Teachers

Lauren Houtz

Lauren grew up in Issaquah, WA and was trained in Theater from a young age, but fell in love with dance as worship when God crashed in and gave it to her. She pursued her training in Whitworth University’s dance program where she earned her dance minor and served as Artistic Director of Jubilation Dance Ministry. She has since taught dance in several schools in Spokane, as well as at Sandra Olgard Studio and The Oaks Conservatory of the Arts. She received her Masters in Education at Gonzaga University, is trained in Brain-Compatible Dance Education through Creative Dance Center in Seattle under Anne Green Gilbert. Lauren is most inspired by her students’ enthusiasm and creativity and enjoys watching them grow.
Contact: 425-830-1629
jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Lindsey Spencer

Lindsey has been dancing her whole life, but began fully throwing herself into it in 5th grade. Throughout middle and high school in Meridian, Idaho, she was trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical/contemporary, tap, and hip hop and participated in a competitive dance team. After graduating high school, she participated in Whitworth University's Jubilation Dance Ministry, where she served as Chaplain, Hip Hop Instructor, and Sacred Dance Instructor. Lindsey loves movement and enjoys exploring its connections to her relationship to Jesus.
Contact: lindsey.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Taylor Kuykendall

Taylor trained at Ballet Arts Academy in Spokane, Washington under the direction of Dodie Askegard, as well as Sara Donally, Peggy Goodner Tan and Pam Erickson. She danced for several years with Theater Ballet of Spokane. Several times Taylor danced for New York City Ballet principal Charles Askegard when he choreographed for Theater Ballet of Spokane. She spent a summer studying ballet at Ben Stevenson’s Houston Ballet Academy in their summer intensive program. She graduated summa cum laude from Whitworth University as a journalism major. While at Whitworth she served as a dance teacher in Jubilation, Whitworth’s dance ministry club. She now works as a marketing manager at a sustainability company. She danced for two years as a member of Vytal Movement – a local modern dance company under the direction of Vincas Greene. She has taught at various studios around town and is now enjoying her fifth year of teaching.
Contact: taylor.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Veronika Johnson

Veronika grew up in Germany, where she took jazz dance classes starting at 14 years old. After high school, she went to school for gymnastics and dance and focused her education on creative kids’ dance. Since then, she has been performing and choreographing dance pieces in a variety of contexts. Privately she enjoys expressing herself through contemporary and modern dance and loves to use dance to share God’s word with other people.
Contact: veronika.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Meghan Pierce

Meghan began dancing when she was 3 years old at the British Dancing Academy in Kent, WA. Although she began with ballet, very quickly jazz and modern classes were added to the daily schedule. As Meghan grew older she began to take exams through the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of the Teachers of Dancing. Before graduating high school she was able to complete the entire course of exams for both modern and ballet. After graduation, Meghan began to attend Whitworth University and become involved in Jubilation Dance Ministry. It was there that she had the absolute joy of discovering the wonders of dance as worship, and she will never go back. Dancing is such a unique way to worship our Creator. it is that awe, wonder, and gratefulness that Meghan loves most about dancing as a form of worship.
Contact: meghan.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Katie Rose-Parrish

Katie grew up in sunny Southern California where she came to know and love dance at a studio called The Music Room. At TMR, she trained in tap, ballet, hip hop, and contemporary-jazz, and she was a part of their musical theatre program as well. She was also on the Varsity dance team in high school, where she got her first experience as a choreographer for different dance styles. Katie attends Whitworth University and will be graduating in May 2021 with a degree in Biochemistry. Her love for dance was expanded even more through Jubilation Dance Ministry at Whitworth, where she currently serves as the teacher for the Contemporary and Tap classes. Katie feels so blessed to extend her love for dance and movement in praise for God at Jubilee!
Contact: katie.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Jessica Pieros

Jessica began her love for dance when she was 3 years old in her first combo class. Her passion continued to grow as she took other classes and eventually started competing on jazz and hip hop teams. Jessica continued dance throughout her four years of high school and was named captain of the dance team her senior year. Jessica graduated from Whitworth University in 2018 where she received her bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She now is a Marketing Specialist at a genetics company. While at Whitworth, Jessica was a part of Jubilation Dance Ministry where she took classes and taught jazz and jazz technique classes. She has taught jazz, hip hop & contemporary previously. She is so excited to be able to use dance as an outlet of worship and expression at Jubilee!
Contact: jess.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Carolina Bufford

