Our Instructors
Steven Oelrich
Tap, Barre, 1980s Cardio
Steven grew up in Oxnard, CA where he studied tap, jazz, ballet, and Scottish Highland Dancing at MacKinnon Dance Academy under the direction of Joy MacKinnon. While there, he performed with the Pure Joy Moving Company and Pumping Metal tap ensemble. While attending college at the University of Wyoming, he taught tap dance classes and choreographed for the Theater & Dance Department under the direction of Dr. Patricia Tate and Dr. Marsha Knight.
Since moving to the Seattle area in 2007, Steven has taught varying levels of tap for several local studios including Definitive Dance, Issaquah Dance Theater, Blue Dog Dance, and Dance Premier. In April 2016, he opened The Studio in Issaquah so that more adults of all ages and backgrounds could experience the joy of dancing. Since then, Steven has taught a wide range of classes including barre, cardio, and varying levels of tap dance at his studio. He's also enjoyed choreographing routines for local high school productions Mamma Mia and Drowsy Chaperone for Issaquah High and Eastside Catholic High schools, respectively.
In his spare time, he loves to hike, play board and card games with friends, and traveling. He is also an adrenaline junkie and enjoys paragliding, riding coasters, skydiving, and anything else that gets his heart pumping like go karting and paintballing.
Megan Adams - Jazz & Jazz Funk
Megan is dedicated to making dance fun and accessible for all ages and experience levels. A.C.E. Certified, and with extensive dance training from University of Washington, Westlake Dance Center, and tens of other dance studios across the nation, Megan is well versed in knowing how to make class a safe place to express oneself through dance, while also getting a great full-body work out.
Megan is the lead dance instructor for Village Theatre's Institute program, as well as a long-term faculty member of Westlake Dance Center and The Studios. Megan's credits include choreographing for the SeaGals, Stealth Bombsquad, Village Theatre, and many local schools and special events. Megan loves bringing dance to adults in Issaquah, her home-town!
Melain Blue - Rizzmic
Melain Blue has spent her career in a passionate pursuit of skill sets that help inspire others to improve their lives. Beginning with intensive musical training in childhood she first developed expertise in stage performance and went on to become a professional singer. After starting her family she transitioned into a career in cosmetology while pursuing a variety of professional opportunities such as photography, creative and copywriting, graphic design, videography, modeling, dance choreography production, and fitness instruction. All these career paths culminated in the creation of Rizzmic® Fitness; founded in 2012. As Rizzmic's Creative Director, Melain is responsible for the written content and creative vision of the company, but her greatest passion lies in teaching fitness, choreographing new routines, and educating Rizzmic trainees.
Alysia Ericsson - Barre
Alysia has joined Studio Issaquah after a two year stint in Boston. She has been a lifelong fitness enthusiast, and completed teacher training in 2019 from Barre Bohemian in West Seattle.
Alysia likes creating theme sessions that are fun and challenging. She enjoys that barre can be accessible to all abilities, body types, and experience levels. She has taught on both east and west coasts. When she's not doing barre, she is baking, making art or working in regulatory compliance for Talking Rain Beverage Company.
Kim Gockel - Ballet, Jazz, Stretching
Kim Gockel has instructed and choreographed in and around the Seattle area for over 30 years. She currently teaches children through adults at Westlake Dance Center, Gotta Dance and most recently Dance Expressions. Kim earned her BA in Kinesiology from the University of Washington and has spent her career focusing on the research and implementation of safe and effective movement as it relates to dance. She has participated in many dance workshops around the country through which she has learned to think about the body mindfully and teach others to do so as well.
Kim teaches modern ballet with the purpose of transforming strong, dynamic technique into meaningful movement. She has had the opportunity to study with prominent instructors including Stephanie Saland and Hannah Wiley whom she credits as having the most influence on her current perspectives on movement. Kim is the founder and director of En L’air Dance, a benefit dance collective. Kim is also a certified Gyrotonics instructor and leads private sessions in her home.
