Augga Hawkins
Founder - Northwest Dance & Acro
Auggа 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.
Ashley Hyde
Artistic Director - Northwest Dance & Acro
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,” which gained millions views on YouTube, and dancing backup for hip-hop artists Ayo and Teo.
As Artistic Director of Northwest Dance & Acro, Ashley leads with a vision rooted in excellence, creativity, and empowerment. 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.
Tia Buell
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Tia Buell 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.
Alison Walters
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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.
Amanda Ueltschi
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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.
Aimee Brotten
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Aimee Brotten was born and raised in Marysville, Washington, and spent her early years dancing with Augga at Northwest Dance and Acro. Her passion and dedication lead her to travel all across the U.S., competing, assisting, and furthering her training at intensives like Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Upon high school graduation, Aimee was accepted into the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance in Los Angeles, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with honors and a minor in Business in 2024.
While at USC, Aimee had the opportunity to work with renowned choreographers including William Forsythe, Bret Easterling, Doug Varone, Dwight Rhoden, and others. She also performed in works by Jiří Kylián, Paul Taylor, Hope Boykin, and more. In 2023, Aimee danced as a guest artist with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham during their program at The Joyce Theater.
During the 24/25 season Aimee returned to the Seattle area to dance professionally, and joined Spectrum Dance Theater under the direction of Donald Byrd. Alongside her performance career, she has been teaching since 2018 across the Pacific Northwest. From 2018 to 2021, she taught during Revel Dance Convention's Friday Night Class Series on tour after being named their national winner in 2018.
Mararet Otto
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She graduated from George Mason University with a degree in dance. She has worked as a teacher and director for over 30 years for one of the top competition studios in Northern Virginia. Currently she resides in Washington state and has continued to teach at a studio in Western Washington. She specializes in Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet, Acro and contemporary for all ages. She has been a judge with Nexstar since 2018. She has also taught and competed ballroom for Arthur Murray. She received her certificate as a Certified Personal Training through NASM and is currently certified by Acrobatic Arts.
She has two beautiful daughters that grew up in the studio dancing and competing through their senior year in high school. The oldest graduated from Towson University majoring in Dance and Psychology and has since received her doctorate in physical therapy at Shenandoah University . The youngest received her associates degree from Everett College in Washington State. Margaret is a proud Mimi to her 4 beautiful grandchildren.