Teachers
Lauren Houtz
Lauren grew up in Issaquah, WA and was trained in Theater from a young age, but fell in love with dance as worship when God crashed in and gave it to her. She pursued her training in Whitworth University’s dance program where she earned her dance minor and served as Artistic Director of Jubilation Dance Ministry. She has since taught dance in several schools in Spokane, as well as at Sandra Olgard Studio and The Oaks Conservatory of the Arts. She received her Masters in Education at Gonzaga University, is trained in Brain-Compatible Dance Education through Creative Dance Center in Seattle under Anne Green Gilbert. Lauren is most inspired by her students’ enthusiasm and creativity and enjoys watching them grow.
Contact: 425-830-1629
jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Katie McQuaid
Lindsey Spencer
Lindsey has been dancing her whole life, but began fully throwing herself into it in 5th grade. Throughout middle and high school in Meridian, Idaho, she was trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical/contemporary, tap, and hip hop and participated in a competitive dance team. After graduating high school, she participated in Whitworth University's Jubilation Dance Ministry, where she served as Chaplain, Hip Hop Instructor, and Sacred Dance Instructor. Lindsey loves movement and enjoys exploring its connections to her relationship to Jesus.
Contact: lindsey.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Joe Spencer
Taylor Kuykendall
Taylor trained at Ballet Arts Academy in Spokane, Washington under the direction of Dodie Askegard, as well as Sara Donally, Peggy Goodner Tan and Pam Erickson. She danced for several years with Theater Ballet of Spokane. Several times Taylor danced for New York City Ballet principal Charles Askegard when he choreographed for Theater Ballet of Spokane. She spent a summer studying ballet at Ben Stevenson’s Houston Ballet Academy in their summer intensive program. She graduated summa cum laude from Whitworth University as a journalism major. While at Whitworth she served as a dance teacher in Jubilation, Whitworth’s dance ministry club. She now works as a marketing manager at a sustainability company. She danced for two years as a member of Vytal Movement – a local modern dance company under the direction of Vincas Greene. She has taught at various studios around town and is now enjoying her fifth year of teaching.
Contact: taylor.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Katie McQuaid
Veronika Johnson
Veronika grew up in Germany, where she took jazz dance classes starting at 14 years old. After high school, she went to school for gymnastics and dance and focused her education on creative kids’ dance. Since then, she has been performing and choreographing dance pieces in a variety of contexts. Privately she enjoys expressing herself through contemporary and modern dance and loves to use dance to share God’s word with other people.
Contact: veronika.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Katie McQuaid
Meghan Pierce
Meghan began dancing when she was 3 years old at the British Dancing Academy in Kent, WA. Although she began with ballet, very quickly jazz and modern classes were added to the daily schedule. As Meghan grew older she began to take exams through the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of the Teachers of Dancing. Before graduating high school she was able to complete the entire course of exams for both modern and ballet. After graduation, Meghan began to attend Whitworth University and become involved in Jubilation Dance Ministry. It was there that she had the absolute joy of discovering the wonders of dance as worship, and she will never go back. Dancing is such a unique way to worship our Creator. it is that awe, wonder, and gratefulness that Meghan loves most about dancing as a form of worship.
Contact: meghan.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Katie McQuaid
Katie Rose-Parrish
Katie grew up in sunny Southern California where she came to know and love dance at a studio called The Music Room. At TMR, she trained in tap, ballet, hip hop, and contemporary-jazz, and she was a part of their musical theatre program as well. She was also on the Varsity dance team in high school, where she got her first experience as a choreographer for different dance styles. Katie attends Whitworth University and will be graduating in May 2021 with a degree in Biochemistry. Her love for dance was expanded even more through Jubilation Dance Ministry at Whitworth, where she currently serves as the teacher for the Contemporary and Tap classes. Katie feels so blessed to extend her love for dance and movement in praise for God at Jubilee!
Contact: katie.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Katie McQuaid
Jessica Pieros
Jessica began her love for dance when she was 3 years old in her first combo class. Her passion continued to grow as she took other classes and eventually started competing on jazz and hip hop teams. Jessica continued dance throughout her four years of high school and was named captain of the dance team her senior year. Jessica graduated from Whitworth University in 2018 where she received her bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She now is a Marketing Specialist at a genetics company. While at Whitworth, Jessica was a part of Jubilation Dance Ministry where she took classes and taught jazz and jazz technique classes. She has taught jazz, hip hop & contemporary previously. She is so excited to be able to use dance as an outlet of worship and expression at Jubilee!
