Meet our Faculty
DENELE SWEET
Academy Director
Small Business Owner
Dance Instructor
Choreographer, 25+ years
"It is my lifelong dream come true to serve my community with our very own 'Fame'-style performing arts school. I am deeply committed to the success of each and every one of our Academy students."
MISS COURTNEY
Academic Director
Academy 4th-12th Grade Teacher
Tumbling & Acrobatic Instructor
M.S.Ed.
Acrobatic Arts Certified
USA Gymnastics Safety Certified
Specialty: Acro, Tumbling, Academics
"I love the 'goosebump moments' when you can see a child succeed after months or years of hard work on a skill. You can see all the pieces click into place, and witness the joy and sometimes happy tears, that come with a job well done."
MISS KATELYN
Academy Kindergarten Teacher &
Dance Instructor
Acrobatic Arts Certified
Specialty: Pre-K and K Dance, Tumbling & Academics
"At Encore we never stop encouraging growth, not only as dancers, but as people. Ceilings don't exist in Encore. You can always go higher and dream bigger."
MISS MICHELLE
Academy 1st-3rd Grade Teacher
B.S.E.Ed.
Specialty: Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grade Education
"I love working in a place where children of all ages can dance, learn, and play in a fun environment. My favorite part of teaching little kids is watching the growth and development from the beginning of the year until they graduate and go on to kindergarten."
MISS SUZANNAH
Dance Instructor
Acrobatic Arts Certified
Specialty: Ballet, Tumbling
Suzannah has studied both Vaganova and Cecchetti ballet styles, jazz, tap, modern, and tumbling. Discovering her passion for teaching as a teenager, it led her to study set and costume design as well. She is delighted to continue her dream of teaching at Encore.
MISS JENNY
Academy 4th-12th Grade Teacher
B.A. English
M.A.Ed
Specialty: Humanities
"It is my great privilege and joy to guide and adventure along with young people as they discover and become their best selves."
MISS ELIZABETH
Academy Teacher
35+ Years Teaching Experience
Specialty: Native fluency in Spanish & English, basic ASL teaching techniques
"Enthusiasm and creativity allow me to find new ways to keep subjects fresh and interesting to different ages and generations of students. I developed effective programs for students K to 12th grade encouraging play, free expression and curiosity while advancing on curriculum goals. It is my experience that academic progress and communication skills quickly improve when students are challenged, motivated, and taught with an emphasis on cultural awareness."
MISS CC
Dance Instructor
Cecchetti Ballet Certified
Specialty: Ballet, Lyrical,
Contemporary
CC began rigorous training in the ballet world at a young age, playing classical roles such as "Clara" in the Nutcracker Ballet. She has studied with a wide variety of well-known teachers in the areas of ballet, Spanish flamenco, Chinese, character, and modern dance. CC is certified in all levels of Cecchetti ballet training.
MISS KRYSTI
Dance Instructor
B.S. Dance
Specialty: Tap, Hiphop,
Musical Theater, Ballet
Krysti's main focus in the classroom is balancing proper technique while encouraging individuality and character play. Her students are encouraged to entertain from the inside out. She loves nothing more than witnessing those "a-ha" moments both in the studio and on stage.
MISS NORMA
Dance Instructor
B.S. Dance
Specialty: Jazz, Hiphop,
Competition Team
"Encore is a truly special, inclusive safe place for children to learn and express themselves through the art and physicality of movement. I've loved watching my students grow, not only as dancers, but also as creative, compassionate, hard-working people."
MISS ALEXA
Dance Instructor
Preschool Assistant
Alexa has been dancing since the age of 7 and never stopped. From Ballet and modern to Jazz and Tap, don't forget Hip Hop and Acrobatics, she's danced around the US and internationally. With dancing her passion she began teaching dance to others in high school, then in 2022 she moved to the Oregon Coast where she looks forward to continuing to inspire young dancers to strive to the best of their abilities.