New Beginnings - Applause Studio's 18th Annual Dance Recital Creative

Studio Owner
Edie Smith
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Administrative Director/Instructor
Amanda Rice
Amanda has been teaching at Applause Studio since August 2013. She has been dancing since the age of 4, starting her practice at Barclay Shelton Dance Centre in Edmonds. In 2004, Amanda started taking dance classes at Applause Studio and has been here ever since. Growing up at the studio, she studied Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Musical Theatre, and Tap, as well as participated in both the Performance Team and Applause Players. For 6 years, Amanda was the Director and Assistant Director of Applause Players. In 2015, she received an AA in Digital Film Production and in 2020, she received an AA in Early Childhood Education, both from Shoreline Community College. Amanda was an Early Childhood Educator for 3 years and while working for Kiddie Academy of Mill Creek, she was nominated by the Director as 2021 Teacher of the Year. Amanda is very passionate about the performing arts and bringing it into children’s lives. She is so excited for this opportunity to be the Artistic Director for Applause!
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Artistic Director/Emcee
Erin Smith
Erin Lee Smith is a local actor, singer, and creator whose roots began here at Applause Studio! After graduation, she got her bachelor’s degree in musical theatre at the University of Washington and spent one year in NYC taking Atlantic Acting School’s conservatory program. Spanning from coast to coast, Erin’s been in a multitude of theatre productions, with an emphasis on challenging gender roles with characters such as Sebastian in The Tempest, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Molokov in Chess, along with many others! Erin loves being back home at Applause. She spent years here directing and managing the Performance Team, choreographing productions for Applause Players, running summer camps, and, of course, teaching classes! It’s like being back home. To learn more about Erin, be sure to check out her website www.erinleesmithofficial.com
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Instructor
Emily Chadwick
Emily teaches hip hop and contemporary, as well as leads the competition teams. She grew up at Applause, being a member of competition teams herself for about 6 years, and training in many different styles of dance. She was the captain of her high school hip hop team, and completed an internship program through our studio in 2017. Emily’s goal is to inspire creativity and confidence in her students. She loves to see people who have a real passion for performing.
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Instructor
Oceana Dunsire
Oceana Marie Dunsire teaches ballet, tap, and theatre classes, and is the director of The Applause Players. She has been involved with Applause Studio for 16 years, being a part of numerous musical theatre and dance performances, and studying tap, ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, and the voice. For five years she went on to study theatre and dance at Western Washington University, acting in faculty directed shows, working in their summer repertory, devising with the New York company Blessed Unrest, and directing multiple shows of her own. She graduated with honors with a Bachelors in theatre in 2019. Beginning her third year as director of The Applause Players, it is her goal to create accessible theatre for all ages, while encouraging a love of the performing arts in her students and providing them with opportunities to express themselves both in the studio and on the stage.
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Instructor
Neha Gupta
Neha has a solid understanding of dance expressions and different Bollywood dance styles, such as Contemporary, Bollywood film dance, Rajasthani folk dance, Bhangra, and many more. She left her successful IT career to pursue her passion in dance. In addition to being a dancer, Neha has a passion for teaching and sharing what she has learned over the years. She enjoys, feels, and lives dance. In Neha’s class, you will learn step by step dance to your favorite Bollywood songs.
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Instructor
Candace Larson
Candace is a tap, jazz, and musical theater instructor. She has taught dance across ages and levels for 20 years throughout Utah and Washington. She especially loves choreographing musicals. Candace is the daughter of a dance teacher and began classes as soon as she could walk. She has an appreciation for all dance styles, but is a tapper at heart. Candace finds joy in dance, and relishes the opportunity to share that joy with her students every year.
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Instructor
Michael McGraw
Michael McGraw teaches Beginning Acting, Beginning Musical Theatre, and Intermediate/Advanced Acting. A native of Corpus Christi, TX, he graduated from Texas A&M University-CC with a degree in both Communications and Children’s Theatre and has over 20 years’ stage experience. A former member of the Camarillo Skyway Playhouse Board of Directors in California, he built a reputation for himself through his work with young performers in the area. Most notably he created the Stage Door Players, an all-youth acting troupe dedicated to the artistic growth of local youth. Through ensemble team building, the group sought to create a thriving community of young, energetic performers. He hopes to create a similar safe space at Applause Studio in which all young actors can reach their potential while having fun.
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Instructor
Kelly Smith
Kelly teaches the advanced ballet classes at Applause. She has taught at various studios in the Puget Sound area since 2001 and has been at Applause since 2006. She has trained in ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary/lyrical and hip-hop. Her main focus has been ballet with training in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) method. She holds a minor in dance from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in Public Health. She also has a registered nurse degree but is currently taking time away from nursing to care for her family. Kelly looks to instill a love of dance in her students and thinks it is important to be a positive role model in her students’ lives. Her favorite part of teaching is watching students grow into confident dancers and amazing people! When Kelly is not teaching, she enjoys reading, being outside and spending time with her family.