Instructors

Meet Our

Instructors

Kristy Larson

Director

I started dancing at age 6 in a creative dance class. I have now danced for over 55 years. As a teen I studied the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. I majored in ballet at college and performed as a soloist at Brigham Young University Theatre Ballet Company. I also studied at Pacific Northwest Ballet and had teacher seminars in Chehalis, Texas, Virginia, California, and all over Washington State. I have trained in Ballet, Tap, Ballroom, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, and Lyrical.

I have been teaching for over 40 years and have owned Evergreen Dance Center for more than 30 years.

I became a dance teacher because I love dancing and wanted to share that love with everyone.

I have 8 children, 6 boys and 2 girls. I have 15 grandchildren and love to spend time with family. I also love to sew, cook, read, hike, visit family, and cross stitch. I play the piano, organ, flute, piccolo, and lots of other instruments.

Molly Johnson

Ballet / Tap Instructor

I took Ballet, Tap and Jazz, all at Evergreen Dance when I was a kid and adult.

I have been teaching off and on since 1999.

I love to dance and Kristy asked if I wanted to substitute for her when I was in high school. I loved it so I continue teaching. I came back this year as my two younger daughters are now taking classes.

I have 3 daughters and a husband. We as a family like to play at our creek on our property, go for walks, take care of our chickens, ducks, goats, cats and dogs. We are a huge Disney family and love anything Disney. My hobbies are gardening and doing crafts with my girls.

Leonessa Grimes

Ballet Instructor

I began dancing at age 7 at Adams Ballet Academy and trained with Mary Moe Adams. I completed all of my children’s and major’s Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus exams. I was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance, London, England. I also trained at the National Academy of Dance in Champaign, IL, for 6 intensive summers, Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA, Dallas Ballet School training under Marjorie Tallchief, Washington Ballet, Washington D.C. under Mary Day, Bartholin Summer Intensive, Copenhagen, Denmark. I have also had a variety of performing experiences with Ballet West as a child and young adult, including performing in the Nutcracker, Coppelia, and Don Quixote. I also danced as an apprentice with Arizona Ballet under ballet mistress Elaine Thomas, and Long Beach California under David Wilcox. I placed 5th at the National Society of Arts and Letters Ballet Competition

I started teaching ballet at age 19 for Mary Moe Adams and in other local studios in AZ. I later decided to pursue my career and traveled to Berlin, Germany and taught ballet at Tanz Akademie Cifuentes. I have taught at Evergreen for over 15 years.

The most rewarding thing about being a teacher is seeing dancers enjoy dance and theatre through hard work and discipline and succeeding in whatever they choose to do.

Maggie Kasemeier

Ballet Instructor

I have been dancing since the age of three. I have over 20 years of classical ballet experience. Imajored in Dance at the University of Washington where I studied ballet, tap, and jazz.

I have been teaching at Evergreen for over six years. I have been dancing at evergreen for over 20 years.

I became a teacher because I love dance and enjoy sharing it with all the students.

I am a lawyer when I'm not teaching dance. I live in Longview with my husband, daughter and dogs. I enjoy music, reading, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings.

Kaitlyn Guernsey

Ballet / Pom Instructor

I started dancing at Evergreen when I was three years old, and continued with ballet classes up until I was 20 years old. My love for dancing started right here. I also took classes in jazz, lyrical, ballroom and swing during my senior year of high school, and a few dance courses at LCC.

My first couple of years teaching were spent being Ms. Kristy’s assistant while I was in college, then I had the pleasure of teaching my own classes the following year.

I became a dance teacher because I love dancing and I love working with children. I took ten years off from teaching to start my own family and am happy to be back in the studio.

I have three children, all girls. I love to read and am a movie fanatic. In my spare time I love to spend time with my friends and family.

Debbie Williamson

Instructor All-Styles

I learned ballet, tap, and jazz from the Tugaw school of dance. Once I got to tap six weeks with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. I also did ballet with the San Fransisco Ballet Company.

I have been teaching for over 60 years.

While I was dancing with the San Francisco Ballet Company I realized I enjoyed teaching more than performing, so I became a teacher.

I have worked with Paula Abdul. Billy Ray Cyrus, and Janet Jackson.

I have been married to Bruce Williamson for over 50 years and we have three children Amber, John, and David.

