Rachel Lidskog-Lim A professional dancer, singer, and choreographer, Rachel has been teaching dance as a certified dance professional since 1989. A two-times Bronze medalist, 1992 USA Nationals and 2005 Worlds Championships, Rachel has been fortunate to travel professionally for her work to destinations across the US, and around the world, including Argentina, Canada, Cuba, France, Spain, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and the Eastern & Western Caribbean. Known for her genuine smile and joy shared with her students while teaching, Rachel’s dance knowledge includes a broad repertoire of styles, including Ballroom, Latin, Swing, Country, Argentine Tango, Folk Dancing, Musical Theater & Tap. (Please see her full Bio on the Studio Owner page for more!) Rachel is the owner of Dance with Joy Studios, dedicated to creating more moments of love, connection and joy to the world! Rachel considers it an honor and privilege to teach dance as her career (for 30+ years) and believes that sharing the joy of dance, whether dancing with a new social dancer, an advanced competitive dancer, or another dance professional, makes the world better one dance moment, one smile, at a time! She is super happy to be sharing this dance journey with her wonderful husband, Jack Lim!
Jack Lim started ballroom dancing in 1998 at the Carnegie Mellon Ballroom dance club. His passion for dance, combined with his genuine kindness and enthusiasm, made him club president in only a years time. Sharing his love for dance with a big bright smile, Jack encourages newer dancers that they can learn and he makes a special effort to include everyone, all levels, close friends or strangers, made to feel welcome and appreciated! Jack branched out from Ballroom dancing, dabbling in lindy hop swing, salsa, blues, tango, dancing 7 days a week, and he found his favorite dance of west coast swing, where he enjoys being silly and finding goofy ways to express musicality. Jack has described dancing is his “church”, a place to share God’s love and the joy of dance with as many people as possible. Dance with Joy Studios is a perfect fit for Jack’s talent and caring heart … and yes, he also is married to the studio owner, Rachel Lidskog-Lim!
Phoenix Grey has been dancing to his own beat his whole life, though as a kid he called it “Flailing with Confidence” rather than dancing. The “Flailing” was largely comprised of cliché movie dance moves combined with a heavy influence from Michael Jackson choreography. For a high school talent show, he taught himself the choreography to Thriller and then taught it to his friends. The performance was a hit, and the crowd went wild. In 2010, Phoenix discovered West Coast Swing, and a new life passion in partner dancing. From there, he began his professional dance training by exploring every style he could get his hands on: Ballroom, Salsa, Blues, Argentine Tango…. but Swing remains his first and greatest love. He found early on that he enjoys following even more than leading, which has spurred him to excel in both roles, having claimed multiple 1st place wins on the national circuit as both a lead and a follow. Exercising both roles has given him a broad understanding of the intricacies of partner dancing, as well as crafted him into an extremely versatile social dancer and a wonderful teacher and trainer for both leaders and followers. Dancing is his light in life, and he’s eager to share that light with the world. Watch Phoenix Dance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwzMIhns1dY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS88V1epB_c
Alexander Esqueda, or Ale, is from Venezuela. He began dancing at age 20 with Cuban salsa and other Latin rhythms. He soon fell in love with dancing, and began teaching Cuban salsa classes while training in both contemporary dance and classical ballet. Throughout his twenties, Ale continued developing his skills and love of Latin dances by training in Salsa On2, On1 and bachata as well. Ale moved to Ecuador in 2015 and began teaching salsa, bachata, and ballet in a new country, all while continuing to train, perform, compete, and choreograph. In March of this year, Ale moved to the US and is so excited to continue doing what he loves and teaching dance in a brand new country - once again! He loves to teach classes with a combination of footwork and partner work, and believes that social dancing should always be the goal of learning to Latin dance. He sincerely believes that *anyone* can learn to dance salsa and bachata, it’s only a matter of practice - and he hopes you’ll give him the chance to prove him right!
DJ Alison There’s a special kind of tango addict who wants to go beyond the familiar into new territory. To explore a space where there are no limits to their creativity, to the possibilities. Have you tasted this kind of tango? Find that tangasmic moment of ecstasy in your body, in your relationship with gravity, the earth, in your boundlessly creative connection with your partner and the music. This is your moment. DJ Alison searches across cultures and genres to find the music to make your magic moments happen. Let’s connect, let’s play, let’s embrace some magic. Alison is a tango nomad currently based in Portland, Oregon, making friends and deejaying in the US, Europe and Buenos Aires and organizing neotango events in Los Angeles and beyond… Abrazos, love & tandas!
