DANCE INSTRUCTORS

Annalise Espinosa

ABOUT ANNALISE

Annalise Espinosa is the proud owner of AE Dance Productions. She has been a dance educator for 29 years and a studio owner for the 22 years. Annalise has a background in ballet, jazz, lyrical contemporary, tap, musical theater, hip-hop, preschool dance and competitive dance. She has experience judging for UDA, judging for Rainbow Dance Competition, consultant on the KAR studio owner advisory group, former member of the ADCC advisory board, danced on Broadway New York and The Stouffer Orlando Resort. She has also choreographed and assisted in the production of several Seattle based music videos. Annalise has a daughter currently working in LA as a professional dancer and model. She has a teenage son dancing at AE Dance Productions as a competitive dancer. She loves inspiring children to be their best and looks forward to the seasons ahead!

Tiffany Carlson

ABOUT TIFFANY

Tiffany Carlson has taught at AE Dance Productions since its opening in 2011 and for director Annalise Espinosa since 2006. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington with a BA degree in Dance in 2004 and has been teaching and choreographing locally ever since. Tiffany lives in Enumclaw with her husband and three busy children. She enjoyed coaching for the Voltage competition team for four years, watching the growth of the dancers and helping highlight their strengths and accomplishments. Currently she organizes costumes for the studio, does scheduling and emails, subs for classes whenever she can, and holds private lessons to assist dancers in meeting their technical goals. Her real passion is musical theatre, and Tiffany loves helping with character choreography for the recitals. She is blessed to be a part of AE Dance Productions!

Cate Bules

ABOUT CATE

We are thrilled to have the talented Cate Bules as a dance instructor at AE Dance Productions! She was born in the south and raised in Washington state, but one thing that never changed was her love for dance. She has been dancing for 20 years, and we have loved having her teach here for the last four seasons. Cate is versatile in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, and musical theatre. Before transitioning from being a student at AE Dance Productions to an instructor, she earned her BA in Psychology with a minor in Applied Developmental Psychology. She was honored as Summa Cum Laude from Eastern Washington University. In the studio, she seeks to use her wisdom from school to help her students reach their fullest potential as dancers and humans. Beyond her talent in dance, Cate loves serving in her church, going on mission trips, weight lifting, hiking, and spending time with her nephews. In church and abroad, she has said it's been such a blessing to serve and uplift others through dance. She looks forward to helping our dancers reach their fullest potential!

Olivia Gustafson

ABOUT OLIVIA

Olivia Gustafson, 25 years old, from Bonney Lake, Washington, began dancing at the age of 3. While dancing throughout her childhood, she was recognized numerous times by competitions and conventions for various awards. After graduating High School, Olivia continued her dance career by working as a Pro Reveler at Revel Dance Convention and then joining the 2018 Seattle Sea Gals squad. While with the Seahawks for two years, Olivia traveled out into the community throughout Western Washington to meet fans and perform at events. Olivia has taught for Annalise Espinosa since age 15 and has worked with competitive groups for six years. Olivia’s goal is to help students find their love for dance while watching them achieve goals they didn’t know were possible.

Ashley Naset

ABOUT ASHLEY

Ashley Naset has over 20 years of experience teaching, coaching, and mentoring in the dance community in the Pacific Northwest. Currently, Ashley's home base is with the dancers at AE Dance Productions where she has taught for the last 4 year with 3 of those as a Voltage coach. She has taught at many studios, dance teams, and intensives across Washington and Oregon. She has extensive teaching experience in Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, Pom, and Kickline. As a dancer, Ashley has performed in special performances with multiple dance companies and teams that have taken her from stages across the Seattle area to Kingston, Jamaica, and even to Main Street at Disneyland. Her choreography has been seen with NBA teams, college dance teams, dance national competitions, the Miss Washington Outstanding Teen pageant, and shows for dance companies. She was a High School dance team coach for ten years, where she won 17 State Titles and continues to choreograph for local high school teams. She was awarded Coach of the Year by the Coaches Association in Washington State. After retiring as a High School dance coach, she was a dance judge and Education Director for the WIAA Dance Judges Association for many years following. Along with teaching at the studio, she is the Talent Director for Elite Performance Dance Camps, which includes running the internship program for dancers transitioning out of high school and into professional dance careers. She currently teaches Contemporary, Jazz and Hip Hop classes at AE Dance Productions, along with private lessons with students preparing for pageants and college dance teams. Teaching dance is a passion for Ashley. She loves to teach various ages and styles in her classes and believes dance should be fun, even through all the sweat.l performances with multiple dance companies and teams that have taken her from stages across the Seattle area to Kingston, Jamaica, and even to Main Street at Disneyland. Her choreography has been seen with NBA teams, college dance teams, dance national competitions, the Miss Washington Outstanding Teen pageant, and shows for dance companies. She was a High School dance team coach for ten years, where she won 17 State Titles and continues to choreograph for local high school teams. She was awarded Coach of the Year by the Coaches Association in Washington State. She was a dance judge and Education Director for the WIAA Dance Judges Association for many years. Along with teaching at the studio, she is the Talent Director for Elite Performance Dance Camps, which includes running the internship program for dancers transitioning out of high school and into professional dance careers. Teaching dance is a passion for Ashley. She loves to teach various ages and styles in her classes and believes dance should be fun, even through all the sweat.