I enjoy gardening, reading, and traveling. I have been to all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, and now I am trying to get all of the European countries.

Morgan Jenson

Ballet Instructor

I started ballet at 8 years old in a small studio in central Arizona. I studied for 10 years under the tutelage of Nicole Romine. My focus throughout that time was very much ballet, which I was taught in the Vagonova style, but I also enjoyed taking contemporary, Lyrical, and Jazz among other things. I had the opportunity to attend two summer intensives as a teenager, one at the Long Beach Ballet in California, and The Kirov Ballet’s intensive in Washington DC. I took some ballet, pointe and variation classes at BYU-Idaho while I went to school there as well.

I now have the privilege of teaching ballet at Evergreen. I love being able to see my students work hard and progress in their strength, technique and artistry. I hope that I can pass on some of the deep and abiding love of ballet, and of movement in general, that I feel to my students.

Outside of the studio I like going on nature walks with my three kids, Playing Dungeons and Dragons with my husband, sewing, doing watercolors, reading, gardening or one of my hundred or so other hobbies.

Josie Zbareon

Jazzy Hip Hop Instructor

My name is Josie, and dance has been a meaningful part of my life for many years. I began taking dance at Evergreen in 1975 and continued dancing throughout high school. My love of dance has remained strong ever since.

From 1992 to 2001, I had the opportunity to coach dance at Kelso High School. I later taught dance for a local studio for a couple years. After taking some time away from dance, I was thrilled to return to Evergreen Dance Studio last fall.

This year, I am excited to teach two classes and share my love and passion for dance with a new generation of dancers. I am truly looking forward to the year ahead!

Ashlynn Droke

Tap/Ballet Instructor

I started dancing at Evergreen when I was 4 years old. I began dance in creative dance and have trained in Ballet here every year since. I then began to train other styles like tap, lyrical, swing, jazz, hip-hop, and a little bit of acro.

I have a strong passion for the growth seen through dance. I started assisting in classes when I was 13, and this will be my second year as a full time teacher.

I enjoy teaching to spread the joy and community of dance. I love how dance classes teach skills that transfer ouside of the studio. Dance creates a space to learn and grow which is something that everyone should find somewhere as they grow up.

Outside of dance I enjoy reading, crafting and learning new things. I also LOVE the color purple!

Carli Reaume

Tap Instructor

My journey through dance started at the age of 3, right here at Evergreen with Kathleen Tucker. Eventually I wanted to branch out into tap and jazz (and Evergreen only offered ballet at the time) so I moved to The Dance Studio with Valdene Dick when I was 7. I continued to learn and grow in my craft through the years and was attending various classes by a variety of instructors in the area. I also took classes at Performing Arts Center with Debbie Williamson, High Step with Regina Wells, with Merle Munger at Merle Munger Dance, and Stephanie Clark at Stephanie Clark's. I was one of the kids who couldn't get enough and always wanted to add another class.

When I was 12, I was introduced to colorguard and a new passion sparked from there. I performed and competed locally, nationally, and internationally with colorguard through local groups for 9 years. Participation in these programs exponentially progressed my dance training and knowledge.

I have trained in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, contemporary, and hula. I started assisting and student teaching at Performing Arts when I was in high school. I started teaching at EDC in 2008, and left in 2015 to move to Colorado. I started teaching colorguard in 2000. I have been coaching colorguard and dance at Kelso High School off and on since 2010.

When I am not at the studio, I have a husband (who humors me and takes ballroom classes with me for fun), 2 sons (both are away at college), and 2 dogs. I love being outdoors and camping, hiking, and traveling. Random adventures are the best! Also I have an odd obsession with off the wall board games and card games. Since I moved back from Colorado a few years ago, I am so happy to return to the EDC family!

Allison Mooney

Instructor All Styles

I have been dancing at various studios in the Longview area in all forms of dance since a young age. Starting at 11 I started competing in Winterguard and Drum Corps where I was able to see much of the United States.

I continued dancing after high school and then began coaching Winterguard in the Longview/Kelso area.

A fun fact about me is I worked at Walt Disney World in my early 20's as a tour guide on an animation tour.

When not dancing I work as an Environmental Scientist and Archaeologist for a natural gas company. I am excited to be teaching at Evergreen and continuing the excitment of dance!

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(360) 423-7410

Dance@evergreendance.com