Meet Our Amazing Team!
Kristen Stoller
CEO, Owner/Artistic Director, Company Director, and Instructor
Kristen has been teaching dance for over twenty years and purchased CVDA in the spring of 2009. In addition to being the Owner/CEO of CVDA, Kristen is also the Artistic Director and, in this role, directs and choreographs for the company.
As a teacher, Kristen is known for creating a professional atmosphere in her classes where she works to develop confidence, leadership, and a strong work ethic in her dancers. Kristen’s main goal as a studio owner and teacher is to help the dancers grow not just as a dancer, but also as a person. “Together with the staff at CVDA, I work to develop the skills and tools each child needs to be successful in whatever life path they ultimately choose.” As a result, CVDA has won numerous Sportsmanship Awards and the Class Act Award three times under Kristen’s direction. “I work to turn out CVDA graduates who are successful, happy, healthy, motivated people with a strong connection to the community,” she says. Kristen enjoys being an active member of the business community as the past President of the Young Professionals of Yamhill Valley, the President of the Newberg Education Foundation, a Chehalem Valley Rotarian, executive leadership council for A Family Place, the Co-Founder of the Community Wellness Collective and Wine Country Pride, and many other networking associations.
Kristen is happily married to Francisco Stoller, a local real estate agent. Their number one priority is raising their kids Vada, Riley, and Stella. Kristen was awarded the Chairman’s Award in 2014 by the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce, Early Bird Rotary’s Norm Aldred Ethics in Business Award in 2015, Citizen of the Year for 2018, Volunteer Organization of the Year for 2019 for her work within the Community Wellness Collective, and in 2022, received the Dance Studio Owners Association Impact Award for her annual fundraising efforts with The Nutcracker.
Kristen is proud of her 13 choreography awards, but enjoys watching her children, dancers, and staff receive recognition for their successes even more so than her own.
Lindsey Palmer Rutten
Director of Operations
Lindsey has been with CVDA since the Spring of 2014. She was born and raised in Yamhill County and is happy to be a part of the community she grew up to raise her family in.
Lindsey is here to help with your billing, registration, and any other business related questions assocaited with training at CVDA. She knows that there is a lot to navigate at times and is happy to help break it all down.
Lindsey’s background includes attending the University of Oregon, where developed a passion for systems, social knowledge, and development. Lindsey is happy to be in the Director of Operations role to support the growth of CVDA. Her most used phrase: “Can I email you that? :)”
Casey Davenport
Instructor, Nutcracker Choreographer
Better known to his students as Mister Casey, Casey Davenport trained in ballet and jazz at High Desert Dance Arts Prineville and Madras, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pacific Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Central Oregon Community College et al. He performed professionally and freelance as a ballet and contemporary dancer as well as a choreographer for many workshops, showcases and a cabaret company. He set numerous competition works and musical theatre work.
Mister Casey has been teaching for 20+years in the metro area as well as guest faculty at many studios and running different ballet departments; he has trained teachers, assistants, students and coached as well as set full length Nutcracker, Dracula and Cinderella.
Mister Casey’s teaching philosophy is: Everyday, do your hair, fix your uniform, step up to the barre, and offer yourself to the art and the dance. Whatever you put in you will receive back and maybe a spark, something extra, when you make a fuller commitment. Ballet can reach everyone, you just have to find your space in it.
His most Used Phrase: “Yeaaa, um, no. So let’s try this…..!”
Mister Casey wants his students and families to know: “Life is a dance, you learn as you go, sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow.” Dance is community, friends, family, art and life that offers a pathway for all.
Ashley Corkett
Instructor, Company Choreographer
Teaching philosophy: “I love encouraging students to find joy and self-reliance within their learning process, and challenging them to each become their own instructor.”
Besides competitively dancing for over 10 years, Ashley has preformed on the set of “Portlandia”. After moving to California to continue her dance training, she completed Gigi Torres’s “Establish Your Empire” program and joined Chapkis Dance Family’s professional hip hop company “Prophecy”, going on to perform with them at various events across the US, and competing with them at invitational competitions Body Rock and VIBE (2016) where they placed 3rd. For the past 4 years after moving back to Oregon, she has worked with a small team to put together an annual full length hip hop/urban movement dance show.
Ashley first got hooked on teaching after she starting assisting classes at the age of 15, and began her teaching career at 16. She has coached and taught at The Goddard School, Rose City Rhythmic Gymnastics and Performing Arts Collaborative, various national and international workshops and intensives, and in the Portland area where she is currently a competitive choreographer and instructor.
Charlie Chheath
Instructor, Company Choreographer
Charlie Chheath has been teaching Hiphop/Industry Combos for over 15 years, he has choreographed for multiple recording artist and received numerous awards for competitive routines, receiving national recognition from various events and competitions for his work.
