Teachers

Kelly O’Connor was born and raised in sunny Pasadena, CA where she trained at Pasadena Civic Ballet Center. She earned her BFA in Dance with a minor in applied psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Kelly has had the opportunity to perform with the UCSB Dance Company and Motion Theater Dance Company. Kelly’s teaching method is rooted in creating a safe classroom space for students to authentically explore and grow their relationship to movement and music.

Morgan O’Neill began studying ballet in North Texas in 1986 at the Ballet Conservatory, under the direction of Kelly Lannin. She danced with the Ballet Conservatory's affiliated company, Lakecities Ballet Theater, and later danced as a member of Denton City Contemporary Ballet from 2004 to...

Manda Oliver grew up in St. Helens Oregon, and danced at Oregon Performing Arts Studio for most of her adolescent years. Manda went on to graduate from Western Oregon University in June 2024 with a BA in Dance. Manda has primarily studied musical theatre based jazz, and contemporary ballet and she has taught several jazz classes to all ages in the Portland area, as well as some creative movement, ballet, and contemporary. Manda dances and choreographs with the Portland Dance Collective in her free time and is excited to start a new chapter at NW Dance Project!

Sara Parker is an experienced dance educator with an MFA in Modern Dance Choreography and Performance from the University of Utah and a B.S. in Dance from the University of Oregon. Sara has been teaching movement for over two decades across higher education, professional studios...

Caitlin Pickens, a Midwestern native, has been teaching youth dance classes in Portland for over 10 years. She graduated from the University of Utah with a BFA in Modern Dance and was awarded the Dee R. Winterton Outstanding Teacher Award for her work and dedication...

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Olivia Paris Sarvello graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance in 2023. From 2023 to 2025, she apprenticed with Eisenhower Dance Detroit, as well as teaching and choreographing.

Gabriel Gaffney Smith is a modern-day renaissance man with an artistic resumé spanning multiple mediums. Raised in beautiful upstate New York, Smith began dancing at the Saugerties Ballet Center at the age of 12 and went on to dance professionally for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and...

Audrey Wells is originally from Portland and earned a BFA in dance from Marymount Manhattan College. Audrey began her professional career with SALT Contemporary Dance before performing with Yin Yue Dance Company, TL Collective, LED Boise, and Open Space Dance.