ABOUT US
The Joy of Dance professional staff is dedicated to providing quality training to all dance students in a Godly atmosphere. The School focuses on training young dancers in excellence to use their gifts and talents to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
MEET OUR STAFF
The Joy of Dance instruction team is comprised of a wide variety of dance professionals. With backgrounds ranging from certified instructors to those using dance to spread the Gospel of Jesus across the globe, the love of both Jesus Christ and the beauty of dance is prevalent.
Annie Knoedler
Owner, Instructor
Annie has taught dance for 20 years. She has a passion for dance as worship and discipleship as life. She is a lover of Jesus, God's Word, kids, tea, and good books. She shelters in grace and gratitude.
Cassie Gettles
Instructor, Lower School Director, Media Director
Cassie Gettles began her training with Joy of Dance in 2007. Throughout her years of training at Joy of Dance Cassie's passion for using the art of dance to worship our Creator has continued to grow! It is in Him that she is able to dance and her desire is to continue to use this gift as a tool to worship, train and disciple young women, and to share the Good News with those who do not know.
"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship" Romans 12:1
Emily Coder
Instructor, Administrative Director
Emily rejoined Joy of Dance in 2015 after a long break from dancing - she first danced with JOD when she was 5 years old. She trained as a teacher trainee for a few years before becoming an instructor, and has loved being able to use dance as a way to worship. Throughout her life, God has used the ministry of Joy of Dance to grow her in her faith, and challenge her to glorify His name in all aspects of her live, even her hobbies. Just as she has been blessed and encouraged, Emily hopes to pass that on to others.
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
Christina Wilder
Instructor, Upper School Director
Christina was born in Portland and raised in the local Vancouver area where she got her start in Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Character dancing. Enjoying working with dancers, Christina entered into the three-year Royal Academy of Dancing teachers training program at age 18. Christina has also trained and/or taken classes in: Pilates, child development, anatomy, early childhood dance, dance history, injury prevention classes, Vaganova syllabus, Cecchetti syllabus, Progressing Ballet Technique and dance as worship. Christina currently lives in her home town with her husband, Aaron and three children, Emmaline, Eli and Olivia.
Laura Yoder
Instructor/Touring Company Director
Laura started dancing with the Joy of Dance when she was 11 and began teaching in high school. She danced with the Touring Company for many years. In 2006, she attended Ballet Magnificat! summer dance intensive. In 2009, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. Laura has a passion for dancing to proclaim the gospel and as a form of worship. Her heart is to train up and teach dancers to grow in their technique in a setting that glorifies the Lord.
Whittannie Weber
Instructor
Growing up, the Lord gave me a love for dance that has shaped my life. Through years of training and serving in the Joy of Dance Touring Company, I discovered the joy of worshiping God and sharing the gospel through dance. By His grace, I went on to dance with Paradosi Christian Ballet Company, ministering across the United States and internationally in places like Brazil and France. It has been a privilege to see God use dance to touch hearts, open doors for the gospel, and deepen my own faith. I’m grateful to now share that same passion with the next generation of dancers.
Helen Snitily
Instructor
Helen began dancing at the age of two and a half and had the amazing opportunity to train at Joy of Dance for most of that time. She is excited to focus on teaching while working toward her bachelor's degree in accounting. She loves ballet, numbers, the Lord and strong cups of coffee!
Bethany Marrain
Instructor
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Bethany began classical ballet training at the age of 3 at Pinkerton Ballet Academy in
Northern Nevada. She also has extensive training spanning over 2 decades in hip hop,
jazz, contemporary, lyrical, modern, heels, musical theater, and character dance.
Bethany spent the ages of 4-23 dancing with Pinkerton Ballet Theater where she
became a professional member of the company at 18. She continued her professional
career in Surve Hip Hip Crew and La Danse Du Soliel, and moved to Vancouver in 2017
to dance with 11 Dance Co after spending the summers of 2015 and 2016 participating
in Northwest Dance Project's summer intern program. She began teaching and
choreographing at the age of 16, winning many national awards in the competition
dance circuit for her choreography, and has taught at many different studios on the west
coast.
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of
God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31
Anna Ruth Ordway
Instructor
Anna Ruth began dancing with Joy of Dance in 2015. Her love for the LORD has been multiplied through the lessons she has learned in dance. She continues to dance because she believes that everything the LORD has given her she should use to serve Him, including discipline, strength, grace, emotion, and the ability to communicate to others through movement. Anna Ruth loves dance as it expresses emotions that words cannot describe. She aspires to train up and teach young women to dance with strong technique and passion but most importantly to love the LORD.
“Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
â€â€1 Timothy‬ â€4‬:â€14‬-â€16‬ â€
Angela Neal
Instructor
Angela has loved ballet since the age of 3. Her dance training began at the age of 8, including instruction from RAD, Vaganova, and Cecchetti methods. Ballet has been an outlet for her various passions, storytelling, worship, understanding the human body, communication across languages, processing emotions, and creativity. Studios she has trained at: On Your Toes, The Joy of Dance, Ballet Magnificat!, and Instruments Ballet Company. She has been blessed to have danced at faith based studios, where God and excellence have been priorities. Now, teaching allows her pass on these priorities and how to safeguard your body in dance.
Psalm 150
Evelyn Nedich
Instructor
Evelyn began dancing at the Joy of Dance in 2011. She loves to worship the Lord through dance and to share that worship with her friends and her students. She is grateful for the opportunity God has given her to teach at the Joy of Dance. She truly believes that through dance and her community at the Joy of Dance her faith and relationship with God has grown stronger. She has taught at Sunday school at her church since 2020 and loves to share the Gospel with the kids. She hopes to encourage young dancers in their walk with Christ and help them become strong, passionate, and graceful dancers.
“For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” -1 Corinthians 6:20
