Our Team
KRISTINA
Owner, Director, Instructor Owner@CoreDanceOR.com
Kristina is passionate about training dancers to take their dancing to the next level, she loves performance and artistry, but even more than that, she loves technique class. Getting into the minutiae of technique and dissecting it on an anatomical level. When you understand the why you can understand the how.
She values failure, because when dancers fail early and often, they ultimately gain confidence through doing, and are more successful long term.
She trained extensively in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acro, Lyrical and Contemporary with Westside Dance Academy/Performing Company, Tigard Tigerettes, Beaverton Arts and Communication Magnet Academy, Chapman University “Team Shaka,” and Pure Dance Company.
Kristina has coached, taught and choreographed for local dance studios, high school and middle school teams as well as various Summer camps. She is one of the founders of the Synergy Middle School Dance Team and Coached the Wilsonville Pride Dance team for 10 years, winning coach of the year twice in 2019 and 2021.
MELISSA
OFFICE MANAGER Admin@CoreDanceOR.com
Melissa is a Charlotte, NC native where she was a full time elementary teacher and mother of 3 young adults. Melissa grew up dancing and was on her college dance team. Upon moving to Oregon a year ago, she decided to become active in the dance community and landed at CORE dance! As a self-proclaimed professional dance mom, Melissa has two daughters who are pursuing professional dance careers on the east coast. With over 23 years experience in the dance world, both in the concert realm and the competition world, Melissa loves to help dancers find and pursue their individual dance journeys.
ABI
Instructor
Abi grew up training in ballet at Portland Youth Ballet. She later joined her high school dance team, which she was on four 4 years. She was a part of the 2019 Oregon All Stae Team for dance. In addition to her high school team, Abi trained at Core. After high school, Abi joined the dance and cheer team at Oregon State University. She was a part of the team for all four years and served as the team captain for 2 of those years. During her time at OSU she got to learn and train in various styles of dance and also develop cheerleading knowledge. Abi has found a new love for teaching dance. She loves to help dancers find their passion for dance and help them on their journey as a dancer.
CARLA
Adv Ballet/Pointe Instructor
Carla Michelle began her ballet studies at the age of 5 at the Ballet Cristina Helena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil under the guidance of Cristina Helena, Pablo Moret, Ofelia Gonzalez, and Graça Sales. She started performing with the Sesiminas Company of Dance, also in Belo Horizonte, when she was 13 and began performing principal roles when she was 15. She has experience with contemporary, modern, jazz, ballroom, and fusion belly dance among others. She also has a performing arts degree from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. One of Carla's greatest accomplishments in dance was the founding and artistic direction of the dance company Cia Sesc de Dança in Belo Horizonte, a company that dances a range of styles, from ballet to urban dance.
GIANNA
Instructor
GUESTS INSTRUCTORS
