Dance Theatre Northwest

Building a foundation for beautiful technique, one bo***ée at a time — with plenty of memories made along the way. 🩰

Few things excite us more than seeing our young dancers discover just how much they’re capable of.

Every carefully placed arabesque and confidently finished combination offers a glimpse of what can grow from strong training, hard work and a lifelong love of dance. 🧑‍🩰

The energy was infectious in the studio last week as our Summer Intensive for Youth & Teens took off with a whirlwind of tendus, turns and tenacity — all essential ingredients in developing confident, expressive dancers.

Under the careful guidance of Artistic Director Melanie Kirk-Stauffer and visiting ballet master Richard Philion, students spent five days building confidence, refining their technique, challenging themselves and growing as dancers.

Join us in giving these wonderful young dancers a well-deserved round of applause in the comments below! 👇👏

Photos provided by Ken Hassman, thank you Ken!

A few pictures taken by Ken Hassman at DTNW’s August 8 performance.

They don’t call it the Ultimate Adult Beginner Ballet Summer Intensive for nothing! 🩰💛

Last week, we kicked off the first of our Summer Intensive series for adult beginner ballerinas with four inspiring days in the studio.

Students came together to challenge themselves, refine their technique, and build lasting friendships as they continued their ballet journeys.

Impeccable technique begins with a careful balance of mind, body, and spirit. Through a curriculum focused on injury prevention, turns, pre-pointe foundations, stretching, and conditioning, our dancers flourished under the expert guidance of Artistic Director Melanie Kirk-Stauffer and visiting ballet master Richard Philion.

The result? A new class of dancers—many realizing lifelong dreams—ready to continue growing in both their artistry and technical mastery. We couldn’t be more proud of each and every one of them.

Come celebrate their hard work at our Summer Showcase on Saturday, August 8, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the University Place Library Atrium!

✨ Join us for an afternoon of dance!

Dance Theatre Northwest invites you to our Summer Dance Showcase, a free community performance celebrating the dedication, artistry, and hard work of our dancers.

From young performers taking the stage to experienced dancers sharing their passion for ballet, this showcase is a wonderful opportunity to experience the joy of dance in an intimate setting. Whether you’re a longtime ballet lover or simply looking for a fun, family-friendly event, we’d love to have you with us.

📅 Saturday, August 8, 2026
🕔 5:00 PM
📍 University Place Pierce County Library & Civic Atrium
3609 Market Place W, Suite 100
University Place, WA

Admission is FREE, and everyone is welcome. Bring your family, invite your friends, and help us celebrate another wonderful season of dance!

We look forward to sharing the afternoon with you.

Cast photos are now available online!

Relive the memories and view professional portraits from this year’s performance.

Visit https://dtnw.org/video-library/ to view and purchase your photos.

Another beautiful milestone at DTNW. 🩰✨

We are so excited to celebrate yet another adult dancer (Rebekah Doll) earning her pointe shoes and beginning her pointe journey. This is never something we take lightly. Pointe work represents years of dedication, consistency, strength, trust, and heart.

One of the things we love most at Dance Theatre Northwest is getting to share these moments with our adult dancers as they reach goals and dreams they may have carried for years. Watching adults discover ballet, grow in confidence, and achieve things they once thought were out of reach is such a special part of who we are as a studio.

Congratulations on this incredible accomplishment Rebekah. We are so proud of you. ❤️

Begin Your Teacher Certification Journey at Dance Theatre Northwest
Have you ever thought about becoming a certified dance teacher with DTNW?

At Dance Theatre Northwest, we’re excited to offer a Teacher Certification Workshop series for dancers who are ready to take the next step. This program is designed to give you a real look at what it means to teach, lead a class, and support other dancers in their training.

This Saturday’s session is Part 1 of 2 and will focus on the fundamentals of instruction, classroom awareness, and building confidence as a teacher. Whether you're seriously considering certification, looking for a refresher, or interested in gaining new ideas and approaches as a current instructor, this is a great place to start.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. www.DTNW.org