Alumni Spotlight: Nurya Temam
- 11/09/2026
- Category: Alumni Stories Featured Performances
For Nurya Temam (Class of ’19), The Northwest School was more than just a place to learn. It was where she discovered a lasting passion for dance, performance, and creative expression. Now, seven years after graduating, she has returned as one of Northwest's 2026 Guest Artists, sharing her talents with the next generation of dancers.
Nurya began taking dance classes in Middle School and eventually became a senior Performing Dance Ensemble (PDE) leader. Along the way, she discovered K-pop and developed the confidence to continue pursuing dance beyond Northwest.
I found a really generous and uplifting community at Northwest, especially in dance classes. It was a happy place for me.
After graduating in 2019, Nurya attended Seattle University, where she studied Computer Engineering, Film & Media, Electrical Engineering and Math. Throughout her education, she remained committed to dance and continued developing her choreography and performance skills.
Today, she performs with local dance crews Amp'd and Rthmz, as well as K-pop dance crews Next Level Crew, Kompany, and Kosmix.
Nurya's journey reflects a continued desire to expand technical and artistic interests, while finding new ways to inspire through creativity and innovation.
This year, Nurya has returned to where it all began as she works with our advanced dancers as one of Northwest's 2026 Guest Artists.
Northwest's Winter Dance Showcase in late January will offer the community an opportunity to appreciate her original choreography and career accomplishments.
Drawing from her experiences in Seattle's dance community, her original choreography offers students the opportunity to learn from someone who once stood in their shoes, demonstrating how the creative foundations developed at Northwest can continue to grow long after graduation.
This is such a cool alumni connection and a wonderful example of Northwest education in action.
As she continues to develop her creative and technical skills, Nurya remains focused on building connections within the performance industry.
“I'm still trying to find that mesh between those two worlds,” she shares.
From student performer to Guest Artist, Nurya's journey reflects the many ways in which a Northwest education and our dynamic Arts curriculum shape our students' lives long after they graduate.
