Diana Redding (Owner, Studio Artistic Director, Instructor) She's been teaching since 1982. Her background includes 6 years on the United States Gymnastics Federation Competitive Team.
In San Diego, where she grew up, she was awarded dance scholarships to attend classes and perform with Stage 7 and Issacs/McCaleb Dancers. She danced and choreographed professionally in Southern California for local productions and industrials. Diana soon found her true love was not performance, but instead working with people. Teaching became her passion. She was inspired by mentors, Marcia Garcia and Heidi Gersch-Schmidt (instructors at Grossmont College in California) to pursue the educational aspects of dance training and the art of movement. Diana continues to take class around Portland and loves to travel to cities like NYC and Vancouver, BC to bring in the fresh ideas.
Her biggest passion by far is her family. As a mother of two adult sons, Diana has some tricks up her sleeve! Her motto is "Live long, laugh often, and love much!
Audra Brown
Audra Brown has been a very integral part of Studio One's children's program. She has also been teaching ballet levels I, II and continues to bring in the taste of ballroom dance. She's studied at various studios in the Portland Metro area with a focus on classical ballet.
Audra's teaching experience includes all ages with special regard to ages 3-7. She has also trained in Tap and Ballroom. Audra is the mother of two boys and resides in Gladstone. Audra will be teaching our level I and II ballet classes, many combo classes, and the ballroom series!
Brian Baker
Brian Baker continues his traditional break dance class at Studio One this year. He's been b-boying for 10 years, 8 years competitive, and has 7 years of shows and performing under his belt. His area of specialty is top rock, footwork, power moves, air moves, flips, freezes, battle strategy, character, and style.
His list of shows, performance, and press include; Aladdin Theater Movie Premier Show, PCC Cultural Exhibition, Crazy Pepper Cinco De Mayo Festival, Hood River High Dance Awareness, Ethos, education for Special Needs Children, Emmanuel Hospital, Adidas Commercial Filming, and articles written for the Oregonian, Willamette Week, and Portland Mercury.
Brian has received many awards for battles and his goal is to share his love for the art form known as break dancing to all eager and willing to learn.
Selena Bekakis
Selena Bekakis has danced throughout her life, in love with the expression because of its highly independent and self-contained nature: no props, no tools, just oneself. The enchantment she finds in dance inspires not only her choreography, but spills over into the rest of her life... "a thing like dance is best when you allow it to take over; let it have its way, let it consume you. the relationship that is generated is one that will be with you always."
Selena feels that, just as dance evolves, so too does the role of those who teach it.
Most her week nights are spent in the studio as a student of other choreographers and dance forms. Selena is teaching Hip Hop III and IV.
Jessica Hollyfield-Melz
A native Oregonian, Jessica Hollyfield-Melz attended schools in the rural communities of Scotts Mills and Silverton. She started dancing at the age of six with the Royal Academy of Dancing syllabus. She also took from Rick and Debra VanWinkle and studied the Kirov method. At age 14, she was accepted as a full scholarship student at Pacific Ballet Theatre under James Canfield. While there she was a soloist with PBT II and had the artistic directors of the Beijing Ballet choreograph a piece just for her.
Jessica has studied with many influential teachers such as Elena Carter, Barbara Remington, Joe Wyatt, Patricia Miller and Melissa St. Clair. She also attended on full scholarship the prestigious Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre taking classes from one her most inspirational teachers, Judith Jamison.
Jessica has performed in numerous productions with Oregon Ballet Theatre, Eugene Ballet and Pacific Ballet Theatre. After high school, she had a brief apprenticeship with the Pensylvania-Milwaukie Ballet until she broke her foot and moved back home. She continued her training and became a lead dancer in numerous Musical Theatre productions with the Portland Opera, Musical Theatre Company and Music Theatre of Oregon. She was also Dance Captain of a dance and musical revue called The American Dream Girls in Omaezaki, Japan. Her credits also include a 2 year contract with San Jose Civic Light Opera and performances with the San Francisco Opera.
Jessica has been teaching dance for 18 years. For the past 12 years she has taught for the Portland and Beaverton school Districts. She is currently at West Sylvan Middle School and has a very successful dance program. She loves teaching and enjoys seeing her students everyday! In addition to teaching, she regularly performs with Pepe and the Bottle Blondes, a latin and swing big orchestra band. She has 2 wonderful boys, who seem to have a passion for dance also!!
Erin Lee
Erin Lee got her start at Musical Feet School of Dance when she was nine. Erin fell in love with Tap Dancing and at a young age learned the history of the art form while studying the styles of Brenda Buffalino, Eleanor Borg & the late Honi Coles. Since her childhood years Erin has taught & performed all over the Northwest and all over the world including British Colombia, Los Angeles, Guatemala & Scotland at the Fringe Arts Festival.
Erin has worked with Rhapsody In Taps(Directed by Linda Sohl-Ellison) & has shared the stage with Dianne Walker & Jason Samuels-Smith. She has produced & directed many of her own Tap Dance Shows at various venues around Portland for the past six years & is a founding member of Beat Bangerz Tap Company. Erin has had the pleasure of working with many local musicians & has been involved with the Portland National Tap Dance Day Celebration for the past 15 years.
Erin has studied with Dianne "Lady Di" Walker, Jimmy Slyde, Ted Levy, Jason Samuels-Smith, Chloe Arnold, Leonard Reed, Acia Gray, Linda Sohl-Ellison, Mark Mendonca, Savion Glover and many more!! Erin loves good music, new adventures & working with new artists.
Erin's favorite tap quote is "To Enjoy and Love The Dance" Jimmy Slyde.
Laura Mabe
Laura Mabe - At 5 years old, Laura began dancing with the Lake Oswego Academy of Dance until she was 13 years old. During that time, Laura performed with a touring company in Japan, and also performed multiple times in Disneyland with the Disney characters. She also performed a point solo with Big Bird as a part of the Sesame Street production, held at the Schnitzer Concert Hall.While attending Lakeridge High School.
Laura continued her love for dance, including choreographing several partner and group dances. She also studied under Mary Hunt and performed pieces in Portland. Laura received her Bachelor of Science, with a degree in dance, from the University of Oregon in 2008, specializing in modern dance. Laura also studied ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, break-dance, African, composition, improvisation, kinesiology, and dance theory courses. Her education included choreographing and performing pieces and also teaching dance classes.
During her senior year, Laura served on the Spring Student Dance Concert board where she choreographed, rehearsed, organized lighting, made brochures, posters, performed, and held a successful end of the year concert. Laura also studied at the Tisch Dance Program in New York City, New York. At Tisch Dance, Laura studied under multiple professional companies who tour and perform around the world.
Laura also worked for White Bird Dance and got to interact with professional dance companies from around the world to perform at the major dance theaters in the Portland district. Laura’s extensive education allowed her to study under various choreographers including Walter Kennedy, Mary Hunt, Sarah Franco, Steven Chatfield, Amy Stoddart, Bodyvox and Polaris Dance Theatre. Currently, Laura lives in Milwaukie with her husband Joe and constantly works on collaborating music and dance together in multi-faceted and meaningful ways. Laura lives a life of dance and welcomes anyone and everyone to swing into her dance space!
Our teachers love to dance...and it shows in our students!
