FACULTY
Augga Hawkins
Augga Hawkins is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and visionary educator with a lifelong passion for movement and mentorship. Originally from Beijing, China, Augga began her formal dance training at the prestigious Central University of Nationalities, where she studied ballet, acrobatics, ethnic dance, jazz, and lyrical. Her extraordinary talent and dedication earned her a place as lead dancer with the National Chinese Ballet Company, performing around the world for dignitaries and on celebrated stages.
After moving to the United States, Augga continued to shape the next generation of dancers through teaching and choreography at top institutions, including university-level programs. In 2007, she fulfilled her dream of opening Northwest Dance & Acro in Marysville, Washington—a studio founded on excellence, inclusion, and her deep belief in the power of dance to change lives.
Under her direction, NWDA has become a renowned training ground for both recreational and elite dancers. Augga is known for her high standards, nurturing spirit, and commitment to developing not just strong dancers, but confident, resilient young people. Her legacy lives in every student she inspires—and in the continued success of NWDA’s nationally recognized programs.
Founder
Ashley Hyde
Ashley Hyde is a Washington native whose passion for dance ignited at the age of five. From that early start, she embarked on a competitive journey that led her to secure numerous national titles and first-place awards across the country, including finals in Las Vegas, California, Oregon, and Florida. Her exceptional talent and dedication earned her accolades such as Female Non-Stop Dancer, Breakout Artist, Dupree Dance All-Star, Miss Dance America, and Miss Spotlight National. Notably, Ashley and her group advanced to the division finals on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, showcasing their skills on a national platform.
At just 14, Ashley began choreographing her own routines, quickly gaining recognition for her creativity and leadership. Her choreography has been nationally recognized and awarded across the country, with her students consistently placing at the highest levels. She has worked for top studios across the U.S., contributing to elite training programs and competitive teams known for their excellence.
Ashley earned her Bachelors degree from Brigham Young University, where she danced with the Cougarettes—one of the top collegiate dance teams in the nation. Her professional experience includes performing in the viral dance video “Rolex” and dancing backup for hip-hop artists Ayo and Teo.
She continues to choreograph for studios nationwide and teaches masterclasses across the country. Ashley is known for her high-energy, motivational teaching style and her deep commitment to cultivating both technical excellence and personal growth in every dancer she mentors.
Artistic Director
Convergence Company Choreographer
Alanna Chaytor
Alanna is a performer, choreographer, and educator with more than 30 years of dance experience. Originally from Connecticut, she began dancing at the age of three and has pursued a lifelong passion for the performing arts. In addition to extensive dance training, Alanna trained professionally in both voice and modeling. Early in her career, she worked as a model for Ralph Lauren, appearing in print and commercial campaigns. Her performance experience includes music videos and live performances in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles for various artists including backup dancing for New Kids on the Block during a live concert performance.
For more than a decade, Alanna has trained, mentored, and inspired dancers of all ages and levels. As a choreographer and instructor, she has earned recognition at both the regional and national levels, with her students receiving top honors and her choreography earning numerous awards. While she specializes in contemporary and lyrical dance, she is also experienced in jazz, hip-hop, and musical theater.
Alanna is passionate about helping dancers grow not only in technique, but also in confidence, artistry, and performance quality. She believes every student brings unique strengths to the studio and is committed to creating a positive, supportive environment where dancers can reach their full potential both on and off the stage.
Josh Scribner
Josh Scribner is a longtime Seattle-area tap dancer known for his innovative choreography and highly effective (and entertaining) instruction, and is the founder and director of the Alchemy Tap Project. He has performed as a solo artist around the Pacific Northwest for over twenty-five years, toured with Cirque du Soleil and Iron Beats, taught convention classes for Celebrity Dance Conventions and 5678 Showtime, been a motion capture model for Microsoft, and set choreography on dancers and dance companies around the United States and Canada. A student of Seattle tap dance icon Cheryl Johnson, Josh grew up performing with her youth company, Tap Squad. Along the way came opportunities to work with masters like Savion Glover, Sam Weber, and Dianne Walker, sometimes sharing the stage with them at tap festivals around the country. As an adult, Josh began developing his unique style of choreography, finding inspiration in hip hop and electronic music as well as the traditional jazz and Latin rhythms he was raised with. Today, he's focused on developing the next generation of tap dancers and creating cutting edge choreography for ATP.
