Daniel Wilkins | Artistic Director
Contemporary & Ballet
Daniel trained at School of American Ballet performing principal roles in the graduation Workshop at Lincoln Center, he then went on to perform professionally with Suzanne Farrell Ballet (Kennedy Center), Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Donald Byrd –The Group (NYC), Spectrum Dance Theatre and Complexions Contemporary Ballet (NYC). Wilkins is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of DASSdance, a multi-media contemporary dance company based in New York City since 2000 and Seattle since 2007.
DASSdance has been presented in New York by Diane von Furstenberg - The Theater, DanceNow, the d.u.m.b.o. Dance Festival, the JoyceSoho and the Baryshnikov Arts Center. In Seattle, DASS has been presented by On the Boards, the Bagley Wright Theater, Velocity, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, Washington Hall and Broadway Performance Hall.
Daniel has taught Master Classes in Contemporary Dance at Peridance NYC, Regional Dance America, as well as at the Joffrey Ballet Contemporary Summer Intensive in NYC. DASSdance has been featured in Fashion Wire Daily, Flaunt Magazine, Paper Magazine, Art News, W Magazine, New York Magazine, The Seattle Times, The Daily and the New York Times radio WQXR.
DASSdance School opened formally at the MLK FAME CC in 2014 offering professional-level training in Contemporary Dance.
Hanna Orban
Jazz, Contemporary, Stretch & Strength
Hanna is born and raised in Bellevue, WA where she has been dancing since the age of 6 at Premiere Dance Center. She has enjoyed learning many forms of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and lyrical. Hanna began competitively dancing at the age of 10. During her time on team, she’s enjoyed winning many awards alongside her fellow teammates and has received multiple scholarships from well-known artists including Anthony Morigerato, Tessandra Chavez, Cat Cogliandro etc. Hanna currently teaches ballet, jazz and lyrical at Premiere Dance Center and has grown a passion for working with young dancers. Hanna is excited to share her love of dance with the students at DASSdance.
Koach Tee Giggz
Hip Hop Team Advisory Director and Mentoring Artist
Tyrone Crosby known as Koach T was born in Compton, California, raised in Chickasha, Oklahoma, and moved to Seattle, Washington in 1999. In 2006, Tyrone extended the dance program at his former high school, from an after school club to a year-round community program, in hope that this could be an anti-drug and anti-gang for the youth in the community. Holding seasonal auditions for hundreds of youth, in the northwest, today Kutt 'N' Up has traveled and performed all over the United States from coast to coast, and internationally. Tyrone (Koach T) Crosby is the CEO / Founder of what is today an extraordinary entertainment company also know as Kutt ‘N’ Up Entertainment. Mr. Crosby has been a featured Master Teacher at DASSdance's All 4 1 dancepalooza since its inception in 2010 as well as teaching after school programs at Garfield High School, Washington Middle and Community Centers all over Seattle. Mr. Crosby is the Choreographer for Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute Summer Musical. N The Kutt dance studio is located in Des Moines, WA offering classes for all ages. https://www.instagram.com/teamkuttnup/
Anna Waltz
Creative, Hip Hop & Tap
Anna Waltz grew up as a competitive dancer in South Florida, and moved to the Seattle area in 2013. From there, she started training and competing with Issaquah Dance Theatre. While she has trained in nearly every style of dance, jazz and tap are her favorites. She started teaching at Issaquah Dance Theatre at the age of 16 and continued to teach and train from then on. Last year, she started Tap Dawgs, a club for learning and performing tap dance at the University of Washington. This is her second season with DASSdance, and she is excited to be teaching Creative, Hip Hop 1 & 3, and Beginning Tap for all ages this season. Anna loves being able to engage with each and every student in her classes and finding ways for each child to succeed.
When she is not at the studio, she is taking classes at the University of Washington and double majoring in Dance and Biology with a focus on physiology. She hopes to go to vet school after graduation in 2023 and become a wildlife veterinarian, dancing all the way there.
Katarina Mestas
Marketing Director
Katarina Mestas, also known as Kitty the Dancer, was born and raised in San Francisco, California. Katarina is currently a UW dance major and social media manager. She combines her technical savvy with her love for dance. Her experience with dance includes performing at the Herbst Theater as a member of the “Steam Heat” Fosse-style Jazz Crew. Katarina is excited to bring her enthusiasm for dance to her role in promoting DASSdance performance and educational programs.
Annalisa Brinchmann
Creative & Ballet
Annalisa Brinchmann is a graduate of The University of Washington where she double majored in Dance and Musical Theater. She began training at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Dance Fremont and The Studios, attending summer intensives at Ballet Austin, and The Joffrey Ballet.
Locally, she has taught at a number of Community Centers in Seattle (Laurelhurst, Green Lake, Delridge and Loyal Heights) as well as Aspire Kinetic Arts, North Seattle French Academy, Emerald Ballet Theater, Washington School of Dance and The Community Dance Project.
You may have seen Annalisa on stage as anything from a bunny to a showgirl to a nun! She has been fortunate enough to work with Village Theater, Leavenworth Summer Theater, The Edmonds Driftwood Players, Aspire Repertory Theater and The Woodland Park Players.
Jaden Olson
Acro, Contemporary
Jaden Olson was born in Santa Monica, California where she began dancing at the age of three. At thirteen she started training at The Ballet Conservatory of Dance Music and Art in Arizona. Taught by nationally acclaimed dancers, Jaden became well versed in ballet, contemporary, tap, jazz, hip hop, acro and lyrical. She was a member in The BC Dance Ballet Company where she became one of their youngest soloist. While training classically she was on her high school’s Varsity Pomline team and BC Dance’s competition team, both of which traveled to compete all over the country. Jaden was a member of Muse-Effect’s Mini Muse program, a selective commercial dance and video non-profit organization based in Los Angeles. In the competition dance arena, she has won national titles individually and with her team.
Jaden loves teaching and watching the power dance has to inspire students.
She is majoring in English and Environmental Studies with a minor in Business at the University of Washington in Seattle.
David Zeger
Aikido
Sensei David Zeger began training at the Aikido Kokikai Southwest dojo in Tempe, Arizona in 1994. He began facilitating Aikido practices at the Arizona State University Kokikai Aikido Club in 1998 under the guidance and instruction of Veronica Burrows Sensei and David Nachman Sensei.
Since moving to Seattle in 2000, he led practices regularly at the University of Washington Kokikai Aikido Club and (former) Aikido Kokikai Seattle dojo. Since 2004 he has continued his study and instruction through sharing practices with Kokikai Aikido practitioners in Seattle’s Central Area. Some practices are also led by other senior dojo members, typically having more than a decade of practice experience.