Lori Luecke-Owner/Director/Instructor:Creative Movement, Jazz, Tap. Performing Company Choreographer.

Lori began dancing at age 5.  After taking jazz and tap at a few local studios, she found Terpsichoria (now Clackamas Dance) at the age of 8.  She studied tap and jazz until she was 17.  As a senior in high school she began teaching tap and jazz at Terpsichoria.  She continued teaching for 15 years before becoming the owner in 1999.  Lori was a member of the award winning Clackamas Cavalettes for 4 years, Team Captain and  DDCA All-State member. She is a past Thunderbird Dance Camp instructor, and a dance instructor in the Jefferson High and Middle School dance programs.  Lori has been trained by tap legends Arthur Duncan, Charles “Honi” Coles, Brenda Bufalino and Terry Brock.  Lori was formerly the DDCA All-State Director for over 12 years and received a service award for the many years of directing the event.  Terpsichoria has was the host dance studio for the Moscow Ballet for 3 years while they were in Portland for their productions of Swan Lake and Cinderella.  Lori continues to educate herself with master classes offered throughout the Northwest.  “Teaching is my life.  I love kids and I love teaching them and I most enjoy the look on their faces when they accomplish something new!  My other big joy is putting together a recital production for everyone to enjoy. I truly care about each and every one of my teachers and families."  As a mom, Lori enjoys watching her own children, Grant and Madisen follow their love of dance and her oldest, Tyler, become a great musician.

BJ Cerny-Hip-Hop Instructor.

BJ was a member of the award winning West Linn Debs along with a DDCA  All-State member.  After graduating she went on to coach and choreograph for the West Linn Debs for 11 years.  BJ was also a former Blazer Dancer for 4 years, Portland Forest Dragons arena football dancer for 2 years and a Portland Fire WNBA dancer for 3 years.   Although loyal to the Portland area, she spent a year traveling on a cruise ship where she danced in shows.   BJ was the Wilsonville High School cheerleader coach for 10 years.  Currently, BJ is an active Thunderbird Dance Camp instructor for over 20 years, DDCA State Grand Finale Director for over 15 years, DDCA All-State choreographer for over 10 years and has recently become an OSAA technical judge for the past 3 years.  BJ joined Terpsichoria in 1995!

Geoff Wishart-Jazz Department Director, Jazz, Lyrical and Contemporary Instructor. Performing Company Choreographer.

Geoff started dancing at fifteen when he made Canby High School dance team. His senior year in high school, he had the honor to be the first male to make the All-State dance team. While in high school, he was asked to be a dancer in the Miss Oregon production shows for eight years.  For two years, he choreographed the show. He went on to attend the University of Oregon where he majored in dance. Geoff performed in shows for Carnival Cruise Lines doing three different full length shows. Geoff has performed with Pure Dance Company in Portland, Oregon. He has taught jazz, lyrical and contemporary dance at local studios as well as doing choreography for local high school dance teams.  Geoff has been working as a high school dance team coach since 2001. Most recently, Geoff has been working with West Linn’s Dance Team. This past year, West Linn placed 3rd overall at the 2009 OSAA State Championships.  Geoff’s amazing abilities as a dancer and incredible passion for teaching dancers to reach their full potential make him a wonderful addition to the CDPAC teching staff

Charlene Hannibal-Ballet Department Director, Ballet and Pointe Instructor. Performing Company Choreographer.

Charlene Hannibal received the majority of her ballet training under Haydee Gutierrez and James Canfield at The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre.  At the age of 8, she began performing with the professional company in ballets such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet and Coppelia. During high school, she demonstrated and assisted for OBT’s children’s classes. She also attended summer programs at North Carolina School of the Arts and The Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. Upon graduation, Charlene was invited to join OBT as a company trainee and to assist with the school.  She recorded and annotated Gutierrez’ entire curriculum, began to teach ballet and was promoted to the company.  In 2001, Ms. Hannibal moved to the Bay Area where she performed with The Oakland Ballet, Ballet Counterpointe, and Amy Seiwert’s im’ij-re.  She spent 6 seasons as a principal artist with Company C Contemporary Ballet.  She has participated in both Alonzo King’s professional workshop and the Northwest Professional Dance Project.  During her career, Ms. Hannibal has performed the works of Balanchine, Tudor, Taylor, Parsons, Tharp, Charles Anderson, Alexandre Proia, Patrick Corbin and Nikolai Kabaniev. She has taught ballet for Berkeley City Ballet, Contra Costa Ballet and instructed yoga throughout the Bay Area.  She is a classically trained pianist and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of California at Berkeley.  Always an Oregonian at heart, Charlene is thrilled to be back in her hometown

Christine Mebesius-Hip-Hop Instructor, Performing Company Choreographer.


