Click here to Meet our Faculty

 

 

The Vibe Dance Center opened in the summer of 2004 with the hope of bringing Central Oergon a raw, technical, cutting-edge dance studio focusing on dancer technique, skill and performance quality development.

We offer multiple class levels for each genre of dance to ensure your dancer is placed appropriately to be consistently challenged and always excelling.

At The Vibe, we consider performances to be an opportunity for dancers to show friends and family how hard they have practiced in class.  We hold two recitals a year and often offer additional performance opportunities including The Deschutes County Fair and Bend WinterFest.

 

 

 

Sarah Hall - Director/Instructor/Choreographer

Sarah opened The Vibe Dance Center in June of 2004 with the vision to give Bend a place where dancers can experience raw, cutting-edge choreography in unique and traditional styles of dance. She began dancing at the age of three, studying Ballet and Tap. Later as a teenage, she became a member of an Exhibition/Color Guard drill team competing in state and international competitions. Sarah later coached  the team for years, choreographing eight minute routines and leading the team to many competitions. In 2002, Sarah returned to her passion of dance. She has choreographed for many community events,  dance/drill/gymnastics routines and artists including recent video choreography for California artist Jah Sun’s “Microchip” video.  Her recent Hip Hop and Pom Pom choreography has won many titles and awards at Regional and National Dance (UDA, NDA) Competitions. Sarah is currently the head coach for the Summit High School dance program and teaches Hip Hop at Central Oregon Community College. Her extensive training in various styles of Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz and Ballet has mostly been received at The Edge Performing Art Center In LA, Orange County’s Defore Dance Studio, Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway in NYC, and multiple conventions. She has received training from some of today’s leading Hip Hop instructors and choreographers including Dante 7, Leslie Scott, Jamal Sims (Step Up/Hairspray), Dave Scott (You Got Served/Stomp the Yard), Marty Kudelka (Justin Timberlake) and has gained much creativity and inspiration from her friend, European Choreographer/Instructor, Gabriel Francisco. Sarah continues to train in and teach from her heart the evolution of  Hip Hop dance both from a commercial and contemporary aspect.

 

Dawn Contreras - Assistant Director/Instructor/Choreographer

Dawn Contreras started dance and gymnastics at age five at Carla Webber Studio of Dance/Portland Gymnastic Center in the Portland area. As a member of a Performing Company, she began training and competing locally and internationally until age 18. Before graduating with a bachelors degree in Education and a minor in Dance, Dawn performed on the Western Oregon University Performing Company, Dance Team and was captain of the cheerleading squad. She studied with many dance notables such as Joe Tremaine, Doug Caldwell, Joe Lanteri and Mia Micheals. In addition, she trained internationally at many conventions such as NYC Dance Alliance, Tremaine, LA Dance Force, and Access Broadway, where she won the Choreographer’s award in 2001.

Dawn began her teaching career in dance and gymnastics at the age of 14 and has taught at five different studios. Over the years, her students have won countless awards at various competitions. For additional training, she accompanied her dancers to such places as New York, Washington and California. In addition to her extensive training in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, Character/Broadway, Acro and Gymnastics Dawn was the owner of a successful dance studio for twelve years. She is passionate about sharing her love of dance with others.

 

 

Lauren Biskind - Jazz & Lyrical Instructor/Choreographer

Lauren has been dancing since the age of five. She grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical and Hip Hop. She joined Dance Motion Performing Company at age ten, where she performed and competed nationally with the group for eight years. She started her teaching career at age fourteen assisting classes at Betty Johnson's School of Dance, the studio she grew up dancing at in Phoenix. After dancing on her High School's Dance Team Lauren was named an All- American Dancer by National Dance Alliance for three consecutive years and was invited to become faculty with NDA, where she traveled all over the country teaching classes/summer intensives for three years. Lauren attended the University of Arizona where she continued to teach dance classes at a local studio, danced with a competitive college dance team and took classes in the University's Dance Program. Lauren has attended numerous conventions and conferences focusing on dance and innovative dance instruction. She joined the V!BE family in 2007 after moving to Bend. She currently teaches jazz, lyrical and pre-dance classes. Lauren also does choreography and helps run the V!BE Performing Company. Lauren loves being able to share her passion for dance with students of all ages here in Central Oregon.