Anna Verholantseva has been teaching belly dance for more than 15 years. She won a lot of competitions in oriental and folklore styles of belly dance and in the last few years has been judging the international belly dance festivals. Anna moved to Portland in autumn 2019 and she is happy to share of magic of the oriental dance with locals. By taking her class, you can feel more confident and find your feminine manner. We will also teach basic techniques and main styles.
Anne McCranie is super excited to be joining the Dance with Joy Family! She teaches Yoga, Pilates, Energy Flow and Barre classes. Her classes are suitable for beginner to advanced. She helps her clients improve their balance, strength, flexibility and mobility, while making fitness fun. An Oregon Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Personal Trainer, Anne holds certifications from the Physical Mind Institute, American Council on Exercise, and the Florida School of Massage. she has received advanced training in cranio sacral therapy through the Upledger Institute, as well as first and second degree Reiki attunements. Over the past twenty years, she has worked closely with chiropractors, physical therapists, and other health professionals to develop her unique approach. Her specialty is injury free, pain free, strength and mobility work for women ages 40 – 80.
Carole Duttlinger has been involved in teaching movement classes of some kind for almost 40 years, starting with dance aerobics and moving through group fitness, line dancing, folk dancing, and now social partner dancing. She enjoys many dance styles, including country, Latin, Argentine Tango, ballroom and swing, but for teaching Carole focuses on West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Nightclub 2-Step, Country Two-Step, and Line Dancing. After a career spent as a programmer and systems analyst, Carole cherishes being able to share her love of dance with, and hopefully to inspire the same in, her students.
Ceren Atalay was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. She began learning ballet at age 7. She has since trained and performed ballet for over 15 years as well as teaching ballet for kids since she was 13. After graduating with bachelors in visual arts at Bilgi Univ. in Istanbul, she studied contemporary dance at Yıldız Teknik Univ. During that period she received a scholarship at Escola Superior de Danca in Lisbon, Portugal where she studied for one year and shot her first dance-video called ‘8’. While living and studying in Lisbon, she worked and performed with choreographers and dancers from all over the world including a period in 2014 when she worked with a prestigious dancer named Aakash Odedra on a project called “Snatch.” Since then she has been travelling, teaching and working with adults and children in various artistic disciplines which focus on the expression of emotion through movement. She came to the United States in the summer of 2015 with a goal to make progress on her solo art projects and influence people to feel free with their bodies and movements along the way.
Chris Jones has been dancing since 1980. He has competed and taught extensively onPartner dancing classes for all levels with Chris Jones at Dance with Joy Studios in Portland, OR the national country and swing dance circuits. He is a U. S. Open Swing Dance Championships finalis and a Country Western Grand Champion as well as winner of numerous Jack and Jill Championships. Chris judged the first Country Western World Championship in Nashville, Tennessee. He also owned and operated the popular Southern California dance studio, Dance Magic. While living in California, he was nominated for recognition by the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame. Because of his unique style, he has been affectionately called “No Bones Jones,” and was very influential in the acceptance of West Coast Swing by the country dance community.
Colleen Carris Colleen first discovered her love of dance in 2006 with salsa music which led her into bachata, merengue, and cha-cha. She was fortunate enough to learn from different dance companies and studios across the U.S. while she finished her clinical rotations in her pursuit of her doctorate in physical therapy. In 2012 she was introduced to Kizomba music/dance and was instantly intrigued, but was unable to consistently learn and practice this dance until 2016. By 2019 she was all-in on elevating her skill level, eventually deciding to train as an instructor. She became a community builder and organizer in Portland with her first co-organized weekender event in 2021, and has continued to organize monthly workshops and socials, bringing in a variety of highly renowned artists for specialized instruction for her community. As a physical therapist Colleen possesses advanced knowledge of human motion and anatomy which allows her to expertly break down technique and body movements for each student according to their abilities. Colleen has spent countless hours training throughout North America and learning from many instructors to absorb multiple perspectives and master various techniques in order to hone her own unique style. She both leads and follows in kizomba, urban Kiz, tarraxina, tarraxo, and konpa. So be sure to ask her for a dance!
