meet our staff

Studio Owner

Dance Team Director

Jazz, Contemporary, & Musical Theater Program Director
Ballet/Tap, Contemporary (levels 2/3 & 4), Hip Hop/Acro 6-7, Hip Hop 7-8, 

Musical Theater (levels 1, 2, 3), Pre-Ballet

Jenna has been dancing for 35 years and teaching for 25. She began dancing and competing in Redlands, California and moved to Seattle in 1998. She completed her BFA in Dance at Cornish College of the Arts in 2007. She's danced with many award winning teachers and choreographers in the Los Angeles and Seattle areas, and has been teaching and choreographing in Seattle for more than 20 years. She started teaching at RDC in 2006 and took over as owner in 2012.

Assistant Studio Director

 Tap & Ballet Program Director
Adult Tap (levels 1 & 2), Ballet 1, Ballet/Tap, Contemporary 3, Hip Hop/Acro,  Jazz (levels 3, 4, 5), Pre-Ballet, Tap (levels 1, 3, & 4)

Cristen Klaja grew up dancing at her local studio in Vancouver, Washington, where as a teen she trained and began working as an instructor.  She moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington and continued teaching at studios in the area. She graduated from UW with a BA in Dance in 2002.  In the years since, her life has been filled with dance, both in the classroom and the stage, family, and adventure. Cristen has been teaching at RDC since 2013.

Teacher

Hip Hop Program Director
Hip Hop (levels 1, 2, 3, 4)

 Multi-hyphenate art maker Markeith Wiley (they/them) holds a BFA in dance from Cornish. They are a designer of dance, theater, music, lights and sound. Their vast movement vocabulary continues to grow and respawn through break dancing, musical theater, burlesque, house, wacking and other street styles. Wiley has been an arts educator in Seattle since 2009 and currently teaches at Rainier Dance Center as the director of hip hop/street styles dance, choreographing with Seattle Children’s Theatre and teaching at their alma mater Cornish College of the Arts.  Wiley was a member of the 2014 City Arts Future List & also graced the cover of the magazine in 2016.

 Teacher

Ballet 2/3, Ballet/Contemporary (levels 3 & 4)

Robbi Moore, from Hamden, CT, began dancing at New England Ballet and continued at Dee Dee’s Dance Center and New Haven Ballet. They are an alumnus of Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, the Ailey Summer Intensive, Cunningham Trust Workshop, Jacob’s Pillow’s Commercial Dance Program, and the Complexions Intensive. They went to Mexico with JUNTOS Collective, and taught with Notes in Motion, Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre, and JD/dansfolk. Robbi graduated magna cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program and has danced with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre, The Steps Repertory Ensemble, AATMA Performing Arts, Whidbey Island Dance Theatre, Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center, Karin Stevens Dance, the Guild Dance Company, Kinesis Project Dance Theater, The Gray, PRICEarts, Coriolis Dance, Khambatta Dance Company, and Spectrum Dance Theater.   Robbi recently worked for The Village Theatre as Associate Choreographer for "Little Shop of Horrors".

Teacher

Acro Program Director

Acro (levels 1, 2, 3), Jazz (levels 1 & 2), Tap 2

Jilyan was born and raised in Massachusetts before moving to West to obtain her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Education from Arizona State University. She has had the opportunity to teach in studios, middle schools, high schools, and day & overnight camps in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Arizona and Washington. Predominately trained in modern and jazz, Jilyan has also studied ballet, tap, and acrobatics. She holds two levels of certification through Acrobatic Arts, a certification through International Dance Teaching Standards, and has completed the Summer Dance Institute for Teachers at the Creative Dance Center, expanding her knowledge of Brain Compatible Dance Education.

Jilyan takes a personal approach to teaching dance. Her focus is on combining proper technique while exploring self-expression, confidence, and personal growth. She is dedicated to educating dancers about all areas of dance including its rich history, kinesiological principles and choreographic methods. More than anything, Jilyan is focused on having fun in the classroom and creating a love for dance and movement.  

Teacher

Ballet (levels 1, 2, 3/4), Contemporary (levels 1 & 2), Pre-Pointe, Pointe

Sara Caplan is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist originally from Dedham, MA. She received her BA in Theatre: Dance Performance and her BS in Biology from The Pennsylvania State University in 2013 and her MFA in Dance from the College at Brockport in 2017. She has performed in works choreographed by Kendra Portier, Laura Petersen (NY), Maura Keefe, and Beth Gill. Since moving to Seattle Sara has performed in Soft Concrete III, Velocity’s Bridge Project, and Full Tilt. She is currently a performer with Karin Stevens Dance. She has presented works in various theatres and urban venues in Pennsylvania and New York as well as in Seattle. Sara has 10 years of experience teaching in studio and has taught at the Pennsylvania State University, The College at Brockport, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Slippery Rock University.

 Desk Staff

My name is Andrea Barron, to most known as Ongie. I am known to be a mother to many, yet have 4 children that I am the natural mother to. I grew up in the Central District and as a teenager, managed and choreographed routines for a Lip Sync group called The Spicy Wings. Due to my fondness of music and dance, I was pleased when my daughter Makayla joined the RDC group about 9 years ago and look forward to many more years.