Contact: jess.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Katie McQuaid
Carolina Bufford
Carolina was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. She moved to Massachusetts at a young age and began taking dance lessons. She fell in love with dance and would spend hours dancing. During high school she began studying theatre. She took part in every school play and got a scholarship to the Latin School of Music and Arts her junior year following her performance in the Neil Simon show, Fools. After college she moved to Hawaii where she studied Hula for 5 years. After moving to Spokane with her husband, Carolina has taken part in community theatre as well as learned how to use dance as a form of worship to God. She has taken many worship and movement classes as well as helped lead the dance team for her church. She is beyond excited to be joining the Jubilee Dance community.
Contact: carolina.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Katie McQuaid
Katriel Sahlstrom Smit
Katriel began dancing at age ten at SOnja’s Studio of Dance in Wasilla, Alaska, where she trained in classical ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, and lyrical. Her first introduction to dance as a form of worship was at age fifteen when she attended Ballet Magnificat’s summer intensive in Jackson, Mississippi. While attending college at Whitworth University, she served as the Artistic Director of Jubilation Dance Ministry and created a new class focusing specifically on technique training. Today, Katriel is earning her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Whitworth University and is looking forward to informing her dance teaching with her professional education. Katriel is passionate about technique, health, and injury prevention. She strives to help develop strong, intelligent, and confident dancers who are assured in themselves and their faith.
Contact: katriel.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Katie McQuaid
Bethy Crowe
Bethy has been dancing for 20 years and has been trained in sacred dance, hip hop, African, swing and ballroom, as well as contemporary dance, which is her preferred style and the form she teaches most often. Raised in Northern California, Bethy moved to Washington to study theology at Whitworth University and dance through Jubilation Dance Ministry. With a passion for teaching others about the joy of worshipping Jesus through dance, Jubilee is a blessing for her to be a part of.
After a recent move back to the PNW, she is continuing her role as Jubilee’s writer, is co-directing the spring show, and looks forward to the day she will return to teaching.
Photo: Amanda Muchmore Parker
Advisory Board
Devan McAllister
Devan found her love for dancing at her home studio, Fabulous Feet Dance Studio, in Wenatchee, WA. She trained in many styles, including jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, and musical theatre. After graduating high school, Devan began working with a children's theater company called StageKids Washington based out of Wenatchee as their choreographer and dance instructor. Devan graduated from Whitworth University in 2019 with a degree in Biology, and is currently attending Quinnipiac University in Connecticut for medical school. Devan was heavily involved in Jubilation Dance Ministry while at Whitworth, serving as the tap teacher, jazz teacher, and Co-Artistic Director. Realizing that dance is one of the most powerful ways to connect with Jesus was life-changing for Devan, and she is so excited to pass on this incredible form of prayer and worship at Jubilee. Devan was fortunate enough to teach at Jubilee for 2 years, teaching tap, musical theatre, and ballet, as well as directing Narnia in 2021. She loves the Jubilee community so much and is excited to continue serving on the advisory board!
Contact: Mcallister.devan05@gmail.com
Natalie Krusenstjerna
Natalie grew up in Western Washington where she first discovered her love for dance at the age of four. She trained in ballet, tap, contemporary, and jazz at Reflections School of Dance. In her senior year of high school, she had the opportunity to perform internationally with “Re-merge Dance Company”. Then in college, while attending Whitworth University, Natalie was an active member in their dance ministry, Jubilation, as a contemporary teacher. During this time she also discovered her passion for musical theatre by participating in several Whitworth and Spokane Children’s Theatre productions.
Outside of dance, Natalie is a high school English teacher. She loves sharing her passion with students whether in the classroom or through dance.
Contact: natalie.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Katie McQuaid
Admin Team
Studio Director - Lauren Houtz
Studio Director Assistant/Office Assistant - Jessica Buescher
Bookkeeper – Bethany Honer
Chaplain - Carolina Bufford
Creative Director - Lindsey Spencer (Fall)
Marketing and Website Manager, Social Media Coordinator - Jessica Pieros
Production Team
Production Director - Lauren Houtz
Stage Manager - Bethy Crowe
Costume Coordinator - Marnie Rimes
Community through movement
for the joy of it!