Colleen Zarate has been Irish dancing since she was eight years old. She taught Irish dance for nine years to children and adults, and competed for ten. She traveled the world competing, including at the World Championships, and ended solo competitions after winning fourth at the National Championships. While her life has moved her to different cities, and through different professions, Irish dance has always remained a constant. “There is nothing like getting lost in the music and steps, everything disappears around you, and you just soar.”
Creslynn Webber Morris, a certified member of The Dance Masters of America for over 15 years, has enjoyed being a dance educator in the Portland Metropolitan area for 22 years. Initially she trained in Portland with her mother, Carla Webber, a former Radio City Music Hall Rockette and with her grandmother who was the National D.M.A. Acrobatics teacher. Creslynn continued her dance training in New York City and Los Angeles and the scope of her training includes ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics and gymnastics. Her gymnastics training led her to become the first gymnast in the state of Oregon to score a 10.0. Creslynn's choreography has received national recognition and many of her students have gone on to dance professionally in Seattle, N.Y.C., Chicago, and L.A. She has served as a judge for several dance competitions including American Dance Awards and Dance Magic. The special connection Creslynn has with her students is much more important to her than any award. She enjoys working with kids, loves to motivate her student's to work at their personal best and teaches a fun, high energy class. She encourages fast improvement, good discipline, and smiles. Creslynn has a B.A. from Whitman College and competed on the diving team at her college. When she's not teaching, she enjoys downhill skiing, whitewater rafting, and taking bike rides with her husband and two young daughters.
Daniel Hutchison has been teaching different forms of body movement for over 20 years. “I used to teach Katas which are patterned forms from the martial arts. They’re a dance against imaginary foes that early practitioners would use to memorize and teach others their specific defense moves.”After finding an affinity for teaching and body movement he discovered his true passion. “A friend of mine shared some complimentary dance lessons with me. Shortly thereafter, I saw my first Ohio Star Ball on OPB and was instantly hooked. I knew that I wanted to move across the dance floor with such passion and finesse! Upon finding such an enjoyable activity that gave me so much happiness and pleasure I just had to share it with absolutely everyone!” He then embarked upon an intensive dance training regime. “My dance partner and I would practice for hours on end, staying up to the wee hours of the morning. We danced 7 days a week. I was very fortunate to have excellent coaches from the Seattle area who would frequently come to Portland. I was also able to benefit from world-class competitors who would come to Portland to perform shows and give coaching lessons as well. I am so grateful that I was allowed such opportunities right here in Portland!”
Dollie DeCamp started line dancing at the Pioneer Community Center in 2012 under Pat Rich. She loved it so much that she trained under Pat and began teaching in 2014. In 2016, Dollie took over the Monday and Tuesday classes at Pioneer Community Center from 12pm-2pm where the first hour is beginning and the second hour is high beginner/improver plus. She has taught at Elks Lodge in Milwaukie from 2017-2020 on Monday nights and the first Friday of each month until the covid pause. Dollie has attended several dance conventions with international teachers and choreographers from all over the world: NW Line Dance Blast, Las Vegas Dance Explosion, and Florida Sunshine N Line. She loves teaching because she enjoys the music and gets happy seeing the smiles on her students’ faces as they learn the steps. It’s a fun way to be social with people, while getting great exercise for both the body and the brain. Dollie hopes you sign up for one of her classes and join the good times soon!
Eugene Yeboah is a certified dance instructor and performer. He received his dance training and certification from the Arthur Murray Dance Studios in Connecticut. Eugene has been dancing, teaching and performing for 11 years. Apart from the core American ballroom dances, Eugene has also specialized in the Latin dances and trained with renowned performers in CT, NYC and NJ. As a geneticist, Eugene incorporates his scientific methods and approaches into teaching dance to make it more personable, natural, easy and fun.
Jason Isbell has been dancing swing since 2002, when his roommate insisted he quit playing video games for one night and try it, just once. Since then, he's been heavily involved in teaching dance and organizing dance events in the Northwest. He was one of the founding members and the first official president of the Portland Lindy Society and helped organize the Portland Lindy Exchange and Bridgetown Swing. He's been teaching Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing since 2006, and passionately believes that dance is for everyone.