Christine started taking dance classes at the age of 3 at Westside Dance Academy. Being a part of their company for 11 years, she studied all types of dance: ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern and lyrical. A chosen member of their performing dance teams, Christine competed at a variety of competitions and participated in numerous dance conventions in the Portland community. She was then a part of the Tualatin High School dance team where she was captain for both her junior and senior year. Christine was also chosen to be on the 2005 All-State dance team. Recently, she just graduated from Gonzaga University where she was a part of their hip-hop dance team called the Bomb Squad. Being a part of their group for 3 years, they performed at various school events. This included charity functions, basketball games and many other club events. With an extensive background and passion for dance, Christine hopes to show her students the incredible impact it can have on their lives!

Brooke Shelley-Jazz, Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre. Performing Company Choreographer.

Brooke has been dancing since the age of 11. She has had training in Jazz, Hip-Hop, Lyrical Jazz, Contemporary and Musical Theater Brooke started her dance training at Body & Soul Creative Dance, and also trained at The Beat Dance Academy before she was a member of the Reynolds Raider Dancers when she was high school. This is where she got the majority of her training under the coaching and direction of Holly Yeck. Her senior year Brooke was selected to be part of the 2007 Senior All-State Dance Team, which was a huge achievement. When she graduated high school, Brooke auditioned for Pure Dance Company, with whom she has been with for a year and a half, under the direction of Sonya Duffin. At the moment she is an intern with PDC, as well as acting as an assistant to the artistic director. Along from her passion for dancing, Brooke also has an immense passion for the Theater. Brooke was in 5 musical between her 7th grade and 12th grade year, with leads in 3 of them.  She loves being on stage and especially if it means she can sing, act and dance all at once!

Matt "Bentley" Allegre-Tap, Performing Company Choreographer.

Matt started his tap dancing career at 16 after seeing Savion Glovers Bring in Da Noise Bring in Da Funk in New York. " I came home and said mom I need to learn how to tap dance." Matt enrolled in a beginners class and was the only male. 8 months later he was put in the advanced class after hours a day of constant practice much to the annoyance of his parents. Since then he has gone on to study with Jane Morehead, Danny Wold, Diane "Lady Di" Walker, Jason Samuels Smith, Chloe Arnold, Joseph Wiggan, Joe Webb and Sam Webber. He is still regularly instructed by Cindy Brenn of Portland who was a protege of Charles Honi Coles, one of the original Copacetics. Matt has also taught in numerous states across the US as faculty or a guest instructor and is constantly practicing trying to better his feet. " If you get comfortable, you stop reaching. I never want to be to comfortable with the dance." He is very excited to be part of the faculty and help this studio grow into greatness.

Casey Davenport-Ballet Instructor.

Mr. Casey has performed as a Soloist at numerous civic companies in the past prior to teaching, which is his first passion. Past roles include: Bluebird Pas from "Sleeping Beauty" and various roles from "The Nutcracker" and a myriad of contemporary roles.  He teaches a Vaganova/Balanchine method technique and aesthetic. He studied at Oregon Ballet Theatre under notable instructors including James Canfield, High Desert Dance Arts, Pacific Festival Ballet and Classical Ballet Academy. He has also studied at Pacific NW Ballet School's Teacher Seminar in Seattle and for awhile was ursuing a BFA in Dance Pedagogue. Mr. Davenport’s students have been accepted at Arts and Academics in Beaverton OR, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Eugene Ballet, and are dancing in civic companies such as Pure Dance, won Ballet scholarships at NYCDA, have gone on to study in NYC, Tokyo and LA and have successfully auditioned and performed for Moscow Ballet’s Portland performances of "Cinderella" and "Swan Lake."  He currently directs three ballet programs at Metro area studios and is on the faculty of two others oversseing syllabus and teaching and teaching on an advanced faculty.  He also guest teaches throughout the NW endeavoring to reach as many kids and adults though the ballet arts as possible.

Nicole Hope- Ballet, & Jazz assistant.

Nicole has been dancing sense the age of six and started at Mt. Hood Ballet Academy.  She has starred in various ballets done by the studio and in such productions danced with professionals from the Oregon Ballet Theatre and students of Cornish College of the Arts in Washington.  Nicole was a member of the Sam Barlow H.S. dance team for four years and was a captain in her senior year.  She was also a member of the All-State team and a recipient of the DDCA (Dance and Drill Coaches Association) Dance scholarship.  She is a Biology major in college, with a love of both reading and writing.  Recently Nicole has started teaching for an after school program for elementary school students called the SUN program.  Nicole is a member of Pure Dance Company.   Because of her involvement with this company she has had the opportunity to dance with other companies such as Lineage and Extreme dance companies, and on one occasion danced in Scotland in the Fringe festival.