Dance Department Chair: Susan Wickett-Ford
Music Department Chair: Dana Sewall
Theatre Department Chair: Amber Wolfe Wollam
Dance Department
Ellie Sandstrom. Contemporary Dance, Performing Dance Ensemble.
B.F.A., Cornish College of the Arts. Ellie has been dancing and performing for over 25 years. She has studied many forms of dance technique, composition, improvisation and body conditioning at many celebrated schools and festivals across the country. She teaches/has taught at Velocity Dance Center, University of Washington, Cornish, Seattle Central Community College, Pacific Northwest Ballet Studios, and the Perpich Center for Arts Education. She performs and tours with local dance companies, Locust and Scott / Powell Performance, and continues to add to her list of choreographic commissions in Seattle and beyond under the name SANDSTROMMOVEMENT. Ellie was recently named a 2009 Spotlight Award winner by Seattle Magazine. When she's not teaching, performing or choreographing, you'll likely find her in her canoe, gardening or cooking. At NWS since 2006.
Susan Wickett-Ford. World Dance, Jazz Dance, Social Dance.
B.A. (Psychology, Minor in Dance), Johnston College of the University of Redlands. Susan came to Seattle in 1977 to study with the Bill Evans Dance Company. She has taught dance since 1980 in schools and studios including the Creative Dance Center, having trained with Anne Green Gilbert in concept-based dance education. Susan served as president of the Dance Educators Association of Washington, 1995-1996. She performs occasionally (she is as likely to do stand-up comedy these days as she is to dance) and has written three plays. Joined NWS in 1996.
Music Department
Harumi LaDuke. Music Studio, 10th grade Humanities.
See biography under Humanities.
Dana Sewall. Music, Music Chair.
B.A. (Music Education), Whitworth University, M.A. (Music Education), University of St. Thomas. Dana has many years of experience teaching diverse styles of music to aspiring students of all age and skill levels, taking an active and collaborative role in their educational lives. Before joining NWS, Dana taught choral music and musical theatre in Washington and Minnesota, most recently at Gonzaga Preparatory High School in Spokane and the Blake School in Minneapolis. She also maintains a private voice lesson studio. Dana enjoys reading, sports, taking walks, trying new things and playing with her 6 year-old son. At NWS since 2008.
James Sisko. Middle School Band, Jazz Ensemble.
B.A. and M.A. (Wind Performance), Central Washington University. Jim has become one of the most sought after teachers and performers in the Northwest. While at CWU, he served as a teaching assistant in Trumpet, Jazz Improvisation, and Jazz History and founded and directed the first Annual Ellensburg Jazz Festival in 1996. In 1997 Jim returned to Seattle to continue his career as a performer and educator. He has played on over 50 motion picture soundtracks and with the Seattle Symphony, in addition to his Jim Sisko Quintet. At NWS since 2000.
Gretchen Yanover. Middle School Strings, Upper School Chamber Orchestra, 6th grade Introduction to Strings, Music Exploration.
B.A. (Music), University of Washington. Gretchen has taught string orchestras at the Seattle Waldorf School and Seattle-area public middle schools, and full orchestras at Roosevelt and Garfield High Schools. She performs regularly as a member of the Northwest Sinfonietta. Gretchen enjoys reading, cooking, walking and spending time with her daughter and husband. At NWS since 2004.
Theatre Department
Heather Bernadette. Stage Manager (Upper School Productions).
Heather joins Northwest as a Stage Manager for the school's winter play productions, and has a multitude of theatrical experience including stage managing, directing and costume design. Most recently, she served as the Stage Manager for the production Fiddler on the Roof Jr. at Broadway Children's Theatre. At NWS since 2011.
Scott Davis. 12th grade Humanities, Mime & Movement.
See biography under Humanities.
Laura Ferri. Theatre.
B.A., Summa Cum Laude and Presidential Scholar (English and Theatre), Fordham University; Master's Equivalent, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Laura is a professional actor with stage, film and television credits. Her local stage roles include work at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman, the Tacoma Actor's Guild, Theatre Off-Jackson, New City Theatre and Book-It Repertory Theatre, where she has been a company member for nearly 20 years. She writes and directs commissioned work for the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Arts & Lectures, Nextbook and other organizations. At NWS since 1991.
Ellen Graham. Theatre.
B.A., Tufts University; M.F.A. (Directing), University of Utah. Ellen is currently the Artistic Director of the Mae West Fest, a festival of new plays written and directed by women. Her professional directing experience includes work with W.H.A.T. (Wellfleet, MA), Theatre Off-Jackson (Seattle), Egyptian Theatre Co. (Park City, UT), Salt Lake Acting Co. (Salt Lake City, UT), Greenbriar Valley Theatre (Lewisburg, WV), Bainbridge Performing Arts, and the Geva Theatre (Rochester, NY). She has directed educational productions at Eckerd College, University of Utah, Westminster College, University of Washington, The Waterford School, and West Sound Academy; and has taught at Bainbridge Performing Arts and the Northwest Actors Studio. She lives on Capitol Hill with her husband and over-fed cat. They love to walk the neighborhood, see movies and live music and make dinners for friends. New to NWS in 2009.
Bill Johns. Technical Theatre.
B.A. (English), University of Georgia; A.A. (English), Emory University. Bill has a variety of directing, acting, and technical theatre and design experience at many theatres throughout the Pacific Northwest as well as nationally. He also has a variety of teaching experience at such institutions as Cornish College for the Arts, West Seattle High School, University of Georgia, and The Overlake School, where he has done technical theatre and design for more than 40 production since 1997. At NWS since 2011.
Jennifer Kulik. Theatre Teacher.
B.A., Grinnell College; M.Ed., University of Washington; Ph.D., Arizona State University. Jen has worked for numerous theatres, universities, social service agencies, and K-12 schools as a playwright, director and teaching artist. In addition to her work at NWS, Jen is currently writing a creative non-fiction book about her grandfather, developing a photography / oral history exhibit called The Jennifer Project, and exhibiting her fine art photographs. In September, she will serve as a delegate to the World Summit on Arts and Culture in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jen sits on the Board of Directors for the Ethnic Heritage Council and the UW Extension Arts Certificate Advisory Board. At NWS since 2006.
Noël Parkinson. Stage Manager (Upper School Play Productions).
B.F.A. (Technical Theater), University of South Carolina Aiken. Noël joins Northwest as a Stage Manager for the school’s winter play productions, bringing eight years of non-equity theater experience to the position. She also has extensive educational experience: working with youth ages 11-18 at The Hi-Liners in Burien, and as a member of the production team in the drama department at Nathan Hale High School. At NWS since 2011.
Steven Wilbur. Spoken Word and Math.
See biography under Math.
Amber Wolfe Wollam. Theatre.
B.A. (Theatre), San Francisco State University. Society of American Fight Directors Certified Actor Combatant. Amber has taught in numerous youth theatre programs including: Seattle Children's Theatre, Centrum Youth Programs, Youth Theatre Northwest, Rainier Valley Youth Theatre, and others. She is passionate about her work as a teaching artist. Her goal as a theatre artist is to stay connected to her art and the community outside the arts community. At NWS since 2008.