Cristina Herrera - Zumba
Cristina is a licensed Zumba instructor since 2012. She loves Zumba for the main reason that each class feels like a party! She strongly believes that if you think you have two left feet, and no coordination, these classes are for you! There are no mistakes in Zumba, only unexpected solos! Come dance to Latin and International rhythms such as Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Afro Beats, Bollywood, Reggaeton, Samba... she'll take you around the world in one hour!
She can't wait to meet you, and take you on a tour around the world through music, dance, and happiness!
As you may have guessed, she love dancing, but her other hobbies are cooking, reading, writing short stories, and making short movies with puppets.
Shanee Luk - Tap
Shanée grew up in California and has studied ballet, jazz, theater dance, and tap, but tap has always been her favorite. She graduated from University of California, Riverside with a teaching certificate and taught elementary school before moving to Seattle. While at UCR, she rediscovered her love of tap, studying under Fred Strickler and performing in their annual dance concerts.
After moving to the Seattle area, she became involved in musical theater, performing many shows with ManeStage Theatre in Puyallup. She continues to take class around the Puget Sound area, The Studio being one of her favorite places to take class. She is so excited to be sharing her love of tap at The Studio!
Mackenzie Malhotra - Tap
Mackenzie moved to Seattle after receiving her BFA in Musical Theatre from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She is a teaching artist and choreographer that has taught with Village Theatre KIDSTAGE, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Community Education and Outreach Program, EDGE Performing Arts & Dance, Emerald City Dance Complex, as well as private dance lessons. She has choreographed at Reboot Theatre Co., Renton Civic Theatre, Tahoma High School, and EDGE. Mackenzie has also performed in Seattle, working at such theatres as Village Theatre, Twelfth Night Productions, Seattle Music Theatre, and the Kirkland Performing Arts Center. Tap is Mackenzie’s favorite dance style, and has been tapping since she was 11 years old. She can’t wait to be teaching tap at The Studio!
Amy McGinnis - Tai Chi & Qigong
Amy McGinnis was certified as a personal fitness trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine in 2014. In 2017 she earned her 1st degree blackbelt in Oom Yung Doe, which combines study of 8 styles of martial arts. She has been teaching tai chi and qigong since 2017.
Maddie Miller - Hip Hop
Maddie has been a mover/dancer ever since she can remember. She graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelors in Arts, majoring in dance. She danced with SINIHHA, an all inclusive hip-hop club, and for the last two years led the club. Her experience and skill sets helps with being aware of how the body moves and how to best help the body. She has experience in contemporary, hip-hop, ballet, and jazz, and if you ever want help with tricks she would know how to get there. She believes every body is a dancing body and strives to create dance environments where movers can be experimental, free and welcoming.
Maddie aims to challenge her movers and also loves to create choreography that is fun. She hopes to give you movement that you would be excited to bust out with your friends or while you are on the dance floor.
She loves her mini weiner dog Holly with all of her heart and soul. Holly is 14 yrs old and toothless, so she is referred to as the “little lady”. Maddie loves art and music, and a movie night is her best friend. She loves to chat about anything so don’t be shy!! She is so excited to meet you and ready to get our groove on!
Kelsey Muñoz - Contemporary, Hip Hop, Pop Culture Choreo
Kelsey grew up in Illinois where she danced from the time she was big enough to take toddler classes. Throughout her lifetime, she has trained in a wide variety of styles, but has come to love contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop the most. Choreography is her passion and she loves seeing her work come to life through other dancers, whether in the studio or on stage!
In 2015, she graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University with a minor in dance. Shortly after, she founded Ekcheo Dance Company, an Orlando-based teen dance group and mentorship program. After moving to Washington, Kelsey joined the team at The Studio in 2019. She loves the community here and hopes you will feel right at home in her classes! Her goal is to make every class fun yet challenging, and to get to know the dancers in her classes on a personal level.
