President: Lisa Greiner
Lisa started dancing at age six with Patrician School of Dance in Tillamook (now Oregon Coast Dance Center). Over the course of her career she’s continued her education with Redmond School of Dance, California Ballet, San Diego Ballet Company, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Dance Educators of America, and International Association of Dance Medicine & Science. She holds teaching certificates in Progressing Ballet Technique and Acrobatic Arts, is a graduate from Dance Masters of America Teacher’s Training School, and is President-Elect of the Oregon Dance Education Organization. Her career has made a full circle as she now owns the very studio that first ignited her passion for dance.
Lisa currently teaches ballet, tap, jazz, and tumbling in two locations in Tillamook County. She also coaches the OCDC Performance Group which competes throughout the PNW region. As a choreographer, Lisa has been privileged to choreograph for local groups such as TAPA’s The Pajama Game, and Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, 2013’s Miss North Coast Outstanding Teen, and a number of local high school spring musicals.
Being involved in her community is important to her, and as such Lisa has served on several local Tillamook arts boards - the Tillamook Association for the Performing Arts (TAPA), and the Tillamook County Arts Network (TCAN). She is currently Vice President of the Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and is a member of the Tillamook Futures Council. Lisa is also the host of the local radio show, Tillamook Today, and coordinates the annual Tillamook Holiday Light Parade.
Treasurer: Donna Siekmann
My early-career days were spent working in corporate accounting in the high technology industry in Europe. I lived and worked in Germany from 1991-2006. There I gained a solid foundation of accounting and GAAP reporting knowledge for American companies and their subsidiaries. That experience truly put me on solid footing for my current-day practice.
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My non-profit experience has increased over the last 6 years where I worked in various financial/accounting roles for several mid-sized and large 501(c) 3 organizations in the Portland Metro area. Currently I am the Director of Finance with Oregon Ballet Theatre. I am approaching my 4-year anniversary at OBT in April. I have immersed myself in the world of dance and learned so many aspects of running a professional dance company. I have not only increased my knowledge in the financial realm, but also have a stronger appreciation for the other components: community service, fundraising & education/school.
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During my years in Germany I met my husband (German national) and had three children. When I am not working in the world of numbers, I am enjoying my free time: at the ballet, opera, symphony, movies, sewing outfits, knitting, reading, hiking, dog walking, shopping with my teenager, visiting with my college kids or just plain relaxing.
Lisa Buchmiller, Communications Director
Lisa Buchmiller began dancing at an early age at Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet in Richland, WA. Classically trained in ballet, tap, and jazz, she performed with Mid-Columbia Ballet under the artistic direction of Debra Pearse Rogo. In college, Lisa discovered her true passion - teaching movement. Lisa is a certified personal trainer, certified yoga instructor, dance instructor, co-creator of The Ellové Technique® and the Yoga Supervisor at Multnomah Athletic Club. Whether working with clients individually or teaching a class, Lisa combines her expertise in many different disciplines to help students prevent injury and find synergy in their bodies. Lisa currently teaches at Multnomah Athletic Club, Nike World Headquarters, The Portland Ballet and BodyVox.
Tim Cowart, Advocacy Director
Timothy Cowart comes to Oregon most recently from Pennsylvania. His research interests include modern dance partnering techniques, dance film, and the life, work and influence of dancer/choreographer Michio Ito (1993-1961). Cowart is the first dance faculty member in the United States to earn a teaching certification in Kaeja Elevations which is a form of modern dance partnering work that utilizes momentum, dynamic tension and gravity. He also holds teaching certifications in DanceAbility, and STOTT Pilates and can regularly be found teaching all levels of modern dance, dance partnering, contact improvisation, introduction to ballroom dance, dance in world
cultures, and dance on camera.
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Cowart has served as a judge for the Dance Films Association's Dance on Camera Festival and his relationship with the organization has been elevated to that of a key partner due to the continuing curatorial and educational contributions he has made that have led to him developing an ideal university model for the Dance on Camera Tour. At DeSales University he curated an annual Screendance festival for over 13 years.
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As a performing artist, Cowart danced nationally and internationally with the Bella Lewitzky Dance Company, the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and with Impact Production's 'Dayuma' and 'The Masterpiece.' He has also worked with Sean Curran, David Dorfman, Elizabeth Streb, Mark Taylor, Minh Tran, Rob Kitsos, Margo Van Ummersen, and Alito Alessi. He received a B.F.A. in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University, an M.F.A. in Dance, and an M.S. in Performing Arts Management from the University of Oregon. Cowart is the recipient of the 2016 LVAIC Dance Consortium Distinguished Service Award in Dance, and the 2017 Distinguished
Alumnus Award in Dance from the University of Oregon. He served as an Associate Professor Chair of the Dance Department at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania from 2005 - 2019. He now serves as an Associate Professor and as the Dance Program Coordinator for Western Oregon University.