Jennifer Barrios's journey as a Zumba Fitness instructor started back in 2012. She didn’t particularly like going to the gym but did enjoy group fitness workouts. Jennifer had a favorite Zumba instructor and followed her around from gym to gym. She loved her energy, her music, and how happy she felt during her classes. Jennifer was a "front row diva" meaning she knew all her choreos and was able to follow her easily. One day, the instructor pulled her aside and told her to "get licensed to teach already". Jennifer had her instructor's blessing! Jennifer became licensed to teach in January 2013. Zumba has helped her during a very difficult time in her life. When she became licensed, she received the devastating news that her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Music, dance and community did wonders for her mental health, especially after Jennifer's mom passed away. The joy Jennifer feels looking up new music, learning choreos, and dancing with her students is invaluable. She has met so many beautiful people thanks to Zumba. Zumba has been a constant grounding factor in her life now for over a decade, and she's not stopping anytime soon! See you on the dance floor! 💚
Joanna Lee teaches Zumba® fitness, Zumba® Kids, ballroom, Latin, and swing dance. She also choreographs and produces flash mobs for special events.Joanna started dancing and teaching in the late nineties. She taught children’s theatrical and jazz dance to local community groups starting in 1997, and her ballroom and social dance teaching career began in 1998 at an Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Merrilville, Indiana. Joanna’s dance titles include first place champion of the 2001 Indiana Challenge in Youth Pro-Am Open International Latin and 1998 Teen Miss American Star Dancer of the Year. Watch Joanna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikTQCKpegbw
Kaulana Mahiai-Hess: Aloha Kakou! I have been a hula dancer since I was three years old. My late mother Kaleialoha was taught by Kumu hula Mapuana Desilva in Oahu, Hawai’i. I love sharing my knowledge of the Hawaiian culture through dance and language. I am still learning but so happy to share what I know with all of you. We will be going over basic hula steps, language, Kahiko (traditional songs with ipuheke) and Auana (string instrument songs).
Keli Simlesa is Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Professional Coach and Dancer, serving the Portland community since 2009. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Keli was adopted at the age of 7 and grew up in the Pacific Northwest. The dance gene is embedded in her DNA and became a more prominent part of her life after graduating college. She began dancing for the Lions of Batucada around 2007 and continues to evolve her style and technique. She currently dances for Portland Samba which is a professional performance ensemble, giving high energy and dynamic performance to the community at large.
Lilah Wallach Lilah fell in love with Belly Dance ((Raqs Sharqi) and Arabic music when she started taking classes with Melissa Ruby in Seattle. She moved to Minneapolis where she trained intensively with Cassandra Shore and danced in her Jawaahir Dance Company, presenting Raqs Sharqi and folk dances of the Middle East in schools and theaters. Lilah enjoyed working as a professional belly dancer for 15 years in a career spanning from Minneapolis to Cairo to Portland. In addition to dance, Lilah also studies Arabic and plays the riqq (Arabic Tambourine). She offers healing sessions during the day as a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Rolfer. Lilah is excited to share her love of this beautiful art form by teaching it at Dance with Joy!
Luis Becerril: With a decade of dance experience under his belt, Luis brings a wealth of knowledge and an empathetic teaching style to the dance floor. Having struggled with learning dance as a child, Luis understands firsthand the challenges beginners face and approaches teaching with unwavering passion and energy. Specializing in Cumbia dancing, Luis also boasts extensive experience in Bachata, Salsa, Banda, and Merengue. A firm believer that learning never stops, Luis is dedicated to continuous personal growth and inspiring students to discover their own love for dance. Through every beat and step, Luis aims to create a supportive and dynamic environment where students of all levels can thrive and unlock their full dancing potential.
Meghan Dwyer is a well-versed, adaptive dancer who grew up in a rural part of town in the small city of Florence, MT. She began her dance journey at the young age of 11 as a traditional Irish dancer, performing all over town and proceeding only a year later to teach and form her own dance group that merrily went on strong upon stage for several years. Longing also to emulate one of her long-time dance idols, Gene Kelly, Meghan took on every swing dance lesson she could get her hands on upon arriving to college at Montana State University, whilst taking it to the stage in musical theatre. Moving to Los Angeles afterwards in 2013 to continue her pursuit of dance and passion for performing, Meghan became heavily involved with dance studios all around the Westside and received careful training in Hip Hop, Latin Ballroom, Heels and Burlesque. Expanding her artistic inspirations further, she proudly certified in cardio dance fitness and became one of the top teachers at UCLA in 2017; She continues to teach for them to this day. Now sharing her gifts in Portland, OR since 2021, Meghan has already added a new certification of traditional ballroom dancing to the list and continues to bring all of her genres of dance together to Dance with Joy Studios and to all.
