The Elite Cheer & Dance Center offers you quality, experienced professionals to work with your students at all levels.  Our coaches are knowledgeable, well trained and certified for safety.  Our staff instructors have years of training and teaching experience. They continue to develop there skills by working with top professionals from Los Angeles & New York throughout the year.  Our staff is encouraged to attend master classes, workshops, summer intensives and annual training/certification programs.  Watch for master classes and intensives all year with great instructors such as Tabitha/Napoleon D’umo (The Edge/LA) and more!

OUR DIRECTORS:
   Teri Rowe, Director, holds a B.A. in PE and Dance, M.S. in Exercise Physiology and has taught/coached for over 25 years. She has taught and judged dance & cheer nationally for the Universal Dance Association, National Dance Association, American Alliance of Health, Physical Recreation/Dance & Dance Educators of America. Teri has choreographed nationally and her routines have won a wide variety of awards. Under her direction, the Eastern Washington Elite Dance and Cheer Teams have earned 13 National Championships, along with multiple state and local titles. Teri is certified by the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Advisors, National Federation of High School Sports, Washington State Dance/Drill Coaches Association and the Washington State Spirit Judges Association. She has taught/coached at Baylor, Illinois State University, Eastern Washington University, Walla Walla Community College (2002 National Dance Champions), Pasco High School and Carmichael Middle School. Teri has published several articles on dance in a variety of magazines, education manuals and has developed several training manuals for dance teachers and judges. Teri can be reached at elitedanz@aol.com. 

   Mike Passmore, Finance Director, handles all of the business details and accounts. Contact Mike at 521-4685 or passmorejmp@hotmail.com for any/all questions about finances.  Mike also manages our club team accounts for the Eastern Washington Elite Dance & Cheer Teams.

OUR STAFF:
Kimberly Pennala (Cheer)
Kim is a former cheer coach at the University of Hawaii and a 3 year Head Instructor for Universal Cheer Association. Kim holds a B.S. in Social Sciences from WSU and works as a crime advocate for Benton Franklin County.  Kim is a former member of the E.W. Elite Dance Team, 2002 National Champion WWCC Pom Squad, Western Washington Hip Hop Team, Kim is AACCA certified and USASF certified for cheer safety.  Kim was former Level 8 gymnast.

Shaila Brantingham (Dance)
Shaila is a former member of the EW Elite Dance Team and a recent graduate (B.A. Education) from Eastern Washington University.  Shaila is a Washington State certified Dance/Drill judge and is pursuing a career in Education.

Serena Dotson (Dance)
Serena is a former member of the Kamiakin HS Dance Team, the WWCC Pom Squad and is currently dancing for the Tri Cities Fever Dance Team and the new Elite College Open Hip Hop Team.  Serena is a Washington State certified Dance/Drill judge and works with our Junior Elite Dance Team.  She holds an A. A. degree in Business.

Bobbi Buttars (Dance)
Bobbi is the current Head coach for the Tri Cities Fever Dance Team and Hanford High School Dance Team.
She is a certified teacher at Hanford High School where she teaches Spanish and coaches the HHS Dance Team. Bobbi comes to us from Utah where she spent years coaching dance at the high school level.  Most recently, her HHS Dance Team won back-to-back WIAA State Dance Team Championships in Kick and Jazz. 

Chelsi Stockton (Cheer)
Chelsi is a former member of the Richland HS Cheer Team and the Extreme Cheer team (Tri Cities).  Chelsi is a student at Columbia Basin College and works with our Mini and Youth Cheer Teams.

Chelsea Spaeth (Hip Hop/H2E)
Chelsea started dancing at a very young age in jazz, ballet and hip hop.  She is a former member of the E.W. Elite Dance Team (2001 National Champions).  After graduating from high school, Chelsea moved to Seattle and began studying hip hop at Westlake Dance Center and other Seattle based studios.  Chelsea’s style is very cutting edge and she keeps her material fresh by attending Monsters of Hip Hop and other conventions and workshops.  Chelsea directs our H2E Youth Hip Hop group.

Celestan Frost (Stars/H2E)
Celestan is a former member of the E.W. Elite Coed Hip Hop Team (2006 National Champions) and is currently dancing on the Elite College Open team.  Celestan is attending Columbia Basin College and works with our Tri City Stars program and our H2E Youth Hip Hop Team.

Chase Dooley (Break Dancing)
Chase is a founding member and currently directing the Soul Felons Break Dance group.  Chase is very well know throughout the area for his talent and break dancing tricks/skills. 

Anna Merrifield (Dance)
Anna Merrifield is a former member of the Mid Columbia Ballet and is currently dancing on our E.W. Elite Senior Dance Team.  Anna has recently returned from dance trip to Los Angeles where she was studying with top teachers such as Eddie Garcia, Doug Caldwell, Leslie Scott, Dante, Malaya and Keri LaGrand. Anna is equally talented in jazz, lyrical and hip hop. She also comes to us with a cheer background from the Hanford High School Cheer Team.

Tori Stephenson (Dance)
Tori is a current member of our Senior Elite Dance Team. She started in the Elite program several years ago as a member our Junior team. Tori has an excellent dance background and she is currently teaching our beginning jazz and ballet classes.

Other Instructors include:
Jackie Hightower (5 year UDA Head Instructor, Captain Hawaii Pacific University Dance Team, WWCC Pom)
Sandra Enriquez (5 year UDA Head Instructor, HPU Dance Team, WWCC Pom Squad)
Sonrose Festejo (Gonzaga Bomb Squad Hip Hop Team)
Jen Malloy (cheer coach-Pullman HS, former dancer WWCC Pom Squad)
Daniel Rojas (Soul Felons Break Dance group)
Jessica Quinn (UNLV Dance Team)
Caroline Corrado (UNLV Dance Team)
Molly Moffett (ASU Hip Hop Coalition)
Tiffany Huber (HPU Dance Team)
Kelsey Hamada (University of Cincinnati Dance Team)

Elite Choreographers include:
Tabitha/Napleon Dumo-(The Edge/LA) Choreographers for Missy Elliott, Destiny’s Child, MTV, Grammy’s, Emmy’s and on tour with Monsters of Hip Hop and LADF
Keri LaGrand (The Edge/LA) Teaches jazz at The Edge and choreographs nationally
Karl Mundt-former choreographer for University of Minnesota Dance Team and currently choreographing for University of Cincinnati Dance Team. 
Kirsten Cooper-(Westlake Dance Center/Seattle) Choreographer for the Westlake Dance Company and multiple high school, college and studio programs.
Amy Coryer (Seattle) choreographs hip hop for numerous dance studios and teams throughout Washington. Her former assistant (Ivan) was recently seen on the hit TV show “So You Think You Can Dance”.