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Nika

NK STUDIOS founder and creative director Nika Kermani is a dancer, choreographer, and movement facilitator based in the Columbia River Gorge. A White Salmon native influenced by her Persian heritage and lifelong connection to dance, she trained at Columbia Gorge Dance Academy and later danced for the Trojan Dance Force at the University of Southern California.

Drawing from her background in performance, fitness, and community leadership, Nika has spent more than a decade teaching locally and abroad, creating high-energy, deeply freeing classes that blend dance, fitness, self-expression, and connection. Known for her magnetic yet approachable style, she creates spaces where movement is medicine, everybody belongs on the dance floor, and there are no wrong moves.

During the pandemic, Nika transitioned her classes outdoors and online, growing a thriving movement community that ultimately inspired the creation of NK STUDIOS. Passionate about inclusivity and access, she also founded the NK Choreo Dance Scholarship Fund in 2019, which continues to provide financial support for dancers in the community.

She loves creative collaborations & sharing her passion for dance, movement, and fitness.

CARLYE

Carlye started dancing with the Haley Pendergast school of Irish Dance in Olympia, Washington and immediately found her home-away-from-home. She added ballet to her training as a way to further develop as an Irish dancer, and quickly fell in love with that too. She performed ballet and Irish dance throughout the Northwest growing up - with the Ballet Northwest youth company, and as part of an Irish Dance performance team. She started performing professionally with Kokoro Modern Dance Company in Vancouver, BC, and became convinced that performing, teaching and living dance was the right path for her. Carlye founded and directed the Seattle Irish Dance Company, a professional performance company focused on performance Irish dance. The group toured in Ireland and throughout the US, performing with musicians like The Chieftains, Gaelic Storm and Old Blind Dogs.

Throughout her professional career, Carlye has shared her love of movement with others - she teaches ballet, Irish dance, creative movement and yoga. She's passionate about making movement accessible to everyone - and committed to finding a path to success for every student. She's taught in school districts and university settings, taught and developed curriculum at private dance studios, and has training and experience teaching brain compatible dance education. In 2019, she deepened her movement practice by completing her 200 hour yoga teacher training.

SARA

Dance has forever been a huge part of Sara’s life. She took her first ballet class at the age of 7 at Columbia Gorge Dance Academy and trained to become a Company Dancer studying ballet, jazz, hip hop, and modern. She continued her dance education at Savannah College of Art & Design studying fashion and dance in Savannah, Georgia, and Hong Kong. In her time there she focused on modern and ballet and performed in countless productions. After university, she moved to New York City where she found a new style of dance that she fell in love with—dance fitness. The blend of learning non-stop fast choreography while simultaneously working out left her energized and empowered like never before. She channeled that same energy and spent time working for one of the top dance fitness companies in the city. With a continuing mission to empower and support others, Sara leads her classes with high energy, positivity, and encouragement.

She is so excited to be back teaching in her hometown that first catered to her love of dance—a true full-circle moment and she is so glad you are part of it.

KATIE

Trained in Classical Pilates Mat I-III, Barre, TRX and Concept2 row machines, with a background in competitive cheer, river guiding and motherhood, Katie is a powerhouse instructor! She’s taught a variety of group fitness classes and has over a decade of experience. Katie’s teaching style aims to push you to your full potential and beyond. Challenging you physically, while strengthening you mentally. With new choreography each class she’ll leave you feeling empowered and electric. In her free time, Katie is a full time mama and can be found adventuring with her family on mountains, rivers, oceans and forests across the globe!

Colette

Always a fan of dance and movement, Colette has been a student of belly dance for over 25 years.  While studying fusion belly dance in San Francisco, she was introduced to the movements and music from North Africa and never looked back.  As a member of an internationally known performance troupe, Colette has taught and performed belly dance throughout the American West and Europe.  As the director of her own Pacific Northwest performance troupe, Colette nurtured students from new beginners to advanced dancers.  Seeking to deepen her knowledge of the dances that inspired fusion belly dance, Colette continues to study with dancers and musicians from source cultures and continues to explore a variety of dance styles.  Her goal is to continue to develop as a dancer and to inspire others to discover how dance and creativity can enrich their life.

