Kim Graham, dance instructor and owner of Evergreen Dance Academy, was born in San Francisco, CA where her ballet training started at the age of 6. During her early years of training, she performed roles with the Contra Costa Ballet and the Orinda Ballet.

After moving to the Northwest as a teen, she trained with Pacific NW Ballet School, and Dance Lab of Seattle. She attended the University of Washington, where she performed in both classical ballet roles and modern dance under the direction of Kitty Daniels, Hannah Wiley, and Mark Morris.

After completing college with a degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1988, Kim relocated to Los Angeles where she danced with The Long Beach Ballet under the direction of David Wilcox. She also danced as a soloist in Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral productions of The Glory of Christmas and The Glory of Easter, which were televised nation-wide.

After retirement in 1993, Kim started teaching ballet in Hood River OR. After moving to the Vancouver area in 1997, she taught for Columbia Dance Ensemble from 1997-2000. Kim started Evergreen Dance Academy in 2000.

Jessica Allen began dance and gymnastics when she was three and studied jazz, ballet and tap for over 15 years in the Portland area. Jessica began teaching tap, pre-ballet and tumbling at her mother’s dance studio in Portland, Oregon when she was 16 years old. Jessica has experience teaching a wide variety of formats to students of all ages. She has been sharing her passion for dance and movement with our youngest dancers at Evergreen Dance Academy since 2005. Jessica is married with two young daughters.

Nancy Kern has been a dance teacher, choreographer and fitness instructor/trainer for 30+ years. She was owner and director of Hollywood Dance in Portland, Oregon from 1986-1995. Nancy has many years of performance experience as a singer, dancer and actress, but says her favorite “gig” is that of wife, mother of four (her eldest being Ms. Jessica) and Nana to three beautiful granddaughters.

Rachelle Wish was born in New York but lived in Haiti until the age of 3 with her grandmother.  French was her first language. She learned English when she moved back to New York to live with her parents. Rachelle has been teaching fitness classes for 12 years.  She is nationally certified by AFAA and AFPAI,  and has certifications in  Zumba, Zumbatomic (Zumba Kids), Zumba Toning, and Masala Bhangra (north Indian folk dance mixed with Bollywood). Rachelle also teaches Hip Hop, Strength Training, kickboxing, boxing, aqua and floor aerobics, boot camp, and personal training.  Her favorite class to teach is Zumba because she loves to dance and to share her passion with her clients!  Rachelle has been married for 22 years and has 3 boys, ages 19, 17, and 14.

Renée Adams began her professional performing career at Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle Washington under the direction of Donald Byrd and has taught many different styles and levels of dance from infants to adults in a variety of locations including dance studio’s, public schools, and athletic clubs. Even during her early training with Phyllis Cyr in Yakima, Washington these two aligning passions were developing for Renée, dancing and teaching. Her training continued at Yakima School of Ballet, Ballet West Conservatory, State Street Ballet, and Spectrum Dance Theater with teachers including Magali Messac, Denise Dabrowski, John Passafiume and Sharee Lane. Renée’s other performing credits include BodyVox,  Bouand Dance Company, tEEth, and Washington Contemporary Ballet, to name a few. Movement Moments is Renée’s newest endeavor dedicated to sharing teaching techniques, mind-body benefits of movement and the philosophy of brain-compatible dance education with classroom teachers, dance educators, and parents.