 

 

Ron Basada - Hip Hop/Jazz Instructor/Choreographer

It all started when Ron would break dance with his cousins growing up. After College still having a passion for dance Ron decided to take it to the next level as a dancer/choreographer for the WNBA's Portland Fire hip hop team and Jamm'n 95.5's hip hop squad.  The door then opened for him to be a choreographer and a guest performer with the Portland Trail Blazer Dancers (where he met his wife and life dance partner Shannon.) Many opportunities have come his way some of which included being a back up dancer for pop singer and Columbia recording artist Angela Via. Ron also became a performer/choreographer for many industrials: Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Adidas, and Portland Ski Show. He also was a guest choreographer instructor for Northwest Dance Company  and Thunderbird Dance Camp.

Kate Andrews - Ballet instructor

Kate has studied and performed classical Ballet since the age of 5. She was accepted by audition to the Alabama School of Fine Arts and Sciences where she studied with Bulgarian prima ballerina Dame Sonia Arova, partner to Rudolph Nureyev and her American husband Thor Sutowski, partner to Julliet Prowse. Kate also spent a summer training as a young teenager with Maria Tallchief and The Chicago City Ballet. After training she enjoyed a ballet career that carried her from Sweet Home Alabama to Chicago, Atlanta, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, France, Spain, The Netherlands and Hawaii. She enjoyed performing Romantic Ballets like Giselle and Les Sylphides; the Classical Ballets such as Swan Lake, Cinderella and The Nutcracker. Her favorites, however, were the new classical and modern ballet works of Balanchine, Concherto Borocco and Stars and Stripes and Jose Limon’s Othello. Kate retired from dancing professionally and married in 1992. She began teaching and choreographing for ballet schools as her and her husband’s education, careers and growing a family took them from Alabama to Colorado and finally to Bend. Since moving here in 1999 Kate began to study the work of Joseph Pilates and became certified to teach his exercised with a special focus on the dancer’s body, movement and injury prevention.

 

 

Jared Sobotta - Breakin’ Instructor

Jared started breakdancing or "bboying" in 2003 and in 2004 joined The Vibe Dance Center as a student. He attended "Ashes 2 Ashes Round 2", a bboy event in Portland where he met world renowned breakers Lilou, Machine, Rox Rite, and Lazy Legs. His style consists of bboyin, poppin, lockin, wavin, and funk styles. Jared is a member of the Fresh Vibe Dance Crew who performs at local events multiple times a year, and has received first place platinum at Showstoppers Dance Competitions. Jared has trained at The Vibe and LA's The Edge Performing Arts Center receiving instruction in hip hop and breakin' from Hip Hop legends Mr. Wiggles and Mr. Freeze(Rock Steady Crew), Phi Nguyen and Gary Kendall of the Jabbawockeez Crew, and Krazy Kujo(Soul Control), but has been studying and training with instructor Sarah Hall consistently over the past few years.

 

 

Shannon Bex - Instructor/Choreographer

Shannon is from the beautiful City of Roses, Portland Oregon. She has been dancing through life since she could walk. At the age of six Shannon started her training in Ballet. Soon after she began learning other styles of dance from Lyrical, Modern, and Jazz to Hip Hop. Upon her family moving Bend Oregon, Shannon dove into every opportunity she could find. From dancing and Choreographing for the Mountain View High School Dance team, to choir, drama, to choreographing musicals and local fashion shows for Macy‘s and Sears. After graduation she continued with her passion working with UDA (Universal Dance Association) touring and teaching camps. In ’99 Shannon and was honored to join the Portland Trail Blazers Dancers for 5 seasons, and continue working as a dance camp instructor/choreographer with a new Company, Northwest Dance Co. Shannon took advantage of every thing that came her way, which opened many doors. Singing became as much of her life as dancing. Performing at half time at the Rose Garden, singing with a local cover band “5 Guys Named Moe” to the Anthem before the games. Each step lead her closer to new adventures. In the spring of ‘03 she became a contestant on NBC’s Reality triple threat competition with Debbie Allen “Fame.” Where America voted her runner up. Shannon believes that all things happen for a reason and this “reason” revealed itself a year later when she auditioned for Sean “Diddy” Combs “Making the Band” on MTV. The grueling auditions paid off! She became 1/5 of the girl group known as “Danity Kane” a singing and dancing quintet that became the first girl group in history to land #1 on the billboard charts consecutively. With Platinum and Gold success from the groups albums. Every high and every low has energized the entertainer inside. She is thrilled to be spending time in her home town and hopes she can inspire and hand down the many lessons she has learned from this industry. She wants every dancer, beginning or advanced, to know to “just go for it! You can spend your whole life talking yourself out of opportunities then, before you know it, there are none left.” We are truely honored to have Shannon part of The Vibe!

