources of funding. Whether you are a dance artist or just curious about how to learn more about dance, Dance Wire should be your first stop!"

    Kate Holly

  • "Dance Wire's 1:1 sessions were incredibly helpful. As someone who is venturing back into dance after the pandemic, the reassurance that the struggles/burnout I’m experiencing are shared within the dance community helped me feel understood and valued. "

    Paige Scofield

  • "I am incredibly grateful for the coaching I have received in the 1:1 program! Working one on one with Emily and Jessie gave me practical tools to keep the momentum moving forward on my project. We worked a lot on on developing infrastructure and a foundation that will support me as I move forward not only with my current project, but also beyond. They helped me access tools to manage the administrative side of my creative project which is incredibly helpful!! Our work together has helped me to build a path to support the further creation and presentation of my art."

    Andrea Parson

  • "The one-on-one sessions have helped me gain more clarity of the grand scope of the Dance World, how to navigate it and where I could potentially go within it in the future! :)."

    Tanner Huff

  • "Being able to expose ideas with other creatives and brainstorm about possibilities knowing that they can be realistic possibilities! Having people keeping you accountable with reasonable action steps and no pressure of Hustle culture.I'm very thankful for this opportunity. Have been given a few extra sessions in the beginning was very helpful to completely break the ice because I had no idea what to expect. Jessie and Emily were very clear and knowledgeable on many areas I'm just getting started."

    Barbara Lima

  • “Dance Wire is helping to build, bridge, and bring the dance community together. Deconstructing walls, barriers, and inflated egos. I highly support Dance Wire.”

    Robert Guitron

  • "Dance Wire is like the online version of hanging around the studio in between classes - you can meet new people, hear about upcoming auditions & classes, talk about the show you just saw, and really connect with other artists in the scene. It acts as a platform for us to connect, share, promote, and support each other, and it's exciting to have something like this here in Portland!"

    Alexander Dones

  • "I love that Dance Wire provides a resource for all dance styles! There's so many styles of dance out there, and most people don't know anything outside of their comfort zone. But Dance Wire provides access to so many great studios and classes, and I'm glad they are helping dance reach a bigger audience in Portland!"

    Victoria Rose White

  • "It's a forum that is non-denominational for all dancers in the community so even weird dance sub cultures (like mine) can enjoy and benefit from it!"

    Ashley Lopez

  • " I love the way Dance Wire brings the eclectic world of dance together in a common forum. I would like to see more collaboration in the community and this open forum could help facilitate that."

    Maria Tucker - dance artist and educator

  • "I love the entire idea behind Dance Wire, bringing all of the dance community together, and making it easy to navigate events and support one another."

    Kathryn Harden - owner of StepsPDX

  • "I use Dance Wire all the time to hunt for classes that I might be interested in!"

    Angela Bryant

  • "It's such a great resource for staying informed about the Portland dance community. I love that there's so much variety in the dance forms featured on Dance Wire, there's something for everyone. I find myself checking the website weekly to keep myself up to date with local performances."

    Hannah Luckow

  • "Dance Wire provides a window into the variety of possibilities to interact in the dance world for those not already a part of the dance community, revealing to some a community that’s almost invisible. How can you know if you’re interested in something if you don’t even know it’s there? With Dance Wire you can see what's there.”

    Tere Mathern, Artistic Director and Choreographer Tere Mathern Dance, former Artistic Director of Conduit Dance, former Interim Director of Dance at Portland State University 

  • "It's so great to see how Dance Wire is investing in the arts and dance community of Portland! Through the seminars, classes, calendar of events, and countless other resources, they are providing a way for people to not only be able to know what's going on in our city but to connect personally, refine their craft, and get involved.”

    Autumn Dones, dancer, choreographer, and patron, A Step Around The World

  • “This is the most consistent energy I've seen around uniting the dance community in Portland since I've lived here (12 years). Not only does Dance Wire provide a central place for the public to find classes, workshops and performances but they provide a small company like PDX Dance Collective a voice in the Portland dance community which has grown immensely in the past 10 years.”

    Rachael Brown, Artistic Director of PDX Dance Collective  

  • “As a choreographer Dance Wire is a great way for me to get the word out about what’s happening with my company. Whether it is performances, events or classes we will be teaching to let students experience the work we do, Dance Wire provides a platform to get that information out.”

    Noel Plemmons - POV Dance

  • “Thank you for hosting such a wonderful site where people can easily find classes & more for all types of dance. We are so happy to be a part of Dance Wire.”

    Shannon Gee, Artistic Director & Instructor at Ecdysiast Studio  

  • “It’s crazy how hard it is to find dance in Portland, considering there’s so much dance. I am so happy you saw this need, and are and making a difference."

    Jacqueline Rubinstein, studio owner of SomaSpace

  • “The Citywide Audition is a really great way to expose dancers and auditors to each other in a space that allows a wide variety of people to come together that normally wouldn’t come together.”

    Stephanie Seaman, Artistic Director of Trip the Dark

  • “What I love about the Citywide Audition is that as a musical theatre company, there is a lot of dance talent that is undiscovered within the theatre world and these auditions are a great way for me to see who’s out there and how I can utilize them.”

    Dan Murphy, Co-Founder/General Manager of Broadway Rose Theatre

  • “Dance Wire is one of those rare great ideas realized. RACC is proud to support this organization as it moves forward to inform, educate, connect and provide resources to the movers in our community.”

    Helen Daltoso, Director of Grants at RACC

  • “Amy Fitterer, ED of Dance/USA has highly recommended Dance Wire to me as an exciting new model for service delivery to your local dance community. Sounds like Dance Wire has got it going on!”

    Lois Welk, Director of Dance/USA Philadelphia