Faculty

Stacy Atkins-Salazar is a native of Humboldt County.  She is the owner and director of the No Limits Dance Academy, has a Master’s Degree in Psychology, was a Psychology professor at College of the Redwoods and is a happily married, mother of 3 grown children.  

Since the age of 5 Stacy danced and trained with local teachers including Sally Stevenson, Shirley Atkins, Cindy Savage and the late LaVerne Krei.  Outside of Humboldt County, Stacy trained in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.  As a teenager Stacy participated in numerous regional and national dance competitions and workshops.  Her professional dance and film credits include dancing as a professional tap dancer in San Francisco with Rosie Radiator; choreographing and consulting for “An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn” (Staring Aubrey Plaza, Emile Hirsch, Jemaine Clement, Matt Berry and Craig Robinson); and appearing in commercials for Good Year Tires and Bass Pro Shops.  

Stacy established the No Limits Arcata studio 2000.  In 2010 No Limits expanded to McKinleyville and then in 2015 added an upstairs studio to the Arcata location.  Dancers from No Limits have had the opportunity to participate in many exciting activities including:  Dancing in professional shows; dancing and acting in movies, commercials and videos; dancing in the opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics; dancing in college companies; and teaching master classes.  Stacy has spent the majority of her life training dancers, attending dance competitions, producing quality dance performances and feeling blessed to be doing what she loves… dancing!

Amethyst Sinn is the Assistant Director and a dance instructor at No Limits Dance Academy, where she has been teaching and choreographing since 2005.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Dance Studies from Humboldt State University and brings a diverse background in both dance and fitness, including personal training, Pilates, Buti Yoga, and group fitness.

A lifelong NLDA dancer, Amethyst began teaching in the 8th grade and later went on to compete with and choreograph for the NLDA Dance Team. She has also worked as a choreographer and performer in a variety of settings, including collaborations with recording artist Adrial Diaz and community-based performances.

Her senior choreography, Signal the Shake, received the Outstanding Senior Award for Excellence in Choreography at Humboldt State University.

In addition to her role at NLDA, Amethyst is the owner of Sea + Cedar Wedding Co., where she specializes in wedding coordination and event management.

As Assistant Director, she combines her creative background with studio leadership, helping guide programs, productions, and student development. She is passionate about building strong, confident dancers and creating a supportive, structured environment for growth.

Irene Treesong 

I began my ballet training at the age of 5 at a Royal Ballet Academy school in Luxembourg.  That is when I fell in love with movement as a way of expression. Later I studied with  Germaine Ballou, of the Denishawn Dance Company, and my most inspirational teachers of all, Rosemary Valaire of the Royal Ballet, and Yvonne Mounsey of Balanchine’s Ballets Russes, when I was a member of the Westside Youth Ballet.  Additional dance training included Pacific Northwest Ballet and Hartford Ballet.  More recently, as my final performance as a dancer, I danced the part of the Queen Mother in Arcata’s New World Ballet Cinderella in 2010, where I had a solo, pas de deux and miming parts.  

I’ve been teaching ballet since 2000, when I began a small dance program in Somes Bar and Orleans. Then I joined Dream Quest Youth Center in Willow Creek, where I have been running a year-round ballet program, including several summer dance camps. I am honored to join the No Limits team and look forward to working with all the talented young people at the studio. 

For more than 20 years, Jen has been a dedicated dance educator in the Portland, Oregon area, helping students find and express their unique voices through movement.

As Artistic Director of disORDER dance company, she leads a pre-professional company that bridges the gap between competitive and concert dance, inviting young artists to explore deeper creative expression. She has produced and choreographed six original productions with the company.

Jen trained in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and modern, and earned her BA in Dance (Jazz concentration) from Point Park University. In New York City, she studied closely with Pam Chancey, Traci Stanfield, Michelle Barber, Calen Kurka, Chris Hale, and Wes Veldink.

While working at Broadway Dance Center, Jen discovered a passion for theatre production. She taught herself lighting design and stage management and began working behind the scenes for artists, and she still lends her skills as a lighting designer and technician to fellow creatives.

Jen recently completed her MFA in Creative Practices at Saint Mary’s College of California, where her work explored how somatics and phenomenology can be pathways to healing trauma through movement and embodied awareness.

She is thrilled to teach here in Humboldt County!

 Hi! I’m Anya, a third year mechanical engineering student at Cal Poly Humboldt with a minor in dance, originally from Truckee, CA- right by Lake Tahoe. I spent over a decade performing and competing with Truckee Dance Factory as well as taught and choreographed for classes. Hip hop is my favorite style to choreograph and teach but I love all types of dance. I’m trained in ballet (including pointe), jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and some basic Latin dance styles (salsa, bachata, meringue). I also grew up doing traditional French, English, and Irish folk/set dancing with my family. Dance has always been a huge part of who I am. I’m excited to join the NLDA team!  

Hello! My name is Keeley Sugrue. I am from the Bay Area, and I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Dance from Cal Poly Humboldt. I have been dancing since I was 3 years old and have trained in many styles including Contemporary, Ballet, Pointe, Hip Hop, Jazz, and Tap. I competed at competitions growing up with my dance team and I’ve worked in Dance Studios for 5 years now, helping teach a variety of styles to different age groups. Dance has always been a huge part of my life, and it brings me immense joy that I can teach classes here at No Limits Dance Academy.