Carolina was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. She moved to Massachusetts at a young age and began taking dance lessons. She fell in love with dance and would spend hours dancing. During high school she began studying theatre. She took part in every school play and got a scholarship to the Latin School of Music and Arts her junior year following her performance in the Neil Simon show, Fools. After college she moved to Hawaii where she studied Hula for 5 years. After moving to Spokane with her husband, Carolina has taken part in community theatre as well as learned how to use dance as a form of worship to God. She has taken many worship and movement classes as well as helped lead the dance team for her church. She is beyond excited to be joining the Jubilee Dance community.
Contact: carolina.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Katriel Sahlstrom Smit

Katriel began dancing at age ten at SOnja’s Studio of Dance in Wasilla, Alaska, where she trained in classical ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, and lyrical. Her first introduction to dance as a form of worship was at age fifteen when she attended Ballet Magnificat’s summer intensive in Jackson, Mississippi. While attending college at Whitworth University, she served as the Artistic Director of Jubilation Dance Ministry and created a new class focusing specifically on technique training. Today, Katriel is earning her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Whitworth University and is looking forward to informing her dance teaching with her professional education. Katriel is passionate about technique, health, and injury prevention. She strives to help develop strong, intelligent, and confident dancers who are assured in themselves and their faith.
Contact: katriel.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Bethy Crowe

Bethy has been dancing for 20 years and has been trained in sacred dance, hip hop, African, swing and ballroom, as well as contemporary dance, which is her preferred style and the form she teaches most often. Raised in Northern California, Bethy moved to Washington to study theology at Whitworth University and dance through Jubilation Dance Ministry. With a passion for teaching others about the joy of worshipping Jesus through dance, Jubilee is a blessing for her to be a part of.
After a recent move back to the PNW, she is continuing her role as Jubilee’s writer, is co-directing the spring show, and looks forward to the day she will return to teaching.
Contact: bethy.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Laurel Jenkins

Miss Laurel grew up in the Puget Sound on a small island (Herron Island). As a young girl she was drawn to the beauty of creation around her and wanted to create beauty with the resources around her. She loved ceramics, painting, crafting, collecting, collaging, decopauging to name just a few. Upon completing High School, she went to Multnomah University, double majoring in Bible and Educational Ministries. For 15 years, she lived with her husband and 3 children in Europe (Germany and Slovenia), sharing the love of Jesus with those who had ears to hear, helping plant a church and discipling young people in the ways of Jesus. Due to her love of art, it is natural for her to bring it, into whatever she is doing. She has taught classes/workshops for her church, at English Camps, in Women’s Ministry and on her Missionary team. She has used art to disciple, teach truth, teach English, build community, teach pre-schoolers and so much more. She has found that Biblical truths can sink down deeply in the heart when combined with art and used as a way to worship Jesus. She has joined Jubilee as a means to that end and is curious and hopeful for what the Lord has in store.
Contact: laurel.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Kaitlyn Kraus

Kaitlyn began dancing at the age of five. After falling in love with worship dance at a summer camp taught by Lauren Houtz, she joined Jubilee Dance in 2016 and has been a part of the community here ever since! Kaitlyn has led in multiple roles at Jubilee as a dancer, actress, volunteer coordinator, teacher’s assistant, intern, and assistant camp director. Her dream is to see her students encounter the presence of God through movement and grow in their strength and technique. She is so excited to be teaching her first class at Jubilee this semester!
Contact: kaitlyn.jubileedancespokane@gmail.com
Photo: Laurel Jenkins

Admin Team

Studio Director - Lauren Houtz

Assistant Studio Director - Jessica Buescher

Marketing & Studio Coordinator - Jessica Pieros

Chaplain - Lindsey Spencer

Facilities Coordinator - Carolina Bufford

Production Team

Fall Production Directors - Katie Rose-Parrish & Bethy Crowe

Spring Production Director - Katriel Sahlstrom Smit

Community through movement

for the joy of it!