ROSE

As a mom and nurse, with a mermaid soul, Rose wears her heart on her sleeve. She is a lover of dance, music, exercise, and the outdoors. Rose brings a unique history of movement to her classes at NK STUDIOS. A Bay Area native, she relocated to The Gorge as a teen. With a passion for dance and watersports, as well as a love of music and exercise, she naturally fell in love with teaching fitness classes as an adult. Trained in barre, Pilates, and rowing, she has been teaching movement classes in the Gorge since 2015. The belief that connection and community are the key to personal happiness drives the vibe of Rose's classes. A combination of resistance band work, Pilates and barre inspired movement, as well as tempo-based cardio bursts, Rose blends a true fusion of her favorite movement practices in the studio. As an instructor, Rose's goal is to see her clients smile, sweat, and maybe sing along, leaving her classes stronger and more confident than when they arrived.

Allan

Allan is a kid’s dance teacher at NK Studios. He taught Bolly X and Zumba classes in California, and has also been teaching kids how to ski, snowboard, and swim most of his life. While earning a philosophy degree at UC Berkeley, he danced in the Ballet Company at Berkeley. He began dancing ballet as a teen, but still most of his hours dancing have been freestyle dancing at concerts, festivals, celebrations, salsa nights, and anywhere else music plays.

Allan is also a musician and composer and is living out his dream of being the lead singer of his own jazz funk band called Balladiers. In staying true to his dreams, he maintains a playful optimism and open mindedness, making him a natural kid’s dance teacher, and a great facilitator for movement instruction.

Gracen

Gracen is third generation born and raised in the Columbia River Gorge. Once upon a time, her grandfather said "we've got a dancer" and signed her up for her first dance class at CGDA when she was three. She has been busting moves and exploring a myriad of dance practices ever since. Gracen holds a M.A. in Gerontology and works with older adults throughout OR and WA. She believes in the power of movement and the arts to build resilient intergenerational communities. She loves facilitating space for people at every stage of life to dance, play, and be in their bodies. Gracen is also an interdisciplinary artist and explores mask-making and large puppets that center on aging and the wellspring of her inner child. 

Clare

With a lifelong passion for dance, Clare offers a rich blend of ballet, contemporary, and hip hop in her classes. Her journey includes performing with the Zapp Dance Company in Eugene, Oregon, and extensive training in various dance styles throughout her life. After taking a meaningful pause to raise three children, Clare returned to dance through NK STUDIOS, which reignited her passion and led her to continuing her dance education to become an instructor. As a dance instructor intern at NK STUDIOS, she has trained & continues to train with Nika Kermani, the owner of NK STUDIOS. Her teaching is centered on the belief that authentic expression is the essence of dance. Clare creates a safe and inspiring space where students can explore moving their bodies free of judgement and inhibition. Through playful movement and deep emotional connection, she leads students to awaken their inner essence and fully embody their true selves. She is dedicated to sharing and expanding her love for dance through teaching at NK STUDIOS and beyond. 

Christa joy (CJ)

A proud Hood River Valley native, Christa joy began dancing at the age of four at the Columbia Gorge Dance Academy and trained there through high school. As a founding member of the CGDA Company Dancers, CJ built a solid foundation in ballet, jazz, and hip hop. After furthering her dance education and performing with multiple dance troupes in Eugene, CJ returned to Hood River with a mission—to share that passion as an instructor at CGDA. Over 13 years, she grew the Hip Hop and Contemporary departments from 20 students to nearly 100, leaving an indelible mark on the local dance community.

In 2006, Christa Joy expanded her expertise by becoming a certified Barre3 instructor and steadily advanced from instructor mentor to corporate trainer and ultimately to Senior Producer. Drawing from a diverse array of education in multiple fitness modalities—including yoga, Pilates, and strength training—CJ has developed an energetic, challenging teaching style grounded in an expert understanding of body anatomy and precise cueing for proper form and alignment. Most recently, two transformative years teaching at private studios in Tahoe have further refined her approach.

Known for sessions that are beat-driven with fire playlists, CJ is passionate about helping people build strength and reduce injury—not only on the mat but in everyday life as we age and as we get after all our favorite outdoor adventures in the Gorge!