Pacific Dance Company
About Pacific Dance Company
Pacific Dance Company is the newly renamed pre professional company of Dance Umbrella for South Coast Oregon DUSCO, a Coos Bay based nonprofit that has supported advanced dance education on the South Coast since 1993. Originally established as Dance Umbrella’s student performing company in 1994 and later known as Ballet Pacific, the company has evolved through several artistic transitions while remaining rooted in DUSCO’s mission. Now under the artistic direction of Courtney Lakey, Pacific Dance Company continues to provide auditioned dancers from Coos and Curry counties with advanced training, mentorship, and meaningful performance opportunities. The program also supports dancers through scholarships for summer intensives and conventions, brings master teachers to the region, and enriches the broader community through high quality pre professional dance education and performance.
Training & Community Partnership
Pacific School of Dance is the official training school of Pacific Dance Company. While many company members train at PSD, dancers from all area schools with a strong foundation in ballet and or jazz are encouraged to audition. The collaboration between PSD’s rigorous technical training and DUSCO’s expanded performance and scholarship opportunities creates an exceptional pathway for local dancers, offering experiences typically found only in larger metropolitan communities.
Our Scholarships
To further support the pre professional training offered through Pacific School of Dance and Pacific Dance Company, DUSCO provides scholarships to dancers who are accepted into highly respected summer intensive programs nationwide. Past recipients have trained with American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Northwest Dance Project, Eugene Ballet Academy, Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell, and Summer Dance Lab.
These opportunities allow our dancers to train at an exceptional level, deepen their artistry, and return to the South Coast with expanded knowledge, experience, and inspiration to share with our community.
Our Alumni
Emily Porter
Emily Porter began her ballet training in Coos Bay, Oregon.On invitation to dance under scholarship at Marin Dance Theatre, Ms. Porter moved to San Rafael, California to train under the instruction of Margaret Swarthout. She received Youth America Grand Prix awards and attended summer programs at ABT, Ballet Arizona, Oregon Ballet Academy, and Eugene Ballet Academy. In 2019 Ms. Porter joined BalletMet’s second company under the direction of Edwaard Liang and Amber Emory-Maier.She performed in Edwaard Liang’s “Tributary” and “Alice in Wonderland” as well as “ The Nutcracker” by Gerard Charles and Robert Post.Ms. Porter had the privilege to work under Alexander Ekman, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Gustavo Ramirez Sansano. In 2020 she joined The Joffrey Ballets Studio Company under the direction of Jose Carayol.She has the privilege of working with renowned instructors including Ashely Wheater, Adam Blyde, Nicolas Blanc, and Karin Ellis-Wentz.
Ms. Porter grew up exploring precipitous drop-offs of the Pacific coast to the rugged peaks of the Cascade mountains. She enjoys the cultural differences of Chicago as she continues her love of fine arts: pencil, pottery, and acrylic, as well as clothing and interior design.
Kimberly Prosa
Kimberly Prosa is a New York City based professional dancer and teaching artist appearing in both stage and film productions. She began her training in Southern Oregon studying classical ballet and modern dance at Pacific School of Dance and continued her training at American Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey School, The Paul Taylor School, Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and with alumni of New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Mark Morris, Paul Taylor and the Martha Graham Dance Company. Kimberly received her B.F.A in dance from the Purchase Conservatory of Dance, holds an M.S. in Human Services with a specialization in non-profit management and is in the process of completing her second M.S. in Global Affairs with a concentration in human rights and international law at New York University.
As a dancer, Kimberly has performed works by Dance Theatre of Oregon, the Eugene Ballet Company, Purchase Dance Corps, Stephanie Tooman, Bettijane Sills, Angela Harriel, Pascal Rioult, Kyra Johannesen, Connie Procopio and was a company member with the Bessie Award winning HT Chen and Dancers from 2006-2010, originating roles in several pieces. Kimberly has appeared in off broadway productions, music videos, art films, independent films, and as a double for the principal character in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan.
As a teaching artist, Kimberly has taught ballet, pointe and contemporary dance at several schools, studios and universities throughout New York and Oregon in addition to serving as a guest teaching artist and artist in residence restaging works, and creating choreography throughout, New York City, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Birmingham and southern Oregon. Currently, she is in the process of establishing a contemporary dance company with a humanitarian focus.
“I first became a part of DUSCO as an apprentice when I was 11 years old and remained a part of the company until I graduated high school. The opportunities to work with different choreographers see productions and have an introduction into the larger arts community was invaluable and created a solid foundation of training, discipline and work ethic which served to prepare me for the rigors of a professional career.”
Nick Peregrino
Nick began his training at the Pacific School of Dance in Coos Bay, Oregon and later at the Oregon Ballet Academy under the direction of John Grensback. In 2009 he received a full scholarship to train at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. Since then, he has danced with Roxy Ballet, Peoria Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet Theatre. This will be Nick’s second season with BalletFleming, under the direction of Christopher Fleming, in Philadelphia.
Trevor Miles
TREVOR MILES is from Coos Bay, Oregon and began his dance training at the Pacific School of Dance at age 17, under the direction of Christine Rader and Connie Hogge. He has studied on scholarship at the American Ballet Theater in New York, as well as Milwaukee Ballet in Wisconsin. Miles attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA, where he performed works by Ohad Naharin, Pat Hon, Timothy Lynch and more. While in Seattle he also danced as a company member with Ashani Dances, under Artistic Director, Iyun Harrison. In New York he has danced as a member of Ballet Hispanico Dos, Peridance, and as a guest artist with The Company of Dance Arts. His favorite theater credits include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Oklahoma! at the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theater, as well as Let There Be Light at NYSummerfest, where it won the award for Best Play/Musical. In addition to his performing career Trevor founded his own Interior Design Company, Miles Interior Design. Trevor can currently be seen touring the nation with Hamilton – The Philip Company. @trevmiles