IDA STAFF

From the age of 3, Heather has been dancing up a storm! Starting in a combo class, she started branching out and eventually found her love of hip hop and contemporary dance. In 1999 at the age of 16, Heather taught her first dance class: a hip hop class to Smash Mouth’s “All Star”. She was nervous about teaching, but within 4 months her one class turned into three, and she was hooked. From dancing in 49er halftime shows to music videos to the streets of France, nothing has slowed her down. She loves teaching because she loves to be able to make people love dance as much as she does. Dance is so much more than motion. It’s a feeling. It’s an amazing sense of freedom when you can tell a story through movement. 

One of the greatest things about dance is that it doesn’t matter the day you’ve had or the mood you’re in, the second you walk into your dance studio and start to dance, all of that just goes away. You live in the moment of the music and the story you’re telling. If I’m angry, or sad, or happy, I put all of that emotion into the dance and choreography and I walk away feeling like a new me. It’s amazing that dance can have that effect on you! 

Owning a studio has been a dream of mine since I started teaching in 1999. Never in a million years did I think it would just fall into our laps the way it did! I am so thankful to those that believe in my teaching! I wouldn’t be where I am without you!!

Julie and her husband, Eric, have been married for over 30 years.  They are raising three kids together, who have all danced since they were 3 years old and being a dance studio owner has been her dream for many years. Julie has over 20 years experience in the accounting field. Currently, she is the bookkeeper for a local restaurant in Issaquah, plus she managed the office at Dance Arts studio for several years and loves the dance community (she even danced when she was younger and loved every minute of it). She has previously owned and managed a Desert Sun Tanning Salon franchise location in Seattle, and she was the bookkeeper for her husbands own construction company.  She is thrilled to be the Co-owner of Illusion Dance Academy and to be able to bring this art to our local community.

Hayley began dancing at the age of 3. She trained competitively for 11 years in various styles, including ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, and hip hop. She has been a teacher for the past 5 years. Hayley has performed in the Disneyland parade, half-time for the Harlem Globetrotters, and at local parades and festivals. Besides continuing her dance training, Hayley graduated college with a degree in Accounting.  She currently teaches many different styles of dance and is also a choreographer for our competitive teams. Hayley has recently brought K Pop to the studio! She has taken summer intensives, including one at Cornish College of the Arts.  Hayley is dedicated to teaching young dancers in a positive and caring environment, helping her students to have fun and enjoy learning dance techniques. Hayley hopes to get into dancing professionally in the future.

Growing up Rachel had done gymnastics for about 6 years, 2 of those years being on the competition team. She also participated in her middle school and high school gymnastics team. Rachel’s gymnastics background is very traditional with learning the basic fundamentals. Rachel was also apart of her schools dance/drill team for 3 years, where she was a lieutenant for a year and helped choreograph and lead the squad. Currently, Rachel has a family with her husband Ryan and her 3 daughters. What Rachel loves about teaching is encouraging the students to be confident and watching the them learn and grow in their own environment.

 Born in Seattle, WA, Emma Neilson started dancing at age 4, when she first started studying Scottish Highland Dance. She danced competitively throughout the greater Northwest until the age of 8, winning numerous medals and awards and passing several medal tests through the Scottish Dance Teachers’ Alliance (SDTA). She then moved into competitive figure skating for four years, and during this time took her very first ballet class at age 13. At the age of 19, she joined the Pre-Professional Division at International Ballet Academy (IBA), and subsequently spent two years in the Professional Division performing with International Ballet Theatre, graduating in the spring of 2022. She spent summers training at Whitman’s Summer Dance Lab, Summer at Cornish at Cornish College for the Arts, and IBA’s Summer Program.

Emma is currently a freelance dance artist, and has performed professionally with The Guild Dance Company, Evoke Productions’ Full Tilt, and Seattle Theatre Group's DANCE This, as well as guesting with local ballet studios and other independently produced projects. She is currently a member of Equipoise Dance.

Emma is a Certified American Barre Technique Instructor and a Certified Flexistretcher Instructor. She has also completed BrainDance and Brain-Compatible Dance Education Training and is also trained in the Progressive Pointe Method (developed by The Pointe Shop).

I am a proud grandmother and lifelong lover of dance, with over 14 years of ballet experience and a deep passion for sharing the joy of movement with others. My dance journey began under the guidance of the renowned Arlene Wager, where I performed in numerous stage productions, including beloved classics such as The Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf, and many others.

As a teen, I participated in National Dance Competitions, gaining valuable performance experience and learning the discipline, artistry, and teamwork that competitive dance inspires. I also took part in adjudication classes with the Dance Masters of America, earning both bronze and silver medals, and had the privilege of attending a master class with the legendary Martha Graham.

At age 14, I moved to the Medford, Oregon area, where I continued my studies with another exceptional instructor and had the honor of performing at the famous Britt Festival. I also auditioned for and performed with the Oregon Ballet in The Nutcracker as a child — an experience that remains close to my heart.

As an adult, one of my former teachers opened her own dance studio, and I was delighted to assist her in teaching ballet classes before starting my own family. Today, I bring that same dedication, artistry, and joy to my work with young dancers, fostering not only their technical skills but also their confidence, creativity, and love for dance. 

Jordan French has 25 years of dance experience in jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hiphop, acro, tap, ballet, pom, and more, and 12 years of teaching experience. After graduating high school, she attended the University of Washington where she was a 4 year member and 3 year Captain of the dance team. At UW, she was able to dance in stadiums and arenas across the country, and was selected to travel to Canada, Mexico, and China to represent the dance team. After graduating college, she continued to pursue dance as a teacher, coach, and choreographer. As a dancer and a coach she’s had the opportunity to travel to multiple conventions in LA and Vegas and work with some of the country’s best professional dance choreographers and teachers.  She is an active participant and volunteer for the National Dance Coaches Association and participates in monthly choreography calls with Shandon Perez, Toya Ambrose, and other dance professionals to stay up to date on current dance trends and teaching methods. She prides herself on hard-hitting and powerful choreography that challenges dancers while highlighting their strengths. She continues to choreograph and consult for dancers of all ages and levels across the country.

Emily has been dancing from the age of 3 with 16 years of training in ballet, jazz, lyrical, musical theater, and pointe. The majority of her formal training was in the RAD, Vaganova, and Balanchine styles of ballet. She started with assistant teaching ballet at 14 and loved getting the extra time to hone her technique and learn how to teach a class.

Emily has performed in the Disneyland Parade and Dance the Magic showcase, during half-time for the Harlem Globetrotters, various parades and festivals, and at anime conventions. She competed for six years, earning several top placements and special awards and assisted choreographing a small competition group during her senior year.

She took a brief break from dance to pursue a degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at West Virginia University. She knew she couldn't stay away from dance for long and is happy to be teaching dance as well as working as an engineer.  She looks forward to leaving each dancer with a positive experience in the studio and inspiring a new love for dance in the next generation.