Community Dance Stage

EAST OF THE SUN & WEST OF THE MOON

In this magical version of the Norwegian fairy tale, a good king and his daughter rule a kingdom side by side until one day a devastating blight causes the crops to fail and their people to go hungry. A mysterious sorceress offers to heal the land in exchange for the king’s hand in marriage. The king agrees and marries her, only to discover her true identity to be the Queen of the Trolls, who spirits him away to her kingdom that lies east of the sun and west of the moon.

To save her father, the princess must embark on an arduous journey that will require both her courage and perseverance. In order to find and enter the land of the trolls, our heroine enlists the help of an aged sage and three dragons.

​Perfect for kids 5-11

Angel Ocasio is a top physical comedian, actor, writer, and ukulele player. He performs and teaches comedy & clowning skills throughout the United States. He has also taught and performed in Puerto Rico, Canada, Bermuda, Malaysia, China, Mexico & Cuba. He produces, directs, writes, performs, and emcees for variety & vaudeville-style shows. He is also an actor who has appeared in several T.V. commercials & television shows (Harley-Davidson, Figaro’s Pizza, GRIMM, etc.). Angel has entertained the audiences of top performers such as Willie Nelson, James Taylor, John Mayer, Pink Martini, and opened for Wayne Newton and Jazz Artist Patrick Lamb.

The Yeates Academy of Irish Dance is an established dance academy and is the longest Irish dance academy in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The school opened its doors in 1986 by Breda Yeates and now has 4 locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Since inception, Yeates Academy has been the leading force for Irish culture and dance in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Yeates Academy is an accredited Irish dance academy through the CLRG, the governing body of Irish dancing. This accreditation allows eligible students to compete in local, regional, national and World Irish Dance competitions called “feis or feiseanna.” Certified Irish dance teacher Sinead Yeates focuses on traditional Irish dance, offering beginner to championship levels including competition, performance and cultural based classes in Portland, Salem, Central Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.

For further information regarding classes at Yeates Academy, please visit yeatesacademy.com.

Dawn States is a disabled dance scholar, artist, and choreographer whose work focuses on integrated dance and the intersection of dance and disability. Dawn earned an MFA in Dance from Temple University and has trained with integrated dance companies, including Full Radius Dance, AXIS Dance Company, and Karen Peterson Dance. Dawn’s choreography has been featured in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, AXIS Dance Choreo-Lab, and Mark DeGarmo Dance. As an educator, Dawn teaches at Rutgers University Arts Online and as an independent artist. Dawn is passionate about creating inclusive spaces for movement and expression and about expanding how dance is experienced and understood through the lens of disability.

Elena Patterson is a classical cellist and fiddle player originally based out of the Rogue Valley. She graduated in 2022 from Southern Oregon University Honors College earning a degree in Music under the tutelage of Michal Palzewicz. Since graduation, Elena has expanded her stage by hiking El Camino in Spain with a fiddle, performing at a wedding in Ireland, and playing on the cliffs above the Smith River. Elena moved to Portland in 2023 and has just completed her first season with the Beaverton Symphony Orchestra. Contact for inquiries at elena@littlewindyfarm.com

At Hip Hop Soulsation Academy, we bring authentic dance instruction straight from Brooklyn to the Portland metro area. Since 2010, we’ve proudly taught a wide range of dance styles, including hip hop, krump, breakdancing, contemporary, and movement classes. Our skilled instructors, with over 16 years of experience, work with students of all ages and levels, starting from 7 years old. We’re a family-owned studio that believes in offering high-quality classes at reasonable prices, and our commitment has helped us become the #1 dance studio in Portland.

Flamencas Silvestres is four women with deep experience over decades sharing flamenco voice, guitar and dance with audiences. Their commitment to this cultural expression spans lifetimes of 38 to 74 years, including training in classical music, ballet, and opera, as well as studies with internationally recognized flamenco artists. Today’s performance by Christy Yenni vocals and Janna Auslam, guitar, with Shyla Osborn and Andrea La Canela dancing, introduces the history, passion and technical expertise of a culture and an art form that have remained mysterious for centuries.

Vietnamese Community of Clark County is a non-profit voluntary organization that provide variety programs for the people in Clark County. It was established in 1992 to help provide support mechanisms, to maintain our cultural heritage, and to enable first and second-generation Vietnamese immigrants to thrive in Vancouver as well as being a means to celebrate and share our culture with the broader population of Clark County.

Vancouver Ballet Folklórico is a local non-profit dance group dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of Mexico through traditional dance. With more than 10 years of history, this group has grown from a dream into a strong and visible part of our community, overcoming challenges, evolving with purpose, and staying true to its mission: to inspire and empower children of Hispanic descent by connecting them to their roots through music, discipline, creativity, and dance. More than just movement, Vancouver Ballet Folklórico offers a meaningful space for learning, growing, and celebrating identity.

Sarada Kala Nilayam (SKN) (Shaa-ruh-dah Ku-laa nih-lu-yum) is a performing arts organization dedicated to the South Indian classical art forms of Bharatanatyam (bha-ruh-tuh-nattiyam) and Nattuvangam (nut-two-vaan-gum) based out of Beaverton, OR. Under the artistic direction of its founder, Sweta Ravisankar (shh-way-tah ru-vee-sun-ker), SKN has been a returning presence at the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival in both 2023 and 2024. For this year’s festival, SKN has curated a performance specifically designed to engage VAMF’s dynamic and diverse audience.

Multidisciplinary performing artist Aliesha Bryan is the Artistic & Executive Director of Blackbird Spanish Dance Company, founded in 2023. Aliesha’s work emerges from a rich tapestry of movement incorporating Flamenco, Spanish and contemporary dance. Aliesha has appeared on stages across the eastern and western coasts of the United States, in Canada and Europe. Her growing body of work includes choreographic commissions and site-specific creations and, since founding Blackbird Spanish Dance Company, she has created three full-length productions: “The Message”, “Sacred Bodies, Sacred Sounds” and “At the Piano”. This Vancouver Arts & Music Festival production includes brand-new work.

Appearing with Aliesha are Linda Richardson and Sebastian Quintero. Linda Richardson is a captivating castanet and flamenco artist based in Washington State. Known for her musicality, precision, and expressive style, she ignites the stage with rhythmic brilliance and elegance. She has collaborated with musicians throughout the United States, including acclaimed guitarist, Miguel Espinoza, on his album Living in a Daydream. In 2025, she earned Second Prize at the International Castanet Competition in Ávila, Spain, and has performed internationally at the Teatro Flamenco Madrid. Linda performs throughout the Pacific Northwest, sharing the rich traditions of Spanish music and dance while bringing greater visibility to the art of castanets.

Sebastian Quintero is an internationally acclaimed guitarist and composer based in the Seattle and Tacoma, Washington area. A San Francisco Conservatory of Music alumnus, he is widely celebrated for his versatile playing styles, with a deep specialization in classical, flamenco, and Argentine tango guitar.

Congruency dance collective, founded in 2022, is a group of movers dedicated to tap dance performance & education. They are a multi-generational company pushing tap dance into the present moment—fusing tap with other influences including contemporary, hip hop, Jump Rhythm, house, postmodern, and more. the collection of pieces showcased today are part choreography and part improvisation.

Anavai O Te Ora is Southwest Washington’s only pupu ori or Tahitian dance group. Our name means “The River of Life.” Rooted in tradition and flowing with purpose, Anavai O Te Ora is dedicated to nourishing our future by perpetuating our heritage. Through ‘Ori Tahiti classes and Polynesian performances, we share the richness of Tahitian culture with communities across the Pacific Northwest.