Natasha "Moon" Wiblemo is a bright light of energy that brings radiance to our studio with her big smile and deeply caring heart! Her dance story: “The backbone of my inspiration to become a Zumba instructor began at the young age of 30, when I took my son to see the So You Think You Can Dance tour. After one of his favorite hip hop routines, my son turns to me and says “I want to learn hip hop”. My son and I began taking hip hop lessons together, him the only boy in the class, and me the only adult in a beginning kids hip hop class. We continued taking classes together for almost 2 years, having the pleasure of meeting and dancing with Tabitha and Napolean Domo, amazing choreographers from SYTYCD. After hip hop, I dabbled in the fun world of Latin, Salsa in particular. For the next two years I would take classes and became involved in a ladies salsa styling group, Mambo Melange. The group traveled around Oregon, performing in Pendleton, Eugene, Zoo Lights at the Oregon Zoo, and the Rose City Salsa Festival in Portland. Finding an environment where I could dance, work out, sweat hard, and have fun was amazing. It made becoming a Zumba instructor the logical next step. My love for Zumba inspired me to become an instructor to share the joy with others. I have been licensed since 2014 and it has been an amazing journey. There is nothing like having fun, shaking your booty, and getting lost in the music while getting in shape at the same time. It is a win-win situation. I look forward to meeting all of you and hope you will come and have fun with us. You do not need a dance background for Zumba, just the willingness t have fun, smile, and try something new.”
Pamela Burton-Macauley is a long time Yoga teacher, who has recently reignited a lifelong love for dance. She loves to combine the mindfulness of yoga and breathwork with the joyful movement of world dance. (In her Let Your Yoga Dance classes, you might find her bringing in moves from Latin dance, Afrogroove, Belly Dance, and Zumba. ) Her classes are warm and welcoming, and she is passionate about making movement spaces accessible and inclusive to all ages, abilities, sizes, and gender expressions. She/Her/Hers “You are the sky. Everything else - it’s just the weather.” -Pema Chodron
Rhonda McFadden has a lifetime love of dance that is enriched exponentially when shared with others. Her background is grounded in folk and social dance. She loves sharing cross-step waltz and clogging with her students.
Robin Robinson has been teaching country two step, waltz, cha cha, night club 2 step, and more for over 25 years. His passion for dance and having good times is highly contagious. His lessons are fun, exciting, and full of laughter.
Saffire Bouchelion is a 1st Degree Black Belt NIA instructor who has been passionately practicing NIA for 20 years. He is also a professional performer and musician who has been featured on over 46 CD’s, and has opened for several international acts, including Cheryl Crow, Crash Test Dummies, The Paul Winter Consort, and Barenaked Ladies. His embodiment and transmission of music and rhythm stir profound transformation in his students. Saffire co-founded two experimental dance companies in 1986 and 1989, and has performed with Danelle Hellander Dance Company and Mergence Dance Theater. For seven years he was co-director of the Ecstatic Choir, five at Naropa University where he was also a musical accompanist for dance and movement classes, and taught drumming classes for the continuing education program. He has taught NIA, Drumming, and Dance into Being workshops throughout the US, Europe, Mexico Bali and Singapore for the past 13 years. His greatest joy is helping to embody the world, one community at a time!
Trina Siebert has been dancing swing, Argentine tango, Latin, and ballroom since 1995, and specializes in the contemporary social dances (west coast swing, nightclub two-step, and hustle). She has won a number of west coast swing Strictly Swing, Classic, and Jack & Jill contests, and was named Best Overall Amateur Female at BridgeTown Swing 2003. Trina has been an invited instructor and performer at workshop weekends and dance conventions throughout the Northwest. Students appreciate her clear and relaxed instructional style; her philosophy is that dancing should be fun and accessible for everyone.