Gabriel Bruya (Creative Collaborator/Performer) moved to Seattle in 1998 to study at the University of Washington under Hannah C Wiley, Maria Simpson, Peter Kyle, Rob Kitsos and Betsy Cooper and received her BA in dance in 2002. She has worked continuously with choreographers and inter-disciplinary companies including Pacific Performance Project/east (P3), BetterBiscuitDance, Wong Works, Rob Kitsos, Trisha Brown (installation), Pablo Cornejo and John Dixon.  Gabby has been a part of NWDS since 2006.  Recently, her work was seen in Metal Makes Change, a fundraiser in support of African orphans. 



Teresa Hanawalt (Artistic Director) received her BFA in dance from Cornish College of the Arts in 2003.  Since then, Teresa has worked with choreographers including Wade Madsen, 33 Fainting Spells, Deborah Wolf, and Michael Foley.  She performed with the LeGendre Performance Group and was part of Floor of the Forest, a performance art exhibit at the Henry Art Gallery created by Trisha Brown.  In 2004/05 Teresa danced with Kristina Dillard's Big Red Dance Company.  Teresa became a certified Stott Pilates instructor in 2008.  She is currently teaching Pilates at Pacific Northwest Ballet and Bodycenter Studios and dance at Marysville Performing Arts Centre.




Anne Motl (Artistic Director) began classical dance training with the Stroia Ballet Company in Little Falls, Minnesota. She moved to Washington in 1997 to pursue a career in dance and graduated from Cornish College of the Arts in 2002.  In 2003, Anne co-founded NWDS.  Aside from co-directing, performing and producing work annually with NWDS, Anne has performed choreography by Marlo Martin, Ellie Sandstrom, Paige Barnes, Kristina Dillard, Trisha Brown, Jill Leversee, Aiko Kinoshita and Scott Phillips. Her own choreography has been performed in many venues and festivals including Broadway Performance Hall, The Firehouse Performing Arts Center, Velocity Dance Center, Bagley Wright Theater, and the Museum of Glass, Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts and Bumbershoot.  Anne teaches modern, ballet and jazz at studios including Momentum Dance Academy, Studio1 and eXit SPACE School of Dance and also teaches creative movement at Country Village Day School.


Maya Soto (Artistic Director) has been creating, performing and teaching dance in Seattle since 1999.  Over the years, she has performed with many local artists and companies including:  LeGendre Performance Group, Big Red Dance Company, Amy O'Neal and Sandstrommovement.  Maya has co-directed, choreographed, and produced work as part of NWDS since 2003.  Maya has taught extensively in both the public and private sectors.  She holds a BFA in dance from Cornish College of the Arts and a Washington state teaching certificate.  Maya teaches dance at the Arts and Academics Academy in Highline School District and continues to develop her own unique style (soto style) of hip hop inspired modern dance.