In addition to being a dance instructor, Kelsey is also a wife, mom, birth doula, tea drinker, Amazon primer, and youth leader at her church. She loves everything sparkly and spicy! Drop by and take class with her soon!
Susan Roser - Yoga
Susan is passionate about yoga! She thrives on bringing alive its benefits (body, mind & soul) to not just to some, but of all her students. She has been studying and teaching yoga for 23 years to students of all levels. Informing her mosaic like style are Anusara Yoga, Forest Yoga, Para Yoga and Corepower Yoga. Susan invests herself in how you feel when you're finished with a class & insists that yoga is about how you feel, not how you look in the mirror. Yoga is about opening up highways of energy in the body and creating better integration & harmony between layers of self. In the end, it's about facing & removing self imposed or acculturated obstacles, healing both psychic & physical injuries and affirming the highest in you. You'll work in her classes, however, Susan delivers an overarching experience of joy. Her Master's in Psychology further prepares her to be a therapeutic presence.
Madison Snyder - Hip Hop
Madison started dancing at an age of three. She is trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, and hip hop. She was a competitive dancer for 10 years, and then continued dancing with performance groups for another 5 years. As a Seattle native, she has danced with various hip hop groups around the Seattle area, including Kevin Caraco's Krystal Clear, Kolanie Marks' Rated, as well as being chosen for various hip hop performances, including Kari-Lee Fluorine’s and Kisha Vaughan’s, for Westlake's shows over the years. She danced and choreographed for the dance group, Breakthrough, while she attended the University of Southern California. She was on the WNBA Seatle Storm's Dance team for two years and was a co-captain for one of those years, where her job was to help clean, teach and lead when the coach wasn't around. She has had various dance jobs around Seattle, teaching all levels and all ages.
Madison thoroughly enjoys helping people feel comfortable and confident with their movements so that they are excited and prepared to perform, whether it be on stage or just in class. She has always loved to dance and thrives on sharing that passion with others! She invites anyone and everyone to take her class and share in the joy that dance brings.
Josette Vail - Contemporary
Josette grew up in North Bend, WA where she studied ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and hip hop at Ignite Dance and Yoga under the direction of Katie Black and Brittany Mains from the age of five until graduating high school. Her parents put her into dance classes because she used to dance to the music during movie end credits. From there she fell in love with expressing herself through movement. During that time she competed on Ignite’s competition team for five years. From there she attended Hofstra University in New York to study dance and entrepreneurship under the direction of Rachel List. While there she performed in various pieces choregraphed by Earl Mosley, Christina Lynch Markham, and Janis Brenner. She also choreographed for the Dance and Drama Department and various clubs and student run shows.
Since graduating in May of 2022 Josette has moved back home to teach for various dance studios. She currently teaches at Ignite Dance and Yoga and Ignite Dance Carnation as well as the Studio. Most recently she has also performed in Snowflake Lane as a part of the Snowbelle Dance Team. She teaches contemporary at the Studio but also teaches ballet, jazz, creative movement, and beginner tap at other studios.
Her favorite dance style is a tie between hip hop and ballet. When she isn’t in dance class or teaching you can find her curled up with a book and a cup of tea or baking up a storm in the kitchen. She also loves to do anything outdoors from hiking, running, rock climbing, and exploring beaches.
Abi Wall - K-Pop
Abi Wall started dancing as soon as she could walk. After training and receiving her black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do at age twelve, she left the practice to pursue dance and performance. She has eight years of training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop. She competed locally and nationally with a team and as a soloist for four years. After high school, she danced in a student-run and student-choreographed company, Dance in Flight, that performed a themed show. She has been involved in local block parties, performances, and recently a music video for local American-Asian media company JoySauce. She fell in love with movement and expression in high school and has been choreographing since. She is excited to continue learning and growing as a dancer, student, and teacher.
