Artist Bios
Katy Raczkowski Lanuza
Artistic Director
Katy Lanuza began dancing professionally in Austria at age 15. After she finished school in Montana, where she is originally from, Katy began dancing as the Principle for Montana Ballet Company. At age 19 she transitioned to Soloist and Corps de Ballet work for San Diego Ballet Company. Returning to MT, Katy founded Kadosh Dance Company where they trained dancers in many genres for 5 years and produced charity based performances, including funding 2 new water wells in Northern Tanzania.
Blessed with 3 children now, Katy has moved to Hawaii where she is an instructor for Kona Dance & Performing Arts, works with Prince Dance Institute, and volunteers for YWAM dance programs through University of The Nations as an instructor, choreographers, and performer.
Katy also teaches online and through several companies still in Montana, and is the founder of "Why We Move Collaborative"
Marie Alonzo Snyder
Marie Alonzo Snyder is a NY Times acclaimed dancer and choreographer, as well as an international scholar, author, and educator. She has performed professionally dancing with Chen & Dancers, Asian American Dance Theater, Hikari Baba Dancers, and performed choreography by Claire Porter, Susan Jaffe, Shen Wei, Cliff Keuter, Remy Charlip, James Cunningham, Yung Yung Tsuai, and Rozalind Newman. She trained at NYU with Lawrence Rhodes, Don Redlich, Ruby Shang, Joan Finkelstein, Alba Calzada and Linda Tarnay, as well as received her Doctorate in Education at Columbia University. As a scholar, Marie has presented papers at conferences and taught classes at Teachers College, Texas Womens’ University, the University of Quebec, Princeton University, Barnard College, University of the Philippines, University of North Carolina, Raritan Valley Community College, Rider University, and UH Hilo. Marie was a founding member of the West Windsor Arts Council, co-founder of the “I’ll have what she’s having…” Dance Project, and the NJ pioneer in Dance for Parkinson’s and Zouk on Wheelchair. With the sponsorship of the Hawai’i Parkinson Association in Honolulu, Marie has been leading the first official Dance for PD® classes in Hawaii, from Kona to Honolulu. She has been dancing Zouk since 2011 training with Larissa Thayanne, Solange Dias, Sofie Torris, Jeremey Adam Rey, Ry’el, Renata Pecanha, and Kim Rottier. She has been teaching Zouk on the Big Island for 5 years and helped develop scenes in Hilo, Waimea, and Kona. In 2016 she published the first book on Zouk in the USA, “The Art and Sensuality of Brazilian Zouk Dancing.”
Anmol Grace Clairmont
Originally from India, Anmol Grace Clairmont is the daughter of YWAM missionaries and church planters. She grew up in 9 different cities and 6 different schools from K-12, traveling extensively with her parents. At age 15 she was gifted a set of flags by an American missionary, after which she spent countless hours dancing upon her rooftop under the stars, worshipping God. Her flags hold special meaning to her, reminding her of the goodness of God, especially in the midst of the storms of life.
Kendra Norwood
My name is Kendra Norwood and I’m 24. I’m originally from Georgia, but currently living in Hawaii. Growing up, I performed in concert recitals twice a year with my dance studio. I was trained in tap, ballet, and jazz. Later on, I appeared in several theatre productions during my high school years. For 2 and a half years during university, I served as an assistant leader and choreographer for a Tennessee dance ministry. Most recently, I completed a 6-month School of Dance training program with a field assignment. I have been blessed with opportunities to be both student and teacher—something I do not take for granted. I am so grateful for the gift of movement and expression through multi-platform art. Pura Vida!
Rachel Olsen
Rachel Olsen is an early childhood educator who believes in the strengthening of the artistic potential of the young child. She is also a classical singer, photographer, and dances whenever the occasion permits. For about a dozen years, she has studied a mix of ballet, modern, contemporary, tango, and most recently, international folk dancing.
Rachel has been a student and friend of Katy's since their meeting in 2014. Their last major artistic collaboration was during Kadosh Dance Co's "Seasons of Purpose," in which Rachel choreographed her own piece, "A Time to Mourn," and danced in a large handful of other pieces.
She is most grateful to her fiance, Ian, for composing the music used in her piece (at 3 am, no less), and for tromping around a marshy willow tree while filming her in its branches.
