Pacific Dance Ensemble

Kris Bolds first started dancing near the end of his 8th-grade year at a small studio in his hometown. He started only doing Hip-Hop but as time went on he added more and more classes. After his first year doing ballet, he attended the summer intensive at The Houston Ballet and would go on to do an intensive each summer. He was recently invited to do a full-year program with BalletMet, but he declined as he wanted to have a college experience. However, he continued dancing as he loves the art and ended his time at his home studio as the lead dancer for all ballet-related choreography. 

Brittany Case is a junior majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. Brittany is from Pendleton, Oregon where she started dancing at the age of 2 ½. She danced at Jr. Jam Dance Studio, Pendleton Ballet Theatre, and on the Pendleton High School dance team. Brittany has enjoyed continuing to develop as a dancer at Pacific University for the past couple of years and is looking forward to continuing to dance at Pacific.

Makenzie Denman is a Senior majoring in Chemistry and minoring in dance. Makenzie is from the small rural town of Etna, California where she danced at Idance Studio since the age of 11. She has enjoyed growing as an artist during the past three years as a part of Pacific Dance Ensemble and looks forward to continuing her dance journey.

Lianda Dugied is a Pacific University Senior from upcountry Maui, Hawaii. She is studying Dance, Kinesiology, French, and Psychological Health and Well-Being in pursuit of a career in physical therapy, specializing in preventative medicine for dancers. At the age of six, she began training and performing with Maui Academy of Performing Arts with an emphasis on classical ballet technique and pointe work. Throughout her years as a performer, Lianda has been involved in numerous productions and community performance opportunities. She has been a featured soloist in the classical ballet productions of Sleeping Beauty and Giselle as well as contemporary company works. This will be Lianda’s sixth year as a Pacific Dance Ensemble performer.

Maya Fowler is a senior at Pacific University majoring in biology and minoring in dance. She was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada where she trained for about 19 years. She is trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and tap. The opportunities provided by Pacific Dance Ensemble have made her into a stronger dancer and she is forever grateful for the program and the people she has met.

Tana Franklin is a sophomore who began dancing at the age of three where her love of movement and expression quickly became an enduring passion for all forms of dance. With a solid foundation in classical ballet technique, Tana’s instructors also supported her growing interest and natural ability to quickly learn and perfect choreography in contemporary ballet, modern, jazz and hip-hop. Tana previously performed as a lead dancer with the Center for Movement Arts’ dance ensemble in Portland, Oregon and she is excited to continue her dance career in her second year with Pacific’s Dance Ensemble.

Amanda Giang  is a junior at Pacific University majoring in Biology and minoring in Dance. She was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and always had a passion for performing arts. She has experience in tap, jazz, musical theater, ballet, and contemporary dance. She has trained at Diamond Head Theater, Sacred Hearts Academy, and Punahou School. She has participated in various productions and played Clara in Nutcracker during her senior year at Sacred Hearts Academy. This is Amanda’s third year participating in Dance Ensemble and she loves being a part of such a welcoming community.

Katie Gillam grew up dancing and teaching at Elizabeth’s Dance Dimensions in Kirkland, Washington. She is a sophomore at Pacific. She competed throughout her studio career and performed at theaters in Seattle each year. Now, she is studying dance at Pacific University and performs in seasonal shows with the Pacific Dance Ensemble.

Aurora Greenwood an unorthodox, but passion-driven journey through self-expression. Awarded as a young college dancer, participating in choreographies along the way. From contemporary to hip-hop she has found herself in the distance of many genres, all of which have given her a tool to take away and put into her most comfortable style, her style. She has learned to embrace individuality and push past the challenges that seem too domineering to overcome, and she wants to continue on.

Grace Hankins is a Junior at Pacific University majoring in dance and film. She studied dance at Grande Finale Dance Studio and Vancouver School of Arts of Academics in styles such as tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, b-boy, and contemporary. Grace has also a performed and was a part of the the Syncopated Ladies youth tap company #NoFilter Sole Talk for many years.

Emma Jenkins is a senior majoring in Biology and Anthropology. From Boise, Idaho, she trained for six years in ballet, contemporary, hip hop, and jazz at Echo School of Dance and Borah High School. She continues her dance education in college, taking classes and participating in Pacific’s Dance Ensemble.

