Faculty — Bainbridge Dance Center

Christiana Axelsen - Director

Born and raised on Bainbridge Island, Christiana (she/her) attended BDC from ages 3-18. She has had the pleasure to perform nationally and internationally with NYC-based dance artists including Molissa Fenley, Christopher Williams, Michou Szabo, Beth Gill, Courtney Krantz, Pam Tanowitz, Raja Kelly, Jules Skloot, Korhan Basaran, and Mana Kawamura. In Seattle she has danced for zoe|juniper, Jessica Jobaris, Sarah Chiesa and The Three Yells. Her own work has been shown in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Pittsburgh, Colorado and Istanbul. She has taught masterclasses and workshops at New York University, Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, Velocity Dance Center, Brooklyn Arts Exchange and the Conservatory of Modern Dance at Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul. Christiana graduated summa cum laude with dual degrees in Dance and Geology from Mount Holyoke College and is a graduate of the Merce Cunningham Professional Training Program.

Kara Beadle - TAP

Kara Beadle (they/them) is a performance/movement artist, dance educator, and massage therapist based in Seattle, WA. They have 25 years of tap dance experience and have been teaching for 10 years. Kara has trained in tap dance with Laura Rodriguez, Barbara Phillips, Katelyn Harris, and Kiera Leverton. Kara has attended multiple tap festivals including Third Coast Rhythm Project and Slide Tap Festival in New York where they performed in a piece choreographed by Anthony Morigerato. In Dallas, Kara trained and performed with the Dallas Drawbacks and Rhythmic Souls Tap Company.

John paul Bishop - Ballet

Dancer, choreographer and director, John Paul Bishop has long been associated with prominent dance companies and schools in the US and abroad and has worked with some of the most notable artists in the world of dance. He began studying classical ballet and piano at the age of 8 and began his professional career at 16 with the Milwaukee Ballet Company. He has since performed with over twenty professional companies from New York to Japan. He has worked with such dance luminaries as George Balanchine, Mikhail Barishnikov, Andre Eglevsky and many others. As a principal dancer he has performed an array of roles in both classical and contemporary repertoire including Albrecht in Giselle, Prince Ziegfried in Swan Lake, Basil in Don Quixote, Franz in Coppelia, Prince Florimund in Sleeping Beauty, Jean Brienne in 'Raymonda', Oberon in A Midsummer Nights Dream and Bryaxis in Daphnis et Chloe. After a long professional career as a dancer, Mr. Bishop transitioned into a well-respected choreographer creating over fifty original ballets. After his 20 year tenure as the Artistic Director of Northwest Ballet Theater in Bellingham, he moved to Port Townsend and is the Artistic Director of Port Townsend Ballet.

colleen (hadassah) carson - hip hop, creative movement

Colleen (Hadassah) Carson is native to the Pacific Northwest and currently resides on Bainbridge Island. She started dancing professionally in elementary school. She attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and trained with Evergreen City Ballet and L.A.D.F. (Los Angeles Dance Force). She was a choreographer and performer for The Auburn Theater, the competitive group Show Stoppers, and a performer for competition team G-Force. She performed a first-place championship dance choreographed by dancer and choreographer Rynan Paguio of the Las Vegas Jabbawockeez. Colleen has trained and choreographed for Crystals Gymnastics Competition team. All gymnasts under her training took first place at state and national competitions. Colleen has an extensive background in gymnastics, choreography, ballet, pointe, jazz, krump, hip hop, hula, tap, lyrical, contemporary, and African Latin dance. She is currently enhancing her tap and aerial circus skills. She is most interested in learning and expressing herself through multi-cultural dance. She has a background in musical theater and learned American Sign Language (ASL) from University of Washington Deaf language director Lance Forshay. She has interpreted song and dance for the Deaf and created her own programs for elementary through high school students. Colleen was director and founder of Carson’s Dance Academy for five years. The Academy offered various forms of dance, theater, and American Sign Language (ASL) programs. She loves the culture and community at Bainbridge Dance Center and looks forward to helping others discover their love of dance and movement.

Barbara Deering - music & dance, TAP, Assistant to the director

Barbara Deering is a long time Bainbridge resident and student at BDC. Barbara recently joined our teaching staff offering beginning tap for adults and children and assisting other teachers. She has been lovingly cleaning and helping maintain the grounds at our studio for a few years now and continues to do so. As a performing artist, she enjoys creating a “home” for young and coming dancers and performers as well as students who dance for the sheer joy of dancing.

sandy dreiling - composition & Modern

Originally from Houston, Texas, Sandy began her dance training in middle school at a performing arts magnet school, moving quickly to study at Houston Ballet. She continued her studies with intensive programs at The High School for The Performing and Visual Arts and the Ailey school. At Stephens College, she studied Education and Dance, graduating cum laude. Throughout her dance journey, Sandy has studied and danced with some amazing artists including: Ben Munisteri, Francisco Graciano, Discovery Dance Group, Fusion Dance Company, Seattle Jazz, Jerboa, Michael Simms, Pamela Yarbrough-Stockton, Paul Mosley and many more. She has taught throughout the Seattle area since 1999 and helped create the dance curriculum for The Little Gym International. Sandy loves teaching young dancers the joy of movement in a fun and friendly environment. She lives on Bainbridge Island with her husband and two children.