He has experience in television, including dancing with performing artists on BET networks “106 and Park”. Dancers who have trained with Charlie have gone on to book industry level work such as appearing on NBC networks “World of Dance” and performing with KPop sensations BTS on America’s Got Talent.
Charlie believes that teaching technique, history and broader skill sets such as stage presence, confidence, performance quality and work ethic, help him develop passionate dancers with authentic ability, style and originality. His ethos is that it is perfectly acceptable to fail but don’t give up, keep moving towards your goals. He tries to make his classes fun and challenging and hopes to teach his students to love the process of working towards their goals, whatever they may be.
Dane Burch
Instructor, Company Choreographer
Dane grew up in Oregon were he started training in dance at the age of 10. He quickly fell in love with movement and exploring through improv.
Dane moved to Los Angeles when he was 18 with a scholarship to EDGE Performing Arts Center. After completing his training he continued to train, study and perform in the area. He worked as an assistant with Tremaine Dance Convention for 5 years in the office and on the road. He has worked for Move Dance Competitions where he judged and taught master classes around the US.
In 2008 Dane moved to Austin, TX. There he Co-director Rise Dance Company and Reverence Dance Project. He has worked with numerous studios and high school dance teams across central Texas. Dane is excited to bring his knowledge and dance moves back to the northwest. Ready to connect, communicate and DANCE!!
Jon DeMone
Instructor
Jon began his formal training in ballet and modern dance as a scholarship student at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick Massachusetts under the directorship of Michael Owen. Following graduation in 2001, Jon accepted a scholarship to attend SUNY Purchase to receive his BFA in Dance. While attending Purchase he trained in Ballet, Pas de Deux, Graham, Limon and other techniques. As a member of the Purchase Dance Company he performed works choreographed by George Balanchine, José Limone, Sean Curran, Gerald Cassell, Richard Cook, Lin Hwai-min and Kevin Wynn. After receiving his degree Jon moved to NYC to begin his dance career.
While in NYC Jon was a company member for Elisa Monte Dance, The Kevin Wynn Collection and Nicholas Andre Dance. He performed both domestically and abroad including at the Kennedy Center, Joyce Theater, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center. When not performing Jon enjoyed his other passions in the dance world including teaching and choreographing throughout the NYC area for various dance academies and companies.
Jon has a three year old cattle dog named Dutch that he enjoys taking to the mountains or the beach in his free time.
Mr. Shuffles
Instructor
CVDA is now offering Tap Classes by Mr. Shuffles on Mondays at 7pm and 8pm! Scott Nicholls aka Mr. Shuffles, as his students affectionatley call Scott, has decades of dance experience both teaching and performing.
The Mr. Shuffles philosophy is “No matter what stage you are in life, it’s never too late to dance!” So grab your shoes and let’s tap! 5-6-7-8!
Bridget Derville-Teer
Choreographer
Bridget Derville-Teer is a born and raised CVDA alumni. She competed under CVDA for eleven years before graduating in 2018. After graduating, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in dance and choreography.
She was featured on season fifteen of So You Think You Can Dance, making it to the top forty dancers. She returned to the show for season sixteen and made it to the top fifty.
In 2017, she earned a spot in the top twenty for the title of Senior Female Best Dancer at The Dance Awards. Bridget is currently in the contemporary company, MarInspired; The Storytellers, under the direction of Emmy award winning Marinda Davis. Bridget performed in her full length show, “UNbreakable” in 2019 for the annual “Dancing Under The Stars” summer performance at the Scera Theater.
She also performed with MarInspired as the guest company at Young Choreographer’s Festival in New York City. Bridget has kept up her training by taking part in Broadway Dance Center’s Professional Semester program.
Bridget’s biggest dream is to choreograph for movies and television. She has been pursuing choreography since she was fifteen.
Thanks to her mentor, the owner of CVDA, Kristen Stoller, she has been graciously given the opportunity to choreograph competitive pieces for CVDA for the last three years. Bridget loves giving back to CVDA as much as she can because of all the wonderful things this studio has done for her.
Kaitlyn Burch
Instructor & Company Choreographer
Kaitlyn grew up dancing in the Portland area. She got a late start to dancing, beginning at the age of 12. She knew from the first dance class she took that she wanted dance to always be a part of her life. Her passion for dance led her to Los Angeles straight out of high school where she auditioned for the year long scholarship at Edge Performing Arts Center. It was at Edge that Kaitlyn truly began to understand the combined technique, strength, and artistry that is dance. She remained in Los Angeles for several years, continuing to train in dance as well as receiving her BA in English from the University of Southern California.
