Suzanne Burroughs

After studying ballet, jazz and gymnastics as a child, Suzanne majored in Dance at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where she fell in love with modern dance. She performed with “Strong Wind, Wild Horses” and “Assemble’ Dance Theatre” and also started her teaching career at Fred Astaire’s Ballroom Dance Studio in Seattle.

In Olympia Suzanne taught Modern Dance at The Evergreen State College as well as ballet, jazz, and modern dance at the Johansen School of Ballet, and continued performing as a dancer with “Ballet Northwest” and in locally produced modern dance concerts, and she co-founded the liturgical dance group “The Word is Dance!”

Since moving to the Tri-Cities in 1993, Suzanne has taught modern dance, ballet, jazz, and creative dance at several places including, The Academy of Children’s Theatre, Etta’s Dance Studio, Richland Community Schools, Pasco LifeQuest, Children’s Garden Montessori School, WSU Tri-Cities, and six years at The Ballet Center where she founded her own dance company,  “Ricochet - Modern Dance Theater.”  The Ballet Center closed in 2002.

The hidden blessing in the closing of The Ballet Center is that it freed up Suzanne’s time to be available to create choreography for local theatre groups including Richland Light Opera, The Academy of Children’s Theatre, Pasco High School, Richland High School, and Tri-Cities Prep High School.  She has choreographed  “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Aladdin,”  “How to Eat like a Child,” “Fame,” “The Wiz,”“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” and “As You Like It,”

and her choreography for Richland High School’s “Seussical” was nominated for a prestigious 5th Avenue award.

While she was busy getting summer classes started at her new studio, Suzanne choreographed “Godspell” which was performed at Bethel Church,and then “My Fair Lady” for RLOC which was performed on the Richland High School stage in November, 2009. Suzanne is also a BodyFlow instructor at the Pasco LifeQuest.

Oh, yes, and did I mention that Suzanne also work’s at her family’s Thai restaurant, The Emerald of Siam? Yes, she is a very busy girl.

Suzanne is married to D. Robert Burroughs who is a reknowned violinist and music professor at CBC, and is the proud parent of 2 children, Mandy and Arthur.

Suzanne in Nspace3

a multi-media

performance art

production with

music, sculpture

and dance.

Suzanne in her

senior concert

at Cornish.

Marlie Buriak

Marlie Buriak’s love of dancing began at the age of 2 when she took her first ballet and tap class. Marlie received most of her training at Tri Cities Academy of Ballet under the direction of Debra Pearse Rogo. Her education includes classical ballet, creative movement, character, modern, jazz, and tap. While dancing Marlie had the pleasure of attending Regional Dance America Craft of Choreography Conference, Summer Dance Lab, Tremaine, and L.A. Dance Force.

She began teaching in 1991, and in 1994 Marlie choreographed her first musical. Marlie has since choreographed for Hanford High School, Columbia Basin College, Kennewick High School, and Richland Light Opera Company. Some of her favorite shows she has choreographed here in town are, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Chicago,” “Return to the Forbidden Planet,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Wiz,” “Hello Dolly,” “Peter Pan,” “Annie,” “Damn Yankees.” “A Chorus Line,” and “Sweet Charity.”

Marlie with her son, Logan

Nilce  (Nini) Alvarez

With 19 years of life and a strong music foundation inspired by her father who is a professional musician, Nilce Alvarez moved to the United States from her country, Ecuador to be part of the Tri-City community.
At Quito, Ecuador's capital city, after years of studying piano and singing at the Conservatory, she devoted herself to dancing Salsa as the principal rhythm as well as merengue, bachata, reggaeton, cumbia, cha cha cha, and mambo, amongst other latin dances, all with recognized Ecuadorian teachers. At her dancing school, El Viejo Cafetal, she was asked to create choreography for the students and was also in charge of giving salsa and merengue lessons. She performed at a National Dancing Competition in 2008 and represented the school at several shows in Ecuador. She fell in love with belly dancing the same year on her way to discovering new dancing alternatives. Since that time, she studied with four professional belly dancers from Quito with whom she learned cymbals, veils, sword, wings, saidi club, candles and other dancing props. In leaving Ecuador she left all her performing plans and dreams in Quito. However her belief of a promising future is already laying the groundwork of a wonderful enriching experience teaching dance in the Tri-Cities.

CLICK HERE to see Nini in a dance competition in Quito.

Holly Campbell

Holly Campbell began her Ballet training at the age of 5 at the Ballet Center in Kennewick, WA. There she was instructed in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus, eventually earning the Grade 8 Award her senior year. Throughout the years, she also received instruction in Jazz, Modern Dance, and some Tap. She attended Brigham Young University-Idaho from 2002-2006, earning a B.S. in English and a Minor in Modern Dance. In college, she performed with the Contemporary Dance Theatre, touring Central America in 2003 and the Eastern United States in 2004. From 2005-2006, she had the privilege of directing Contemporary Dance Theatre II and choreographed works for the school’s annual Halloween Concert and CDT in Concert as well as educational assemblies for local elementary schools. She’s attended various workshops and adjudications, including workshops with the Cleo Parker Robinson Modern Dance company, Odyssey, and St. Petersburg Ballet. In 2007, she expanded her dance training to include Swing Dance, assisting her now-husband in a Swing class for their church. She is passionate about dance and teaching and is very excited to be a part of Suzanne’s Dance Studio.

Autumn Bunce

Autumn has been teaching Yoga in and around the Spokane area for 3 years. She is certified through Yoga Fit International, with ongoing training in the field. She has worked with groups and individuals on restorative and rehabilitative yoga as well as teaching and assisting with various style classes.

Autumn has a great love of the outdoors, and loves to take her practice "out of the box" whenever possible.
Aside from Yoga, Autumn is a voice and piano instructor who teaches at Finley Middle School and performs with her Celtic band, Free Whiskey.