Francis Duchastel de Montrouge - TAP

Growing up in the greater Seattle area, 8-year-old Francis (He/Him) found an outlet for his copious energy in Tap dancing. A true performer at heart, it wasn’t long before he joined his studio’s competition team and was able to find success in groups, trios, duos, and solos. Moving to New York City for University at NYU, Francis became an officer for the Tisch Tap Collective where he was able to take master classes from renowned NYC-based dancers, as well as teach and choreograph for the club’s own events. Mixing his love for dance and his passion for education, Francis is overjoyed to make his small entry into the evolving history that we call Tap Dance.

Daisy Fish - strength training

Daisy was born in England and moved the the US in middle school. She grew up as a swimmer and started competing in water polo in 8th grade. She went on to play Collegiate Division I water polo for 4 years and competed for 3 years with the British National Team. She coached in the sport for 10 years and enjoyed working with all ages, elementary to college. She went to physical therapy school and earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2012 from Mount St Mary’s University. She has spent the last 10 years working with athletes of all types, ages, and experience levels to help them recover and improve in all aspects of their sport. Daisy currently works on Bainbridge Island as a physical therapist at New Motion Physical Therapy and as a functional performance trainer through her company Fish Athletic Performance Training. She works with all athletes but has become part of the BDC community teaching strength training for young dancers and adults. She is also an avid rock climber and volunteer with The Mountaineers and frequently works with the athletes of the climbing community as well.

Dana Fitzpatrick - introduction to ballet

Dana grew up in Minnesota and started dancing at the age of 3 where she claimed the green dot and wore the light blue leotard with pride. She continued dance through high school and college where she majored in business and theater with a dance concentration. She has studied ballet, modern, highland, tap, and choreography. After college she worked as a choreographer and director in the Minneapolis area and continued taking ballet for joy through her MBA and into her early professional career. She now lives on Bainbridge with her husband and five kids.

Helen Heaslip - ballet, yoga

Helen was born and raised in Cork, Ireland. She began studying ballet at the age of three, and went on to train with the Cork City Ballet before moving to London where she gained a BA in Dance and Drama, and continued her studies with the Rambert Dance Company. While in London, Helen worked as a Movement Director/Choreographer at The Roundhouse Theatre/Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Battersea Arts Council; Bridewell Theatre; Omnibus Theatre; Royal Shakespeare Company and the Malvern Theatre, as well as creating various flash mobs around the city. Helen also worked as an actor with theatres such as Frantic Assembly and C Company, and was a Professor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, teaching BA Acting Collaborative/Devised Theatre, MA Acting for Screen, and MA Directing & Teaching. Since moving to Seattle, Helen has worked as Movement Director/Choreographer at the Seattle Opera, ACT, 12th Avenue Arts, and Bainbridge Performing Arts, and continued acting with companies such as the New Century Theatre (in their award winning production of Festen), and The Irish Play Series here on Bainbridge, of which she is a founding member. Helen also teaches yoga at various venues on the island.

christina kemp - music & dance, ballet

Christina is native to the Pacific Northwest and began dancing at the age of five with Pacific Northwest Ballet. After a nearly 20 year hiatus she returned to the dance world and continues training in ballet, modern, authentic movement and contact improvisation. In 2023, she began choreographing original works and performing in the greater Seattle area as a dancer and movement artist. She has performed for the Seattle Festival of Dance & Improvisation with Alyza Deplan-Monley at Velocity Dance Center, BLOOM 2023 at eXit Space, and in Tap 4.0: The Nyxology Sessions with Christopher Hydinger, Garth Stein and Matt Southworth as part of the Wayward Music Series. Christina has a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and is a multidisciplinary artist and author with published works in memoir, nonfiction, poetry and photography, and has taught as a professor of psychology at Seattle University. She owns a small business called Healing, Guidance & Conversation: the Art of Being.

Sarah King - flamenco, modern, creative movement

Sarah grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is happy to have returned after many years away. She is an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersections of movement improvisation and photography. She began dancing at a very young age and attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA. She then spent many years sharing her time between Seattle and Spain where she studied flamenco at the esteemed flamenco dance institution, Amor de Dios in Madrid. After moving to New York City she performed at multiple flamenco venues and toured with Atrevete Flamenco Dance Theater. In 2007 she co-produced From Persia to Andalucia with Nat Hulskamp and in collaboration with Tariq Banzi of Al-Andaluz and Bobak Salehi of Shabava. She taught flamenco and Spanish language through movement both independently and through the New York City public schools. She eventually gained a B.A. in Hispanic Studies from Columbia University. Shortly after, her family of three moved back to the West Coast at which point she brought photography into her life. She is the founder of Visum Monographs, a photographic memoir service and also loves photographing the performing arts.