When Kaitlyn returned to the Portland area in 2006 she began teaching and renewed her passion for dance. She received awards for her choreography and her dancers were recognized for their technical ability. In 2011, she started the Independent Dance Project in an effort to recognize the uniqueness of each dancer. At IDP she strives to ignite a passion for dance in all dancers. Kaitlyn hopes that her instruction at CVDA will foster and nurture well-rounded individuals who better their communities.
Olivia Martorana
Instructor
Olivia Martorana has been teaching all styles of dance and ages for the past 7 years. Teaching tap has always been her first love, she believes with tap not only is she teaching a style of dance but also an instrument. Teaching the kids how to articulate rhymes, and add to music with their own sounds. Her goal while teaching is fitting her style of teaching to each individual student so they can learn and thrive at their best potential! While always having fun!
Olivia was a competition dancer for 8 years. A couple of her biggest accomplishments in doing so was winning Hollywood Vibe Nationals with her Tap Duo in Anaheim California. They won with a perfect score and standing ovation. And receiving protege winner at Radix, Seattle. After she graduated high school she moved on to work as a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer. Booking jobs for Red Cube Productions and dancing for various EDM Artists like Diplo. She is currently looking forward to tapping with Savion Glover’s drummer in Portland, as that opportunity has just creeped up for her!
Olivia is looking forward to bringing some tap to CVDA and is hoping to spread her passion for it amongst the students!
Francisco (Fran) Stoller
Instructor
Fran began teaching at CVDA in 2022 when he took over the advanced level of acro mid-season. He grew up as a power tumbler and has performed in the Nutcracker for the past 13-years doing his signature backflip during each performance (he just retired). He starts every class with a warmup and zen-flow to help his students get centered and focused in order for their bodies to perform the movements that acro asks of them. His teaching style is direct and the mood in the studio can be light as long as everyone is keeping safety as the number one priority. He is looking forward to another rad season full of focus, growth and confidence building.
Melissa Stockton
Instructor
Melissa is very excited to join the CVDA teaching crew! With 24 years of cheerleading under her belt – 10 as a cheerleader and 14 as a coach from youth to the collegiate level, she’s looking forward to bringing her knowledge and skills to the studio.
Melissa also enjoys teaching at a local preschool. Off-duty, she’s all about family time with her husband and three kids, supporting all of their sports and activities.
Her number one priority in acro class? Safety first! From nailing those spot-on spotting techniques to perfect hand placements and tweaking body positions, she’s all about setting her students up for success. Because in the world of acrobatics, every tiny step leads to big, bold stunts!
Angela Laws
Instructor
Angela is excited to join the CVDA team teaching Dance With Me! and Tiny Tumblers. When she is not at the studio, you can find her teaching at a local preschool and spending time with her two kids and husband. She has over 10 years experience teaching music, movement and tumbling classes for ages babies to big kids!
Angela is looking forward to bringing her passion of teaching little ones to CVDA. She can’t wait to dance and tumble with you!
Riley Coats Ogrenics
Instructor, Admin
Riley started working as an admin at CVDA in Newberg in the fall of 2021. She has been dancing at CVDA since she was around 2 years old. She began competing and performing in CVDA’s production of The Nutcracker when she was 5 years old. Being surrounded by such amazing instructors and getting to assist and apprentice with them is something that really made her want to teach. Her teaching philosophy is that every student will have their own dance journey and she is there to help them in any way that she can. Her most used phrase is “good job!” Something that she wants teachers and students to know about her is that she loves teaching and that it has been a dream of hers ever since she was little!
Mirabel Brown
Instructor
Mirabel began her dance training when she was four years old and took her first class at CVDA. She instantly fell in love with it! After four years of recreational dancing, she joined the McMinnville Performing Company. In sixth grade she started taking classes in Newberg and it wasn’t long before she was dancing at both studios, competing on PC teams for each location, and participating in the Nutcracker. She eventually transitioned entirely to Newberg where she is beyond thrilled to be teaching two of her favorite styles, Acro and Hip Hop.
She is currently a junior at Mac High in the Accounting and Ceramics pathways. When she’s not in school or in the studio, she can be found working at a boutique clothing store in downtown McMinnville.
Her deep love for dance is followed by her fondness for fashion, travel and music. She’s really excited to share her passion for this art form with the younger generation. Her goal as a teacher is to create strong, confident and creative dancers. She wants to bring kids into the safe space of the studio to get in touch with their bodies and minds. She hopes this allows them to let go of anything troubling them, be in the moment, and get lost in finding out what they are capable of achieving.
Her most used phrase is, “You’re almost done.”
