JEFFERSON
DANCERS
COMPANY MEMBERS
HENRY ROTH
Henry is a senior and this is his fourth year with the company. He began dancing at Oregon Ballet Theater at age six and trained there until the pandemic, finding a hardworking community that shared his passion. He formed strong bonds with fellow dancers, who became like a second family, supporting and challenging one another to reach their full potential.​In addition to ballet, Henry explored contemporary and tap at Steps PDX, where he discovered a love for contemporary dance as a way to express emotion and push the boundaries of movement. Under the guidance of instructors Kathryn Harden, Olivia Orneas, Adrianna Audoma, and Lauren Smith, he developed versatility and depth across multiple styles. He has attended summer intensives at Point Park, Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Steps PDX, Idyllwild, and Oregon Ballet Theater, refining technique, learning from renowned choreographers, and expanding his artistic perspective. He is also a current member of Open Space Too.​Now in the 12th grade, Henry’s journey in the world of dance is a testament to his passion, talent, and unwavering commitment. Through hard work, perseverance, and the support of his mentors and fellow dancers, he has and will continue to grow and learn.
PIPER BOTT
Piper is an eighteen-year-old senior, and this is her fourth year with the company. She started performing at the age of eight, learning to twirl a baton under the instruction of Shannon Barker at Stites Performing Arts Center. By the age of ten, she was learning at Portland Metro Arts. There, her love of dance grew, and she decided to take ballet and jazz classes at Stites, studying with Amy Bonaduce Gardner. Simultaneously, she studied aerial arts at Echo Theater with various instructors. She was accepted into the Youth Performance Ensemble, the TikToks, where she was a member for two years before deciding to focus more exclusively on dance. After several years of both online and in-person jazz and ballet, she added contemporary, hip-hop, and gymnastics to her schedule. She has performed at various venues across Portland, including the Festival of the Trees, the Junior Rose Parade, the Echo Theater Company, and the University of Portland. She has also attended various summer intensives such as the NW Summer Dance Platform and the Ruth Page International Experience. Dance is a very important part of Piper's life, and becoming a Jefferson Dancer is a dream come true! She would like to thank her amazing support system at home and all of her teachers who consistently encouraged and pushed her to grow and improve.
HARLOW KLEFFNER
Harlow is an eighteen-year-old senior in her third year with the company. She started dancing when she was 3, doing ballet at the Aspire Project under Sue Darrows until 2020. She did hip-hop at Ockley Green with Damon Keller for all three middle school years. She was lucky enough to be part of the Jefferson Dancers II freshman year and started doing jazz, tap, African, modern, and ballet again. Moving with the Jefferson Dancers has hugely impacted her growth as a dancer in all styles and as a human. She has been lucky enough to participate in multiple summer intensives, including Space Camp 2024 and 2025, as well as the Steps on Broadway Summer Intensive in New York City. She has been going to see the Jefferson Dancers since she was little, and being a part of the company is a dream come true. She is always excited to push herself to new limits and grow as a mover. She wants to thank her mom, Sue Darrows, Damon Keller, Cynthia Tosh, and every dance teacher at Jefferson for their continued teaching and support.
JAY'QUAN LEWIS-PRICE
Jay’Quan is a senior and a proud member of the Jefferson Dance Company, where he has trained and performed for the past three years. As the youngest of seven siblings, he has learned perseverance and resilience from an early age, carrying those qualities into his dancing and his everyday life. Dance has been a source of strength, expression, and growth throughout his high school journey. He is grateful for the opportunities, friendships, and lessons he has gained, and he looks forward to carrying his passion for the arts into the future.
DANICA BYNOE
Danica is an 18-year-old senior in her second year with the Jefferson dancers. Danica began her dance journey at the age of nine, dancing at the On Pointe School of Ballet. She continued to dance throughout middle school at Harriet Tubman MS, where she learned different styles such as hip hop from Lyric Lowe and African from Darrell Sekou. After Middle school, Danica was enrolled in tap class with Demetria Williams at Jefferson High School, and it had truly changed her world. She found something in dance she hadn’t found anywhere else. The following year, she became a JD2 and continued taking technique classes. Her favorite styles of dance are Ballet and Jazz. This year, she is so excited to grow as a dancer and learn new things. Danica would like to thank Demetria Williams (Bunky), Lauren Smith, and Steve Gonzales for providing a second home in the studio, whilst guiding Danica through her tremendous growth these past years.