Nora Lang - contemporary, hip hop

Nora (they/them) is a dance artist, educator, and a BDC alum, yay! Nora is returning to the PNW after being based in Salt Lake City and receiving their BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. Nora’s dances have been showcased in many Salt Lake City organizations including Queer Spectra's Arts Festival, Salt Lake City’s Performance Art Festival, Brine, and SB Dances Decca Dance. They have also created work in Philadelphia's Fringe Festival, and been supported by loveDANCEmore’s artists residency. Nora taught dance with Minding Motion, working to make dance accessible in community senior centers. They have also had the pleasure of working with Tanner Dance's Arts Integrated Education program, combining elementary science curriculum with dance principles and creative movement. Outside of the studio you can find Nora gardening and living a pun-oriented lifestyle.

Una Ludviksen - ballet, modern

Una Ludviksen was born and raised in Seattle, and learned to dance at Dance Fremont. She graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in dance performance from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, and spent a semester abroad at the Amsterdam University of the Arts. Trained in classical ballet and modern dance, in college Una discovered her deep love for contemporary and postmodern styles. Una has performed for the Merce Cunningham Trust, most recently in a gender-role reversed staging of Doubles (1984), and as a soloist in the LA production of Night of 100 Solos: A Centennial Celebration, at UCLA, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Fall For Dance North at AGO Toronto, and Bard College. Una has also had the pleasure of performing in NYC for Dylan Crossman, GREYZONE (Lindy Fines), and POGO Dance (Emily Kessler), and in Seattle for Emily Schoen Branch, co— (Emma Lawes and Maya Tacon), and Eva Stone. Una completed the Cunningham Technique® teaching certification in summer 2023. She is excited to join BDC faculty and help young dancers find their own joyful exploration of movement.

Kim Lusk - ballet

Kim Lusk (BDC Alum!) is descended from a hearty line of cowboys, homesteaders, and mountaineers. A performer and choreographer based in Seattle, her choreography has been presented at On the Boards' Northwest New Works Festival, Velocity Dance Center, Bumbershoot, Vashon Center for the Arts, Trigger. New Dance Happenings., and Seattle International Dance Festival. Her work is supported by Velocity’s Creative Residency program. Kim has performed with zoe|juniper, and serves as Rehearsal Director + Choreographic Assistant to the company setting zoe|juniper's work around the country. She currently performs with Peggy Piacenza and Britta Joy Peterson. She holds a degree in dance from Connecticut College.

MAUREEN MACNEILL - Ballet

A Massachusetts native, Maureen began her ballet training at Boston Ballet at age 5. She studied with Violette Verdy, Patricia McBride, and Jaques Cesbron at Indiana University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in ballet. She performed with Baltimore Opera Company, Washington Opera Company, and Central City Opera and has been teaching and choreographing for the past 23 years. She was the director of the ballet program for 12 years at Arabesque Dance Studio in Columbia Maryland before moving to Bainbridge Island with her husband and 3 children in 2016. She has choreographed and directed numerous ballets such as Cinderella, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and Snow White as well as an annual production of the Nutcracker. She is extremely excited to have the opportunity to share her passion and knowledge of ballet with the students of Bainbridge Dance Center.

Kiplinn Sagmiller - Ballet, modern, music & dance

Kiplinn Sagmiller is a returning faculty member. She received her BFA in Dance and Spanish from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and went on to dance with various companies from Hawaii, San Diego, Seattle and San Francisco. She is trained in ballet, modern, jazz, aerial silks, acrobatics, parkour, belly dance, AcroYoga and FeetUp. In 2012 she joined Seattle based company The Cabiri as an aerial dancer and choreographed alongside guest choreographer Marshall Garfield of Cirque Du Soleil. Kiplinn loves to share her passion for movement with others and dedicates her free time to learning new skills like longboarding, paddle boarding and dancing bachata with her husband and son.

Nick Wheeler - ballet

Nick began his ballet training at the Baltimore School for the Arts under the direction of Sylvester Campbell. After graduating from high school he moved to Germany where he danced at the Hoechster Ballet and in Brussels at the Ballet Contempary de le Brussels. He has danced with the Richmond Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Fort Wayne Ballet, and Elliot Felds Ballet in New York City. He received his undergraduate degree from the School of Music at Indiana University and his Masters Degree in Physical Education and Exercise Science from McDaniel College in Maryland. He also performed with the Baltimore Opera Company and the National Opera Company in Washington D.C.. He has taught dance for over 30 years. He began teaching Physical Education and Health for Baltimore City Public Schools. In 2016 he moved with his family to the Pacific Northwest. He has taught for Seattle Public Schools and most recently is teaching for the Bainbridge Island School District. He enjoys working with children and is very excited to have the opportunity to work with the students at Bainbridge Dance Center.