Toni Pipes
My name is Toni Pipes and I currently reside in Tampa, FL. I am a Quality Assurance manager in the medical device industry where I have had a wonderful, fulfilling career for the last 6 years. Other interests of mine in my spare time include exercise, food, and travel. I have been fortunate enough to pursue several interests of mine over the years, but I always find myself coming back to dance; it was a huge part of my life in adolescence and continues to be a passion of mine to this day!
Laurence Sombardier
Laurence Sombardier has directed dance performances, choreographed, performed, and danced with passion in California, Alaska and Hawaii. She trained extensively under Jean Isaacs in San Diego at UCSD while pursuing graduate studies at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. And although she has been dancing for over 30 years, she feels she has only scratched the surface of the dance artform. She continues to be a lifelong learner of movement.
Why do we move? Perhaps to celebrate life’s impermanence. Often, what matters most is what immediately surrounds us. For that reason, Laurence’s contribution to this collective dance (including, photography, music, and dance) effort was purposely created quickly and using only tech on hand.
Laurence has many people to thank throughout her many years of dancing. But with the more immediate and local home town in mind, she wants to give a shout out to the people in Kona who give so much of their time and care to keep the community healthy through various forms of dance art: Mahalo to Katy Raczkowski, Amber Martin, Rhodlynn Watai, Stephanie Bolton and many others…
Glaucia Larson
Glaucia Larson is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. She started dancing ballet at the age of six and later she began studying Jazz and Modern Dance. The Infusion of Jazz and Contemporary styles became her passion and dedication. Glaucia started dancing professionally at the age of fourteen. At the age of seventeen she decided to move to the US to pursue her passion for Dance. Since then, Glaucia has experienced many different styles and rhythms of dance including the Hula, Haitian, West African and Brazilian Zouk which made her today a well-diversified dancer
Stacie Baumberger
Stacie has had a passion for dance her whole life. She was always expressing herself through dance and worship, even at a very young age. Her professional training began at age 11 and she has been dancing for 17 years now. Her background includes Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Improv, and worship/intercession. Stacie received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance from Oral Roberts University in 2014. Immediately after graduating she began teaching ballet and lyrical at a local studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After 2 years of teaching she met the Dance Ministry and Company TrEd and moved to Northern California to join them in the fall of 2016. TrEd is a performing Arts company that does street performance through dance, percussion, martial arts and body percussion to share the gospel with people all over the world. While with TrEd Stacie traveled to over 20, mainly European, countries in the span of 3 and 1/2 years. She had the opportunity to dance on countless street corners, churches, (some centuries old), many YWAM bases, and an old local theater in Portugal. It was during this season that her love for uniting the arts and dance as a way to share the gospel really took root in her heart. So to deepen her missions and dance training, she attended YWAM Kona’s Fire and Fragrance DTS with a dance focus, for the past 3 months. With the current state of things she was unable to go on the YWAM outreach and is currently taking in this season of rest to plan, pray and prepare for the upcoming seasons God has in store. She is looking forward to this summer and rejoining TrEd for a tour in Europe as they partner with the European Missions movement Awakening Europe. Stacie loves the arts, dance and missions and is currently waiting on God for what this new season will hold for her!
Katherine Olsen
Katherine Olsen is a Toronto based dancer, teacher, and choreographer.She began her movement journey like many as I child, embracing the wonders of the natural world. Later on, Katherine began training in the art form classical ballet which led her to study at Canada'sNational Ballet School where she graduated from their Teacher TrainingProgram in 2016. She now instructs children of all ages in ballet, folk dance, musical theatre, and vernacular jazz. Katherine cherishes every part of the dance kingdom, but at this time she is most active in performing and exploring the joys of Lindy Hop and vernacular jazz.She has found her local swing dance and music community to be a source of joy and freedom, and a catalyst for self discovery. Katherine is grateful to be apart of this collaboration, and is excited to share her love of movement as a means of self expression, communication, and celebration.
Aria Wiley
Aria is a 19 year old who was born in Michigan. She started dance at the age of 8. She has studied a variety of different styles including musical theatre, acro, ballet, jazz and more. After moving to Hawaii, Aria danced all over the island including at Prince Dance Institute and Kona Dance and Performing Arts. She got the chance to dance professionally with Prince Dance Institute, and has assisted teaching ballet and taught dance. Aria has been featured in the now three Why We Move collaborations. She enjoys learning new styles and dancing anywhere and everywhere.