LILY PARRISH
Lily is a seventeen-year-old senior, and this is her second year as a Jefferson Dancer. She fell in love with dance in ballet classes at age six and hasn’t stopped since, eventually expanding into tap, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, pointe, modern, and African dance. She attended Da Vinci Arts Middle School, where she danced under the instruction of Sara Martins for her three middle school years. Lily was also able to spend her sophomore year as a member of the Jefferson Dancers II under Bunky Williams, and owes a lot of her growth to that program. She would like to thank the teachers at Classical Ballet Academy, Open Space, Bodyvox, and the Joffrey Spectrum summer intensive for pushing her to be the best dancer she can be, and Steve Gonzales for extending her opportunities that have been lifelong dreams. Lily cannot wait to spend her senior year with this company and to reach new heights in the art form she loves so deeply.
MAYBELLE SHEPSKI
Maybelle is a seventeen-year-old senior, and this is her first year with the company. Maybelle started dancing at Rose City Ballet Theater when she was seven years old. She stayed at Rose City for six years, ballet training, until it shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic. After leaving Rose City Ballet Theater, she joined Polaris Dance Theater, where she took classes in Ballet, Pointe, Aerial, Hip Hop, and Jazz. While at Polaris, she joined their youth company, NEO. She stayed at Polaris for 4 years. During her last year, she began taking classes at Jefferson High School. At Jefferson, she took classes in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, and African.
LILA MAE WENDROFF
Lila Mae is a sixteen-year-old junior, and this is her third year with the company. Lila started dancing at age three at Miss Pam’s Ballet School in Los Angeles, California. When her family moved to Portland, she joined The Children’s Gym competitive dance team and danced with them for two seasons. She started dancing at the Center for Movement Arts, doing ballet, jazz, and modern with Tim and Sherie Ryan. While also attending DaVinci Arts Middle School, learning tap and jazz under the instruction of Sara Martins. She danced ballet, hip-hop, and contemporary, and at various intensives with Northwest Dance Project.
NIMAH CREWS
Nimah is a dedicated 15-year-old sophomore, currently in her second year with the company. She began her dance journey at the age of six at Boise Elementary, under the guidance of Ms. Shelton. At eleven, she joined the esteemed African dance company Sebekaun, where she had the privilege of learning from Sekou Walker. The following year, Nimah expanded her horizons by enrolling at STEPS PDX, where she honed her skills in ballet, contemporary, and jazz with instructors Ms. Lauryn, Ms. Kathryn, and Ms. Olivia. Additionally, she spent two years with the SEI Elite hip-hop crew, training under Ms. Nunu and Ms. Leslie. Dance is a huge part of Nimah’s life, and she would like to extend her heartfelt gratitude to her church, family, and friends for their unwavering support and contributions to her dance career. With aspirations of attending Juilliard or an HBCU after high school, she looks forward to furthering her dance education and pursuing a successful career in the performing arts and more.
ELLA SANCHEZ-GEORGE
Ella is a 15-year-old sophomore. She is very excited to return with the JDs for her second year and the 50th anniversary. From her hometown in Spain to Florida, to Portland, OR, Ella has experienced a variety of dance styles such as flamenco, ballet, acro, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. In addition to dance, she has trained in taekwondo, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and aerial arts like trapeze, silks, and lyra. K-pop has also been a significant influence in her life; she's learned countless dances.
Da Vinci Arts Middle School provided her with great guidance in tap and jazz, and brought her to her first JD performance, where she discovered her passion.
Around Portland, Ella has danced with NW Dance Project, OpenSpace, Portland Dance Exchange, Espacio Flamenco, and BodyVox.
Ella will continue her dance journey as an adult, and she is inspired to make it her career. She's extremely grateful to all of her teachers, peers, and family for supporting and shaping her into who she is today.
SIERRA MILLER
Sierra is a 14-year-old sophomore, and this is her second year with the company.
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At age 2, she took ballet for a year at Haiyan International Dance Academy. She discovered her love for dance at Da Vinci Arts Middle School when she was 10 years old, taking tap and jazz under the instruction of Sara Martins, while also taking gymnastics at the Children’s Gym. In addition to dancing at Da Vinci, she also took theater and performed in multiple plays and musicals there. She knew she wanted to be a Jefferson Dancer after seeing them perform at the Newmark Theater in 7th grade. She was inspired by their hard work, dedication, and perseverance. After middle school, she joined the Jefferson Dancers, learning Modern and Ballet from Lauren Smith and Steve Gonzales. She hopes to grow even more this year and adapt to new styles.
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Sierra would like to thank her family for always supporting her decisions and making her dreams possible.
BRIXTON FAIRMAN
Brixton is a fifteen-year-old sophomore in her second year with the company. She was introduced to dance by her sister and quickly fell in love with the art form. She took classes in many styles, such as tap, jazz, and hip hop, but one stood out to her the most. She started her ballet training at The Portland Ballet. She also attended DaVinci Arts Middle School, learning under Sara Martins’ instruction. She would like to thank her Grandma for always supporting her and getting her into dance classes. She would also like to thank her sister Cash for teaching her in and out of class, and of course, she would like to thank her teachers for helping her become a better dancer, creator, and person.