 

 

Shannon Abero- Hip Hop Instructor

Shannon Abero was born and raised in San Jose, CA. She found her love of dance in High School, where she was a member of  Drill-Team, Cheer, Dance Team and Song. She continued her training at a local community college and then transferred to Cal State University of Long Beach. Shannon participated in cultural dancing, took dance classes on campus and performed with the Filipino club (Pilipino American Coalition). After receiving a BA in Psychology, she spent a couple of years working for an AIDS organization, providing outreach services for the Asian/Pacific Islander community, as well as danced in parades and taught classes at the center. Shannon felt that she should pursue a career in dance, so she auditioned for a couple of dance agencies and was represented by DDO (Dorothy Day Otis). Some of her work includes: touring with Asian singers, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Nike. Shannon also had the opportunity to perform at Monsters of Hip-hop and The House of Blues in LA. She was a member of Funkanometry Dance Company, where she met many of her good friends. She has trained with: Wade Robson, JP San Pedro (Janet Jackson), Janet Langer (NKOTB assistant), Kevin Maher (NKOTB/Monster's of Hip-Hop), Dave Scott, Tevaris, Leslie Scott, Tabitha and Napoleon, Rino (Gwen Stefani/Missy Elliot) and Mia Michaels. Shannon moved to Santa Barbara in 2006, where she was able to teach musical theatre, creative movement and hip-hop at local schools and studios. She has two beautiful girls and is excited to continue to share her love of teaching and dance with her students here at The Vibe.

 

 

Haley Bennett - Hip Hop Instructor

With her natural ability to move to music and learn choreography, Haley has been studying dance and hip hop for about seven years. Four years ago she came to The Vibe as an advanced dancer, continuing her training in Jazz, Hip Hop and Ballet. She is currently part of our Jazz Company and has competed many time in our hip hop competition program. Haley has danced in a few music videos including Jah Sun’s “Microchip” video. Throughout her training, Haley has defined her own amazing and welcoming teaching style for beginning and intermediate adults and teens. She is a studio favorite even with the young dancers and you are sure to see a warm smile always on her face!

 

 

 

Kelly Sullins - Pre-Dance Instructor

Born and raised in Baltimore, Kelly Haluska has danced since she was 2-½ years old. An assistant at age 10 and a full-fledged teacher at 14, Kelly is equally at home teaching and performing ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz and hip hop. Kelly has danced live on Fox Television and was a back up dancer for East Coast singing sensation Erica Martinez. A participant in regional and national dance competitions since she was 12, Kelly has won numerous first place, high gold and top score awards as a performer, teacher and choreographer. She’s also received a myriad of workshop and scholarship invitations, including the Kids Artistic Review Competition (K.A.R.) Rockettes summer intensive scholarship award. In addition to her performance chops, Kelly is a student at Oregon State University and an avid photographer.

 

 

Sarah Rivera - Kid's Hip Hop

 

 

Paige Coduti - Kid’s Hip Hop Instructor

Paige was born on the island of Oahu, Hawaii and started dancing when she was 3 years old. After moving to Bend in 2004, at age 10, she began dancing at The Vibe. She is continuously training in Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet, and other technical genres at advanced levels and is currently a member of our competitive Jazz and Hip Hop programs. Paige has received regional and national top placements multiple times in group and individual pieces at competitions. She has received instruction from some of today’s leading instructors and choreographers from conventions and master classes as well as her training at The Vibe Dance Center. Paige has been teaching our younger kids hip-hop program since the age of 13, bringing fun and excitement while teaching the fundamentals of rhythm, movement and performance.

 

 

Walt Sullins - Breakin' Boys Instructor

Walt moved to Bend five years ago from Baltimore with his then girlfriend, now wife Kelly, also an instructor at The Vibe Dance Center. Being with Kelly for nearly seven years exposed Walt to many facets of the dance world. A B-boy at heart, he also trains over 9 hours a week in Hip Hop and Jazz. Since joining The Vibe three years ago Walt has progressed from student to beginning Breakin’ Instructor and now also teaches our 7-9yr old boys Hip Hop/Breakin’ class, exposing our young males students to the world of dance in a fun, all-boy environment!