We may be small, but we have some big ideas and dreams. 

DANCE WITH US

Our Roots

dancers in the dark with lights showing movement

We began as a series of free dance classes and workshops offered by the Lights Dance Festival, an annual dance-film festival founded by Teacher Sarah in 2016.

Recognizing the need for a more sustainable program, as well as a community space for dancers, we opened up our very first studio in Summer 2026. 

Values

Creative Play

We believe the studio should feel like a playground, an exploratory space for discovery and collaborations. Our classes are designed to be joyful, imaginative, and welcoming to everybody regardless of their background.

Communication

Dance is a creative communicative means inherent in all of us. From the music and narratives woven into our toddler classes to the choreography our teens create together, we use movement to help each student find and share their own voice.

Community

Whether a child is finding their balance at the barre for the first time or an adult is stepping into a drop-in class on a whim, we celebrate every moment of encountering something new. At Lights Dance, we are committed to creating a welcoming space where people of varying dance backgrounds can engage in and play with dance.

Our Team

Instructors

Teacher Kurt

Teacher Kurt, smiling, showing white teeth and blue-green eyes, wearing a grey hoodie.
Teacher Kurt, smiling, showing white teeth and blue-green eyes, wearing a grey hoodie. 
Ballet

Kurt Froman is a ballet pedagogue, repetiteur, choreographer, and former New York City Ballet (NYCB) dancer whose work bridges classical ballet, performance, and screen studies. His coaching and choreography credits include Black Swan, Red Sparrow, Song to Song, and Z: The Beginning of Everything, working with actors such as Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Lawrence, Rooney Mara, and Christina Ricci. Froman performed with New York City Ballet for over seven years, dancing senior corps de ballet and soloist roles, after training at the School of American Ballet as the inaugural Rudolf Nureyev Scholar. His Broadway credits include a leading role in the Twyla Tharp/Billy Joel hit “Movin’ Out”, “Billy Elliot, The Musical” (Resident Choreographer for the Broadway & 2nd National Tour), “An American in Paris” (Dance Captain), and “Pal Joey”, along with appearances at City Center Encores! and with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet.

Teacher Jinji

Teacher Jinji, smiling, wearing a gray t-shirt, against a gray background.
Teacher Jinji, smiling, wearing a gray t-shirt, against a gray background. 
Little Movers | Dance FUNdamentals

Jinji is an interdisciplinary performer and teaching artist whose work sits at the intersection of dance, devised theatre, and embodied storytelling. Her practice is grounded in ensemble-based creation and somatic awareness, with a strong emphasis on presence and compositional choice in real time. This work is informed by a commitment to accessibility, care, and community-centered practice. Jinji’s classes emphasize attunement to the body, collective awareness, and improvisation as both a creative and relational tool.

Teacher Walle

Teacher Walle with a beige jacket posing for a headshot
Teacher Walle with a beige jacket posing for a headshot

Walle Brown is a dancer, teacher, and innovator from Atlanta, Georgia, known for his love of breaking, house, and conditioning.  Since 2010, Teacher Walle has dedicated himself to the art of breaking, training through self-practice, guided mentorship, and regular attendance of workshops. He has been featured in music videos, won competitions, and has taught across several studios, including The Beacon. In the classroom, Teacher Walle's mission is simple: to help dancers find their voice. He believes dance is a form of communication and focuses on giving students a strong, reliable foundation—a shared vocabulary of movement—so they can express themselves authentically. His classes are open, approachable, and ready for anyone willing to step in and grow.

Teacher Shannon

Teacher Shannon in a black tank and trucker hat looking left off the screen
Teacher Shannon in a black tank and trucker hat looking left off the screen 
Yoga

Shannon is a dedicated yoga practitioner with over 27 years on the mat. Shannon's approach centers around creating a safe and nurturing environment for her students to explore a range of motions. With an emphasis on the breath and moving with awareness, she leads a fun, flowing practice with options for everyone. Shannon understands that movement should simply feel good and promotes alignment, strengthening, and stabilization. Shannon is also a licensed acupuncturist and brings her knowledge of meridians and anatomy to her classes. She hopes that her students leave each class feeling more balanced, energized, and easeful, bringing these qualities into their everyday lives.

Teacher Heather

Ballet

Teacher Heather is passionate about serving inner city youth and celebrates her 30th year teaching in Seattle. She currently teaches dance at Lights Dance, Spectrum Dance Theater, Dance Conservatory, Seattle Youth Detention, and AileyCamp. You can also find her teaching preschool at Launch Miller. “I love what I do and do what I love. I am excited to see the blessings unfold in this new school year!"

Teacher Janu

Club | Street

Janū (yah-nū) is a Seattle-based dancer, educator, and community organizer whose work explores the intersection of movement, mindfulness, culture, and connection. Drawing from more than a decade in Club & Street Dance alongside Yoga, Martial Arts, and contemplative traditions, he creates classes, workshops, and community experiences that emphasize foundation, presence, curiosity, and self-exploration. His teaching is derived from years of study, mentorship and experience that continues to this day. His work is rooted in a deep respect for the histories, cultures, and communities from which these practices emerged, approaching movement as both a cultural tradition and a means of cultivating deeper relationships with ourselves and one another. Janū is the founder of Rhythm of The People, former director of Hustle & Soul, and has collaborated with organizations including the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Theatre Group, the Henry Art Gallery, and Friends of Waterfront Seattle. He regularly teaches through Massive Monkees Studio: The Beacon, Dance Church, STG Dance This Camp, and Rhythm of The People.

Staff

Teacher Sarah

Director

Sarah is an independent filmmaker and media researcher who is fascinated by the narrative capacity of dance. She enjoys sharing stories through dance films and curates for the annual Lights Dance Festival. As an affiliate faculty member, Sarah also mentors and teaches undergraduate students at the University of Washington’s Communications department.

Arona Cho

Marketing

Arona is a multifaceted technologist who brings her passion for empathy-centered design to everything she creates. From web development to visual storytelling, she uses her skills to amplify the voices and energy of local community spaces and is thrilled to help bring that same heart to our studio's digital presence.