Seattle Theatre Group’s Digital Education Program Dance For PD® & Dance With Life Artists

Teaching Artists (in alphabetical order)

DEBORAH BIRRANE

Deborah Birrane (she/her) has a B.A. in Social Work and M.F.A. from the University of Arizona. Deborah has danced in companies in AZ, PA and WA as well as being the Director, Choreographer, Dance Educator and Dancer of Deborah Birrane Dance with Unexpected Company (’99). Since 2009, she has been performing as a solo artist, via commissioned works, in Canada and the U.S. Deborah’s choreography has also been passionately embraced by audiences in Eastern Europe, Israel, and China. She brought the powerful experience of creative movement for children to dance teachers in Russia. Currently Deborah is on staff at STG as both Assistant Administrator and Teacher for Dance for Parkinson’s and Dance With Life. She also works at the YMCA of Greater Seattle as a certified Lifestyle Coach for Diabetes Prevention, Chronic Pain, and LiveStrong as well as on staff moving bodies in Group Exercise Classes. Movement ~ the key to life!

ANGIE BOLTON

Angie Bolton (she/her) has been an instructor with the STG Dance for Parkinson’s program since it began in 2009. She is an ACE certified instructor teaching Fitness for Living, a program she developed at Spectrum Dance Studio that focuses on people 40 years old and up. Some of her students are in their 80’s and many of them have exercised with her for over 10 years. Angie is an actress, singer, dancer and teaching artist. She is a performer with Tickle Tune Typhoon, an award-winning children’s and family music group. Angie came to Seattle to study with the Bill Evans summer institute in 1979 and decided to stay. In the 40 years living here she has been a teacher for Powerful Schools and numerous other school residencies. Angie has performed for the Bathhouse Theatre, Alice B. Theatre, Village Theatre, Mirror Stage, Seattle Public Theatre, Arts West and numerous other venues.

Seattle Theatre Group’s Digital Education Program Dance For PD® & Dance With Life Artists

MARIANNE CHIKOS

Marianne Chikos (she/her) trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet and the School of the Richmond Ballet, and danced with Charleston Ballet Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, and the Ruth Rosenberg Dance Ensemble, a Sacramento based modern dance company. During her time in northern California, Marianne taught ballet extensively to students of all levels and ages. It is through Ruth Rosenberg that Marianne was introduced to the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Dance for PD® program; she attended teacher training with David Leventhal in Davis, CA in 2011 and began teaching for Seattle Theater Group shortly thereafter. Marianne lives in Seattle with her husband and two children. She loves the opportunity to spark creativity and share the joy of movement with Dance for PD® participants each week.

NAOMI GLASS

Naomi Glass (she/her) enjoyed a decade-long career as a Soloist with the Houston Ballet, where she was nominated by Ben Stevenson, OBE, to represent Houston Ballet for the Princess Grace of Monaco Award. Amongst Naomi’s favorite works were those of Stanton Welch, Jiri Kylian, Trey McIntyre, George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe and Sir Kenneth MacMillan. Naomi has taught in every dance sector, including serving as faculty at the Houston Ballet Academy, University of Houston, and Cornish College of the Arts. Naomi is delighted to manage Pacific Northwest Ballet’s DanceChance program and to as serve as PNB School faculty. It is her great honor to teach STG Dance for PD® classes, in which she is continually inspired by the compassion of her colleagues and the creativity of the dancers within her classes. Naomi holds a Bachelor of Science degree and is completing a Master of Arts in Education.

Seattle Theatre Group’s Digital Education Program Dance For PD® & Dance With Life Artists

DEBORAH KENNER

Deborah Kenner (she/her) received her BFA from the University of Arizona on a full academic and dance scholarship and a MS in Kinesiology from A. T. Still University. Ms. Kenner performed professionally with Colorado Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theatre, and State Street Ballet. She holds a Pilates certification through the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA), specializes in neurological disorders, barre training through Balanced Body, and has been certified in Progressive Ballet Technique (PBT). Ms. Kenner is also part of the Balanced Body Faculty to train Pilates Instructors.

KARA O’TOOLE

Kara O'Toole (she/her) is thrilled to be a Dance for Parkinson's teaching artist. She and her family currently live in Tacoma where she teaches dance to diverse populations at the Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center and the Tacoma Art Museum. Kara has been on faculty in the Dance Departments of the University of Washington, the University of Memphis, George Mason University, and Cornish College of the Arts. She was the Executive/Artistic Director of Orcas Center on Orcas Island, and before that she was the Executive/Artistic Director of Velocity Dance Center. As a performer, Kara danced professionally in the work of many notable choreographers including Jose Limon, Bebe Miller, Mark Morris, Vaslav Nijinsky, Paul Taylor, and Pat Graney. She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Washington and a BA from Mount Holyoke College.

Seattle Theatre Group’s Digital Education Program Dance For PD® & Dance With Life Artists

Musicians (in alphabetical order)

TRAVIS CORWIN Travis Corwin (he/him) is a guitarist/composer living and working in the Seattle area. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Oregon, where he also composed music for dance performances and performed live music for dancers with the Argentine Tango group, Los Bandidos del Tango. Today he enjoys a diverse career teaching guitar, bass, and ukulele, improvising live music for dance classes and performances including with Seattle Theater Group, playing guitar with alternative rock band Glass Frames, and producing solo work.

ANGELA RINALDI

Angela Rinaldi (she/her) has been a musician for the Dance for Parkinson’s classes in Seattle since its inception. She currently serves as a Principal Accompanist at Spectrum Dance Theater and Dance Musician at Cornish College of the Arts and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Angela is also Teaching Artist at Seattle Children's Theatre, Village Theater’s Kidstage, and Youth Theater Northwest. As a singer and actor, she has composed over 250 songs for Variety Plus Theater, which she co-founded in 1995 with her husband, Bob, www.varietyplus.org and is a corps member with Events on the Edge, performing Interactive Murder Mysteries. As Music Director and Choreographer for Bellevue High School, she has performed

with BHS students at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2013 and 2017. Angela’s Ballet Music and Solo Piano compact discs are available on itunes.com. She is a member of ASCAP and The Musicians Association of Seattle - Local 76. ARIA STORM

Aria Storm (she/her) was born in Pasadena, CA and currently resides in Seattle, WA. She holds a BA in the Composition and Theory of Music from UCLA, where she also studied modern art. She has been a professional dance musician since 2000, trained at the University of Oregon by Dr. Christian Cherry. She is a pianist, vocalist and percussionist for modern and ballet at Spectrum Dance Theater and Seattle Theater Group- Dance for Parkinson's and Dance with Life. Aria is also a singer/songwriter/producer with her band Ariel Storm, currently recording and performing in Seattle. She is an abstract painter. Her works have been sold in galleries and cafes

throughout the United States and are currently on display at Spectrum Dance Theater. You can visit her online at arielstorm.com