Staci Mattson

ABOUT STACI

Staci Mattson, a seasoned dance teacher and accomplished choreographer, boasts over two decades of dedicated experience in the field. A proud Seattle native, she holds a bachelor's degree from Central Washington University and has extensive teacher training and certifications. Staci's career includes serving as a dancer and captain for the Sonics Dance Team and coaching at Kentridge High School, where she led the team to 18 state championships. She earned Washington Dance Coach of the Year in both 2010 and 2018. Presently, Staci is an instructor and coordinator at Elite Dance Camp. At Surge, she is passionate about infusing positivity and fun into her teaching to ignite the dancers' passion for their craft. Staci and her husband, Greg, are the proud parents of five young kids.

Dustin Stuart

ABOUT DUSTIN

Dustin grew up training at nationally recognized Allegro Performing Arts Academy in Kent, WA. He eventually continued on to educate for the studio, returning frequently over the course of his career to quest teach. Eventually his education moved him to LA, where he signed with agent Jim Keith. During this time, Dustin appeared in several TV commercials and live performances such as the infamous Carnival Ball. He was also a featured dancer on Norwegian Cruise Lines. Throughout his career, Dustin has been a quest judge at some of the top dance companies in Seattle & Las Vegas. In addition to judging these events, he has enjoyed watching his students and choreography consistently win top honors at regional and national dance competitions. Students who trained with Dustin have gone on to professional careers in the dance industry from tours and music videos to TV shows like SYTYCD and most recentlv World Of Dance. Today he lives in Seattle, WA, with a diverse career which includes teaching for Elite Performance Camp, as well as educating for several of Seattle's best studios. where he shares his passion for dynamics, musicality and, above all, work ethic.

Jenna Smith

ABOUT JENNA

Jenna started dancing at age 3 while exploring other sports and activities. At the age of 9, she found her passion for dance. Jenna danced and competed both regionally and nationally in a variety of areas. She started teaching dance at the age of 14 under Miss Annalise. After attending Western Washington University for education, Jenna returned to continue teaching the youngest dancers at AE Productions. She has a master's degree in education and teaches Special Education in Des Moines, Wa.

Meagan Hood

ABOUT MEAGAN

Meagan Hood has been dancing since she was three years old, and has trained and competed in ballet, lyrical, jazz, musical theatre and tap. When she was 12 years old she began training with Annalise, and competed at The Surge Dance Center until she graduated from high school. After high school she traveled to and lived in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo for modeling. This is Meagan’s third year as a Voltage coach and fourth year as a teacher at Surge! She also just recently got hired at Bonney Lake High School teaching Biology and Physical Science. We are honored to have Miss Meagan on staff at AE Dance!

Shanee Luk

ABOUT SHANEE

Shanée has been passionate about dance since childhood, training in a variety of styles, including ballet, jazz, and tap. She continued her dance education at UC Riverside, where she focused on tap and ballet under the guidance of renowned tap artist Fred Strickler. During this time, she also discovered her love for musical theater, performing in community productions of Sweet Charity, White Christmas, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. To deepen her expertise, Shanée has participated in tap teacher training and choreography workshops with esteemed educator and performer Karida Griffith Walker. Her background as a former elementary school teacher has honed her ability to connect with young dancers, fostering their growth and love for the art of tap dance. With her extensive dance background and passion for teaching, Shanée is dedicated to helping her students find joy, confidence, and creativity through the rhythm and artistry of tap.

Sharonda Young

ABOUT SHARONDA

Sharonda Young began her dance training in sunny California at the age of 3. She continued training locally in Tacoma, WA before moving to NYC at the age of 17. Here she obtained a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Marymount Manhattan College. During her 8 years living in NYC Sharonda worked with various companies including the Martha Graham Dance Ensemble and Company, Alvin Ailey, the Errol Grimes Dance Troupe, Tysan Dance, and on Norwegian Cruise Lines. Teaching locally; at Dance Studios, in Public Schools, and with Dance Teams, has become Sharonda's focus and her goal is to create a passion for movement (bigger bigger!!) and comfort in personal expression in her students. Locally she had taught ballet, modern, tap, and jazz at schools up and down the Sound, Snohomish to Olympia.

Madeline Sander

ABOUT MADELINE

Bio coming soon.

Orion Espinosa

ABOUT ORION

Orion Espinosa has been training in Ballet, Tap, Tumbling, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, and Contemporary since the age of three. He is currently a competitive dancer at AE Dance Productions. In recent years he has the following credits:  “Vespera’s” music video “Vanilla Sky,” dancer in an Ava Max Live performance, and 1st overall soloist at KAR National Dance Competition. Acting credits include “Roaster” in “Annie,” “Buddy” in “Elf,” and “Price Eric” in “The Little Mermaid.” Orion recently won a $65,000 scholarship to AMDA. We are excited to have Orion join our faculty!

Tavia Ketola

ABOUT TAVIA

Bio coming soon.

Molly Sander

ABOUT MOLLY

Bio coming soon.