Sophia Solorio
Instructor
Sophia started dancing at the age of four, and joined CVDA in 2015. She is entering her sixth year in Performance Company.
Sophia’s teaching philosophy is that you can become a great dancer and even more with an amazing support system! She hopes to provide that to all her students. Her most used phrase is definitely “WORKKKK”
She is hoping this year that she can teach dancers to love themselves and, as dancers, to find their confidence. She also hopes to create a great, fun class!
Vada Coats
Instructor
Vada has been teaching since September of 2021 but has been training at CVDA for as long as she can remember (around 2 years old) in various genres! At age 6 she started participating in CVDA’s annual production of the Nutcracker and even began competing. She started assisting at age 8 which inspired her to become a teacher! Not only has she been able to participate in shows and parades with CVDA, she has also gotten to volunteer through, and go to school, at CVDA.
Her teaching philosophy is that every student has the right to feel confident and accepted in whatever they choose to do. Her most used phrase is “that was interesting!”
She would like students and families to know that her class is a safe space for everyone and that she will always put her best effort into making dance fun for everyone!
Gracie Fast
Instructor
Gracie joined CVDA in 2018, and has been in performing company for 5 years. She found a love in dance when she was 10 years old in a beginning lyrical class. Her teacher was so supportive of everyone and made that 30 minutes a week so special. She hopes to be able to do that for her students and truly believes that dance skills are life skills, which she tries to incorporate into her classes.
Peyton Mahe
Instructor
Peyton has been dancing at CVDA since 2016 when she was 8 years old. She started out in jazz, acro, hip hop and ballet and performing in the Nutcracker. Since then, she has taken every genre available. She loved it so much that started on performing company when she was 10 years old.
There are many reasons she loves teaching, but her favorite part of teaching is seeing the smiles on each child’s face when they come in the room.
Besides dance, Peyton loves to be outdoors, hang out with my friends, travel and try new things.
Cora Hempel
Instructor
Hi there! I’m incredibly thrilled to be teaching at CVDA this year. My journey with dance began 11 years ago at this very studio, where I first took a pre-ballet/tap/jazz class and fell in love with the art form. Over the years, my passion for dance has only grown stronger. I’ve had the opportunity to assist in various dance classes and, last year, I became a part of CVDA’s Apprentice Program.
During my time at CVDA, I’ve had the privilege of dancing in The Nutcracker, taking on roles such as Clara, a mouse, a baby flower, and Dew Drop, among others. The studio has been a second home to me, providing a welcoming and supportive environment that allows me to express myself creatively and develop valuable life skills.
I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge and passion with the students and helping them discover their own love for dance. It’s a fantastic feeling to be able to contribute to their learning journey and watch them grow as dancers.
Bella Trowbridge
Instructor
Bella is thrilled to have begun her teaching career with CVDA in 2021! Bella comes to CVDA with exceptional dance training and teacher training from Kelli Pinkerton of Ballet Arts NW. Bella began dancing at Ballet Arts Northwest in 2017, when she was 13. She has danced with the West Salem High School Dance Team for 4 years and was able to perform at two Portland Trailblazers games.
Her teaching philosophy is that she wants to give students the skills to not only do well in dance but life too. Her most used phrase is “We will do an obstacle course at the end of class, not now”. She wants students and families to know that she is very excited to see what the new dance season brings.
Brooklynn Hammond-Brouwer
Instructor, Admin
Brooklynn joined CVDA in the summer of 2022. She started dancing when she was nine years old at the studio that used to be in the CVDA West location, Ballet Arts NW. She started assisting in classes when she was 11 and had the opportunity to be a sprite in Eugene Ballet Company’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with other dancers at her studio. You can find her in the office at West Salem’s studio.
Dance helped her gain more confidence and become the person she is now. She feels that she owes a lot to dance and the studio she was raised dancing in. The studio has been a very important and safe place for her, and she hopes that others will find similar comforts.
Brynn Swartwood
Instructor
Miss Brynn is a devoted dance teacher with a lifelong passion for dance. With years of experience across various styles, she finds immense joy in inspiring her students and fostering their love for the art of dance. Her teaching focuses on helping dancers grow both technically and creatively, encouraging them to express themselves and develop their unique talents. Miss Brynn is committed to nurturing her students’ passion for dance and guiding them on their journey, whether they are beginners or seasoned dancers.
Ashlyn Felty
Instructor, Admin
Miss Ashlyn is a junior at Amity High school. She has been teaching at CVDA since 2022, and dancing there since 2016! She has been dancing competitively since 2017.
Miss Ashlyn teaches cheer, dance party, jazz, and hip hop and in her free time she enjoys watching Disney movies, playing with her dog, and building legos with her little brother.