MEET THE team.

FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.

Natalya Z is a dancer, instructor, and choreographer based in Los Angeles & Seattle.

With a background deeply rooted in competitive Ballroom Dance, Natalya traveled the globe, competing against the best, and honed her craft under the guidance of renowned instructors for over a decade. Natalya’s artistic evolution led her to pivot out of the DanceSport industry & into the world of Heels dance, where she saw an opportunity to infuse her Ballroom Dance expertise into this emerging style.

In 2020, Natalya introduced her unique training program and movement language to the world by establishing ZTHEORY, her dance company dedicated to empowering individuals of all skill levels in the art of walking and performing in heels.

Natalya's unique approach marries dedication towards technical precision with a mindset-focused pedagogy. She believes that Heels Dance must be pioneered to be seen & respected as it’s own movement style - with it’s own foundational technique, vocabulary, & values. Most importantly, ZTHEORY prioritizes a culture of inclusivity & self-reflection that develops not only high-quality dancers - but mindful instructors, authentic choreographers, and kind people.

@natalyaz_official

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

After joining the ZTHEORY team in March of 2023, Kelsea has quickly become an integral part of ZTHEORY’s marketing direction, social media presence, graphic creations, photos, video editing, & our NEW website.

Kelsea has always had a passion for visual and performing arts and has loved being able to combine these passions while working with ZTHEORY.

@studio__sundaze

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & CUSTOMER SUCCESS

Natalie is from Dallas, TX and enjoys employing her creative & analytical talents at ZTHEORY. She brings a degree in Business and many years of finance / product development experience to facilitate ZTHEORY’s growth. She has been dancing her whole life and currently performs with various PNW theaters, Coalescence Dance Company, and ZTHEORY. We are lucky to have her dance skills & business acumen here at ZTHEORY.

@artfully.natalie 

ZTHEORY Instructor

RJ Duquette, from New Baltimore, Michigan, first discovered his passion for dance when he moved to Seattle in the Fall of 2019. Since then, he’s trained heavily with ZTHEORY & proudly considers himself a product of the ZTHEORY training pipeline. He has gone on to perform with the Seattle-based companies such as Valtesse, Maison De V, & Purple Lemonade, as well as performing with ZTHEORY up and down the West Coast. RJ’s dedication has made him a true ZTHEORY encyclopedia, one that we are proud to have on staff.

@rj_carrier

ZTHEORY Instructor

Hannah is from Anacortes, WA and grew up dancing & singing. She has performed professionally with the Can Can Culinary Cabaret, Verlain & McCann, Maison De V and A Night in Paris Cabaret in Seattle. She is honored to participate in a supportive dance community through ZTHEORY. Hannah brings a strong background of classic jazz & showgirl training to ZTHEORY & our Academy students.

@hrmooney548

ZTHEORY Instructor

Mandy Sin has been tearing up the dance floor with ZTHEORY since 2021, & she’s stoked to now be on faculty. Dance has brought her many laughs, tears, and friendship. Mandy’s dynamic training in hip-hop & other styles paired with her bright personality makes her a shining asset to ZTHEORY foundation!

@sandymin

ZTHEORY Instructor

Ieva Bračiulytė (she/her) graduated the University of Washington in 2021 with a major in dance and started training with ZTHEORY the following year. She loves merging modern dance with heels and collaborating with other artists! In between teaching and taking classes, Ieva is probably either building with LEGOs, working on a short film, walking her dog Škoot, or looking for a big rock in the sunshine to lay on.

@_ieva

ZTHEORY Instructor

Flo started training with ZTHEORY as a student in 2022 and fell in love. After years of twists, bevels, and tendus she assisted for three cycles of Foundation and completed ZTHEORY’s ESSENTIALZ Level 1 Teacher Training. Flo’s background of over 15 years training in classical ballet enables her to dive deep into alignment and technical details with students. Flo celebrates and supports each dancer's individual journey to building body awareness, strength, and love of movement!

@floboots

ZTHEORY Instructor

Amara Gordon was raised in Tacoma, Washington. She has trained in a variety of styles including ballet, contemporary, modern, and step for over 15 years. Amara began her heels journey in 2018 & found ZTHEORY in 2021. She is thrilled to be teaching for ZTHEORY & we are so happy to have her sharing her love dance with our ZTHEORY foundation students.

@amarainmotion

CO-FOUNDER & Senior ZTHEORY Instructor

Carlie is a dancer, instructor and choreographer with over 15 years of dance experience in jazz, hip hop, ballet, modern dance and heels. She teaches heels dance at Westlake Dance Center and is the co-founder of ZTHEORY. She truly believes in the technical quality & artistic mission of ZTHEORY & is excited to see the company continue to grow.

@carliieanderson

MANAGING DIRECTOR & Senior ZTHEORY Instructor

Julia joined the ZTHEORY team in April, 2021. She grew up just south of Seattle performing & training in Musical Theater across the area. In addition to over 15 years of dance training across many styles, she holds a BA in Management & puts it to good use at ZTHEORY.

As Managing Director she works alongside Natalya to provide top tier programming to ZTHEORY students, & performance & growth opportunities to ZCO members & staff. She also manages & supports all active programming in Seattle.

As a Senior Instructor she brings a deep understanding of ZTHEORY technique & our artistic mission. Creator of Hot Girl Heels, she loves nothing more than empowering dancers to explore their creativity & confidence while building strength in their physical abilities.

Heels dance is for EVERYONE!

@juliahart1