Christine Wilkinson - Rizzmic
Christine has been a certified Rizzmic Instructor since January 2018 and has taught Rizzmic at multiple locations across Western Washington. Christine loves teaching Rizzmic and thoroughly enjoys bringing the multiple benefits of dance and fitness to her fellow members. In one class Christine will take you through several genres of music from Hip Hop, Country, and Jazz to Disco, and everything in between. Rizzmic is a blend of All American music from 1920 to now, in a power packed class that will leave you feeling energized and full of light. Christine says, "One of the beautiful things about Rizzmic is there is always something for everyone. The magic of Rizzmic really happens when you see someone light up with joy because their favorite song or routine just came up next".
When Christine is not burning calories and dancing with friends, she spends her time outdoors camping, fishing, and hiking with her husband and two black labs.
Guest Instructors
Dalrek Davis - Ballroom & Social Dances
In 2018, Dalrek began teaching at Redmond's Danceworks Studio, and expanded his range of styles to include American Smooth (Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz), Rhythm (Cha-Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing), and West Coast Swing. It was at Danceworks that Dalrek also started his journey into choreography for performance showcases and wedding dances.
Outside of dancing, Dalrek enjoys playing video games, practicing other arts such as singing and drawing, playing with his 2 ragdoll cats, and cooking delicious food with his wife / dancer partner for life.
Deanna Eden - Contemporary
Deanna began dancing at the age of 3 and quickly learned that she had a passion for dance and has been dancing ever since. Deanna grew up training at Allegro Dance Academy in Auburn, WA, in a variety of styles with a focus in Jazz, Ballet, and Musical Theater. Deanna was a member of her high school's state champion dance team for four years including two years in leadership roles.
In college, Deanna had the opportunity to dance for and coach the dance/cheer team for the Seattle division of the Indoor Football League for three years.
Deanna especially enjoys teaching young and brand-new dancers who are learning to love dance and has taken specialty training on working with young dancers and dancers with special needs.
Deanna has spent the past few years teaching both child and adult dance classes in the Bellevue/Eastside area. Deanna currently dances as a company member with Syncopation Dance Project and performs and choreographs for Seattle’s Princesses.
Chris Mercado - Special Events
Chris has been dancing his entire life and would argue that dance is innately "him." Chris was a cheerleader at WSU, and during his first year of college was tapped by Disney to perform for them. Chris danced with Disney for about 10 years around the country and on both coasts. During that time, he was fortunate to perform with the original cast of High School Musical, Mariah Carey, Jodi Benson, and Corbin Bleu to name a few. During his time at Disney, Chris would guest instruct in dance studios, and run his own street dancing crews in Anaheim.
Chris moved back to Washington in 2015 and has had the opportunity to work with and for Big Star Performing Arts, Ignite Dance & Yoga, Cascade Dance Academy, Dance Premier, Chief Kanim Middle School, and Mount Si High School.
Chris doesn't want you to look at him as an instructor, but instead has as a lead in a dance project. He's here to inspire and be inspired by our clients, as well as bring energy and provide a space where everyone can express themselves through movement.
Shanyn Emerson - Special Events
Vibrant and spirited, Shanyn Emerson is a Somatic Release Practitioner, Emotional Transformation Coach, and Holistic Movement Specialist. She has spent a lifetime exploring and studying everything from dance, movement, and anatomy to somatic trauma release techniques, mindfulness practices, energetic healing modalities, and much more in search of her own healing. She is the bridge between those many worlds and excels in creating unique techniques and practices to guide others back to safety, calm, and peace in their body, mind, and heart.
Shanyn is a lifelong learner who lives in constant wonder and awe of our amazing organic living breathing human body. She has a deep reverence for each of the physical, emotional, and energetic parts of us and how they all interact together to affect true and enduring healing.
An inspiring and energetic facilitator and teacher, she has led workshops, classes, and women’s circles on self-development, empowerment, emotional transformation, movement, and more at conferences, businesses, studios, and online.