Experience Dance This
Faculty
2025 DANCE This Camp Teaching Artists
Andrea Freed
STG DANCE This Manager
About
Andrea Freed, born and raised in the greater Seattle area in Washington state, started dancing ballet at the age of four and fell in love with it. In 2017, Andrea earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree, magna cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, where she studied primarily ballet and modern dance. While at Cornish, Andrea performed in works by Kyle Abraham, Iyun Harrison, Pat Hon, Veronica Lee-Baik, and Gerard Theoret. Andrea has been teaching ballet since 2012 and has taught at the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet, Woodinville Dance Academy, and Gotta Dance. She also has a passion for dance administration and started working with Seattle Theatre Group (STG) in 2017. She now works with STG on their DANCE This program and more recently their Dance for Parkinson’s program. She believes that dance is for everyone and enjoys sharing that message in these programs and in the classes she teaches. Read MoreElaine Buchignani
Lindy Hop
About
Elaine Buchignani is a full-time Lindy Hop & Jazz Dance instructor, organizer, choreographer, and program director. She is the co-founder of Swing Dance SCT, one of Seattle’s largest Lindy Hop & Jazz Dance schools, and the co-founder and organizer of Stormy Weather Jazz Dance Festival. She is also the founder and choreographer of Evergreen Rhythm performance team, a group focused on exploring the full range of jazz dance styles.
Read MoreEllie Sandstrom
Modern Dance
About
Ellie Sandstrom, a Seattle Magazine “Spotlight Award Winner” and a Velocity Dance Center “Dance Champion”, is originally from Minneapolis, where she began her movement training with Minnesota Dance Theater and later, BalletArts Minnesota. She has studied various forms of dance technique, body conditioning, composition, improvisation and performance at dance festivals and schools across the country including Cornish College of the Arts, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance.
Read MoreEtienne Cakpo
West African Dance
About
Etienne Cakpo (he/him) is an award-winning professional dancer, choreographer and musician from Benin, West Africa. He is specialized in instruction and performance of traditional African dance from Benin as well as contemporary African dance styles, and has been building his dance repertoire for nearly thirty years. He is director of Gansango Music & Dance, a dance company registered in Washington State. Gansango works closely with public libraries, schools and independent arts agencies locally and nationally to make performance of dance and music from Africa available to a wide range of audiences, including young children. In 2021, Etienne was honored with the 2020 Dance Educator of the Year Award from DEAW (Dance Educators Association of Washington).
Read MoreJanu Sung
House
About
Janu (yah-nū) is a dancer, educator, and performing artist in Seattle, WA. He founded Hustle and Soul in 2022 and has been part of the Club & Street Dance Community since 2016. His earliest movement practices are based in martial arts and his “student-first” mentality has led him to explore and study numerous movement/dance styles. His main style is House dance: a culture and philosophy he loves and feels blessed to know.
Read MoreRex Kinney
STG Associate Director of Education
About
Rex Kinney (he/him) is the Associate Director of Education overseeing education initiatives and productions at Seattle Theatre Group. He is a dance educator, producer, choreographer and teaching artist. His goals are to be able to highlight the vibrant stories of our artists and provide a space that all learners can discover an environment that is surrounded by community, imagination and creativity. Prior to STG, Rex spent 20 years as the Head Coach and Director of the Shorecrest High School Hip Hop Team. During this time, he helped the team to 15 consecutive Washington State District 1 titles, 10 WIAA State Dance/Drill Championships, and 5 National titles. He was honored by the Washington State Dance/Drill Coaches Association as “Coach of the Year” in 2011 and inducted into the Coaches Hall of Fame in 2017. Rex has taught and choreographed for several groups, studios, companies and organizations all over the Northwest. The arts have made a huge impact in his life and career but is most proud of being a husband and dad to four amazing children.