Jamie Jensen is a sophomore with a double major in dance and psychology. This is her second year in the Pacific University Ensemble. She comes from Taos, New Mexico where she studied at Ballet Taos. She has been dancing for 14 years with a focus in classical Russian ballet technique. However, she has also studied contemporary ballet, contemporary technique, and modern technique. She has also taught young children start their dance careers at Ballet Taos. Last year in Pacific, she choreographed her own solo called “Where do you go when nobody knows where you are.” She is so excited to be a part of Pacific University’s ensemble for the second time this year.

Katelyn Ker is a sophomore double majoring in dance and multimedia arts. She attended Arkansas Arts Academy where she was a part of the advanced dance group her senior year. She also danced at Ballet Westside for ten years and a nonprofit group for seven. There she has studied Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Modern, Pointe, Partnering, Hip-Hop, Musical Theater, and Heels. During this time she was also a part of their competition team where she won numerous awards with group dances, duets, and solos. She was even awarded Stage One Star her senior year, this award is given to a performer with the best technical execution and most professional entertainment skills. She has been a part of multiple shows at school and her studio but most recently she was the Snow Queen in a production of the Nutcracker. She has had the opportunity to teach classes and choreograph lyrical dances for the studios competition team the past two summers.

Megan Lem is a senior majoring in Kinesiology and minoring in dance. She is from Happy Valley, Oregon, where she's been dancing since the age of three. At ten years old Megan began to dance competitively at different studios. Since then, she has trained in diverse styles and performed for various studios and intensives including a member of Body and Soul Creative Dance. This is Megan’s fourth year dancing in Pacific Dance Ensemble, and she is honored to be a part of the company and to further her dance career.

Kirsten Mendel  is a second-year student who is participating in Pacific Dance Ensemble for the second time. She grew up doing many types of dance in her previous studio, but mainly centered around jazz. She looks forward to furthering her love and knowledge for dance this year at Pacific.

Sara Muller has been dancing for 10 years. She started off her career and passion at New Vision Dance Center in Hillsboro, Oregon where she has performed in various showcases and multiple performances of The Nutcracker. She is continuing her dance studies as she goes into her second year of majoring in dance at Pacific University, along with dancing with the Pacific Dance Ensemble.

Victoria Murry has been dancing since she was three years old training in jazz, hip hop, tap, ballet, pointe, heels, contemporary, musical theatre and acrobatics. Throughout those years she has been on her studio’s competitive team, ballet company, and even has taught classes there. She has danced the roles of Sugar Plum in the Nutcracker, Myrtha in Giselle, Cinderella Autumn Fairy, Odalisque pas de trois in Le Corsaire, Sylvia during a mix of Sylvia, Coppelia, and Midsummers Night Dream ballet combination for Enchanted Garden, Magi Lune from their recital theme ‘Ferngully’, and various other parts. She choreographed a solo last year, in which she competed and received 7th overall at Starquest Dance Competition in June 2022.

Olivia Oetker is a senior from Arcata, California double majoring in Anthropology and Dance. She has been dancing since age four with an emphasis in ballet, pointe, and contemporary dance technique at Trillium Dance Studios. Olivia has trained at multiple summer intensives in California, performed many pointe solos and classical variations, and received the International Baccalaureate Artist’s Diploma in Dance at her performing arts high school. She is very excited to be dancing into her fourth and final year with the ensemble at Pacific.

Olivia (Ollie) Parent is a Senior graduating with a Dance Major and Creative Writing minor. They have performed in a variety of performances from the classical “Coppelia” to an originally choreographed solo last spring, called “Flesh.” She has experience in teaching and choregraphing as her senior capstone explores historical ballet context & the Queer community.

Raechyl Rosen has been dancing for about 10 years. In her 10 years of training, she has worked with many artists and has been in many productions. She has played roles such as The Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker, Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland, Ursula in The Little Mermaid, and Rizzo in Grease.

Lauren Sams is a sophomore at Pacific University majoring in Education and double minoring in CSD and Dance. She is from Redondo Beach, California and has been dancing there since she was three years old. Lauren has been competitively dancing for nine years and is trained in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, and lyrical. She is grateful to have been given the opportunity to dance at Pacific and can't wait to grow her experience throughout the next three years.

Makazlynn Schulz has been dancing since she was five years old, at New Vision Dance Center. She was part of their performance company for five years. She’s annually performed in end-of-the-year showcases, Blazer halftime shows, community events, and she once performed in Disneyland!

Allyson Stadelman is a freshman at Pacific. She has always had a passion for dance. She has been dancing and performing since she was 8. She has trained in lyrical, jazz, ballet, pointe, contemporary and now modern as well.