Convergence Tap Company
Amanda Ueltschi
Amanda began dancing at the age of 9 and started competing by age 11, training extensively with Augga Hawkins and the talented staff at Northwest Dance and Acro. Over the years, she developed a strong passion for contemporary dance, drawn to its unique fusion of jazz and lyrical movement. Amanda has earned numerous accolades throughout her dance career, including two Dupree All-Star Scholarships and a scholarship to a prestigious 3-week summer intensive at Point Park University in Pittsburgh.
From 2021 to 2024, Amanda attended Washington State University, graduating a year early with a degree in Business Marketing. While pursuing her degree full time, she continued to share her love of dance by teaching at a competitive studio in Pullman, WA. Amanda is excited to bring her experience, energy, and dedication back to NWDA and continue inspiring young dancers to grow both technically and artistically.
Recreation & Core Company Manager, Core Company Choreographer
Convergence Company Manager
Tiffany Ricciardi
Tiffany
Juju Flores
Julius Flores began dancing professionally at the age of 15, training in various genres at the Honolulu Dance Performing Company. He later attended the California Pacific College of Performing Arts (The Young Americans) and holds credentials from Midland University. Throughout his career, Julius has traveled across the United States teaching dance and music, while refining his performance techniques and studying psychology to better understand his artistic environment.
His performance highlights include the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and working with renowned choreographers in Los Angeles as a member of the Silver Lake Contemporary Ballet. Upon returning to Hawaii, he served as co-director at Honolulu Dance Studio and performed as a lead male dancer for the Hawai’i Opera Theatre and Ballet Hawai’i, collaborating with top international opera artists.
In addition to his training at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center in San Francisco, Julius is now based in the Seattle/Bellevue area. He is dedicated to sharing his passion with students of all levels, aiming to help others express their emotions through movement. As Julius says, “Dance is not just a step. It’s who you are.”
Convergence and Core Company Choreographer
Tia Millard
Tia Millard began her dance training at the age of five and quickly entered the competition scene. She has since trained with prestigious programs such as Pacific Northwest Ballet, Cornish College of the Arts Preparatory Program, Joffrey Ballet School Dallas, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and KreativMndz Dance Academy in Los Angeles. Tia is known for her versatility, with strong technical training in Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Modern.
At 16, Tia was selected as an advanced assistant with the convention Artists Simply Human, traveling the U.S. solo to assist top choreographers while managing school and work. This opportunity led her to train under industry leaders including Lisette Bustamante, Jojo Gomez, Desmond Richardson, Dwight Rhoden, and more. She later assisted at Monsters of Hip Hop and Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s summer intensive in Dallas.
Tia’s professional career began in 2018 when she danced in the music video Trust Fund Baby by Why Don’t We and later performed with Ciara at the Monday Night Football Halftime Show. In January 2020, she moved to Los Angeles to train full-time at KreativMndz Academy, working with top choreographers like Kolanie Marks, Diana Matos, and Calvit Jr., before returning home due to the pandemic.
Convergence Company Choreographer
Alison Walters
Alison began her training at the Dance School in Everett before moving to Olympic Ballet School at age 10, under the direction of Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev. She attended Summer Intensives at Houston Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, and Colorado Ballet. Under the coaching of Mara and Oleg she successfully placed at the Seattle Youth America Grand Prix semi final in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Alison continued her training at Colorado Ballet Academy, on scholarship, with Erica Fischbach. Under Fishbach’s coaching, Alison competed in the Youth America Grand Prix finals in 2020. In 2021, she was promoted to the Colorado Ballet Studio Company where she danced along side Colorado Ballet in productions which included Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, and Clark Tippet’s Bruch Violin Concerto. Alison joined Olympic Ballet Theatre in 2023 as a trainee and was promoted to company artist in 2024. She’s worked with world renowned choreographers Christopher Stowell, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Eva Stone.
Ballet Instructor
Richelle Walton
Billing Manager and Ballroom Instructor
Hyesun
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Ballet Instructor
Margaret Otto
Ballroom Instructor
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Maddie Vaught
Eli Noudelman
Richelle took her very first dance classes from Augga when she was just three years old, beginning a lifelong love of dance. She went on to train with the Pacific Ballroom Dance Company and study ballroom at Brigham Young University, where she completed her NDCA Medal Exams, trained with top professional instructors, and competed regionally and nationally in the International Latin and American Smooth styles. She later served as a teaching assistant for the head of the BYU–Idaho Department of Dance and as an assistant coach with the Pacific Ballroom Dance Company. Now, as an instructor and administrator at NDC, Richelle loves sharing her passion for ballroom and helping students discover the joy, confidence, and technical artistry that dance can offer.
Libby Bremner
Tamara Sevao
Isabella Spidell
Riley Zeitler
Kristen Stone
Reagan Stuller