Read MoreStefan Huynh
Lindy Hop
About
Yaw Amponsah
West African Drumming
About
Yaw Amponsah is a master percussionist from Ghana. Coming from a musical family from West Africa he is at home in the world of rhythm. A versatile player, Yaw can play many styles of music from Ghana including Highlife, Agbadja, Kpanlogo and more. His specialty is the music of the multi-part percussion ensembles of the Ashanti people. These sets of drums and corresponding rhythms can be made up of eight or more independent percussion parts. He is the leader of Anokye Agofomma and a member of Manghis Khan quartet and has been a lead drummer with Gansango Music and Dance for more than a decade.
Read MoreWorkshop
Each day includes technique classes and repertory sessions, with time for meals and exploring the Fort Worden campus. At the end of the week, students share their work at a Sunday showcase for friends and family.
- Classes include Modern, Hip Hop, Jazz, Cultural and other dance forms
- Residency program with private dorm rooms, counselors and staff
- Beach, Bon Fire, Talent Share and more!
- Final share performance at McCurdy Pavilion at Ft. Worden
Costs
2025 Costs
Tuition, plus room and board, per student: $975
Scholarships are available for those who are not able to otherwise attend. If the full tuition is a significant financial burden to you, please select the scholarship/work-trade registration type. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served; and as-needed basis. Apply online as you register.
Meals are served at Fort Worden Commons.
DEPOSITS AND DEADLINES:
$100 non-refundable tuition deposit is due when registering . An exception is made for students applying for a scholarship, in which case a $25 deposit is required.
- July 18, 2025: Scholarship application final deadline
- July 25, 2025: Payment in full deadline. After this date $400 is non-refundable
FAQ
Parents
The safety and comfort of your children is our highest priority. Meals at Fort Worden State Park feature locally-grown, organically-produced food prepared to the highest standards at the Fort Worden Commons. Students are housed in historic fort buildings renovated as dormitories.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available for those who are not able to otherwise attend. If the full tuition is a significant financial burden to you, please select the scholarship/work-trade registration type. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served; and as-needed basis. Apply online as you register.
Scholarship Deadlines:
- July 18, 2025: Scholarship application final deadline
- Scholarship awards will be sent out starting March 3, 2025 until the final deadline on July 18th.
What to Bring & What Not to Bring
Cell phones and electronic devices are not allowed at Centrum Youth Programs. In case of emergency, Centrum's program manager and staff carry phones and will notify you as soon as possible. You may leave a message for your student at any time with Program Manager Alyssa de Leon (360) 385-3102 x120. You will receive contact information in an email prior to the start of the program.
Please bring these items:
• An extra blanket (it can be cold)
• Warm clothes (including a warm jacket)
• Rain gear • Clothes you can get messy in (paint, etc.)
• Soap & shampoo
• Day Pack
• Water bottle or canteen
• Hat (such as a baseball cap)
• An alarm clock
• Flashlight
• Spiral notebook or journal
• Pens, pencils and erasers
• Clothes you can MOVE in for dance, theater, etc. (not jeans)
OPTIONAL
• Musical instruments
• Camera
• Quarters and soap (To do laundry)
• Healthy snacks (Centrum provides three meals a day, as well as light evening and afternoon snacks. Students are welcome to bring additional snacks, however we strongly discourage sending students to Centrum with large amounts of sugary snacks).
• Linens are provided in the dormitory, including, pillows, sheets, blankets and towels, but an extra blanket can come in handy.
• Bathing suit, if you are bashful. You may want to bring a suit for when you take a shower, although there are individual shower stalls for privacy.
Please go through this list carefully, and call if you have any questions. Providing extra care in helping your student prepare for the week will enhance their experience greatly. Thank you for your help!
To learn more about all STG’s DANCE This programs visit: stgpresents.org/ece/dance-this
If you have any more questions about Centrum’s DANCE This Camp, please contact Alyssa de Leon at 360-385-3102, x120, or adeleon@centrum (dot) org.