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Erin Nichole Boyt, Development Director
Erin Nichole Boyt was born and raised in the small town of Neosho, Missouri. She
headed West in 2007 after graduating with a BA in Theater from Drury University.
Her informative years were spent running through the woods, climbing trees, and
riding horses. As a child, she was incessantly spinning, twirling, and jumping off of
things, earning her the nickname “Whirlygirl” and getting her kicked out of many
ballet classes.
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Determined to live up to her childhood nickname, Erin began Version Excursion in
2010. Since then, she has choreographed, performed, and produced at venues in
the Seattle area including Raisbeck Hall, Velocity Dance Center, Erickson
Theater, and Triple Door. She loves collaborating with musicians and working on
film projects, such as The Navigator, which she choreographed and directed.
Erin is the recipient of a Raynier Foundation grant and the James Ray Residency.
Joshua D. Deininger, NHSDA Representative/Member at Large
Joshua D. Deininger holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. While at Southern Methodist University he studied under world-class faculty from The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, The Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor, and Pilobolus. Mr. Deininger had the high honor of performing various masterworks during his time at college as well as the opportunity to perform with companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Upon graduation Mr. Deininger returned to the Pacific Northwest where he performed with a wide variety of studios and companies. He rose to the rank of Soloist with Olympic Ballet Theater and continues to be a featured Guest Artist with companies in the region. Favorite ballets that Mr. Deininger has danced include "Camille A Poem of Intimacy", "Beyond", "Serenade", "Cloven Kingdom", and "Batucada" to name a few. He has also danced featured roles in various classical productions including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Paquita, Dracula, Giselle, Cinderella, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Coppelia and Sleeping Beauty.
Mr. Deininger's love for dance extends beyond performance into the classroom. He is the Owner and Artistic Director of Central Oregon School of Ballet in Bend, OR with his wife and ballet partner, Elizabeth Voiles. He has been instructing students in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Contemporary, and Pas Deux for over a decade. In 2019 he served as a panelist on the Oregon Arts Commission for the Performing Arts. He enjoys sharing his passion for the art through performance, his choreography, and helping students find success and fulfillment in the classroom.
Stephanie Ochoa, Member at Large
Stephanie Ochoa began her dance education at eight years old, studying Ballet and Jazz with Paula Magee of Silverton Ballet & Performing Arts Co. While earning her B.A. degree at Western Oregon University, she extensively studied Tap, Hip-Hop, African, and Modern dance.
Stephanie began teaching in 2001, instructing young children in Ballet and Jazz at the Silverton Ballet, and in 2004 she taught Vagonava Style Ballet at Corvallis Academy of Ballet.
In September, 2005 she realized her dream of sharing Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip-Hop with the wonderful students of the West Valley, opening Dallas Ballet & Academy of Dance.
Jessica Post, Member at Large
Jessica Post earned an MFA in Dance from the University of Michigan (2013) and a BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts (2006). She currently teaches dance at Portland Community College, Oregon Ballet Theatre School, and the Multnomah Athletic Club. She previously taught in the dance programs at Hillsdale College, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Michigan as a graduate instructor.
Her professional performing experience includes five seasons with The Dance COLEctive in Chicago. She was also a founding company member with Esoteric Dance Project (Chicago) and performed with Ann Arbor Dance Works (Michigan). Her choreography has been presented at the PDX Dance Collective Choreographer's Showcase (Portland), Detroit Dance City Festival (MI), National Flute Association Convention (San Diego), Detroit Institute of Arts (MI), Hillsdale College (MI), Brighton Dance Festival (MI), and Links Hall (Chicago).
Jessica is also interested in dance science research and conditioning methods for dancers. She completed a 600- hour comprehensive Pilates certification in 2008, and currently teaches Pilates at Kinespirit Circle Studio in Portland. She also presented her research at the 2013 meeting of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science.
Seqouyah Jones, Student Representative
Seqouyah Dmitri Jones has been studying dance as a career path both through Lane Community College and outside of Oregon for 3 years, though her passion for the art has been present since a young age. She spends her time pursuing a thorough understanding of the natural world of movement including a deep personal yoga practice, ecstatic dance, acrobatic partner yoga, gymnastics basics, and expression through many forms of dance. She is building a knowledge that can be used to help heal herself and others through a standardized study in medicine to compliment the healing within dance. Her future goals revolve around building a facility and refuge where people from all walks of life can learn, grow, and recover through a blend of natural healing modalities. Having been in Oregon for 5 years now and fallen in love, she plans on giving back to the local community through dance and by being a student representative to help progress the thriving Oregon Dance Education Organization.
