About | KWPrivate Lessons

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Katie Whiticar (she/her) is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer from Maui, Hawai’i. Katie grew up dancing at Maui Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA) and furthered her dance training in Southern California. She earned her B.A. in Dance from California State University Long Beach as a scholarship recipient and received additional training at San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and Movement Invention Project New York.

Post-degree, with Los Angeles as her base, Katie performed with different dance companies and toured to multiple cities in America. Alongside dancing professionally, Katie’s love for movement took her into the wellness and fitness industry working as a group and one-on-one instructor with certifications in both Yoga and Barre.

Katie currently lives back on Maui and performs with Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT) in company and guest artist works. She teaches contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop classes at Momentum Dance Maui, and has directed the their competition program for the 2021, 2022, 2023 seasons. Katie is passionate about sharing dance with the Maui community and creating more opportunities for dancers on the island. Since her move back home, Katie has taught dance at Carden Academy, Seabury Hall, and Maui Academy of Performing Arts, as well as directed programs for ADT: Masterclass Series, Winter Workshop, and Summer Intensive. Katie's previous training and experience as a freelance dancer in Los Angeles, along with her experience working within the Maui dance community, all influence the knowledge, passion, and artistry that she brings to to the work she does today.

Katie performed and toured in works by: Rosy Simas Danse, Keith Johnson/Dancers, Kathleen Helm & Dancers, The Assembly, Rebecca Lemme|Acts of Matter, Hallie Hunt, Nathaniel Hunt and FLOCK. Katie has performed in New York, Utah, New Mexico, California and Hawai’i. Here on Maui, Katie performs regularly in projects with Adaptations Dance Theater: Bring it Home, Dance Maui, SEED Residency. She has also performed in collaborative ADT works with: Small Town Big Art, Live @ the MACC, and RARE residency at the MACC.

Katie received her Yoga certification from Brynn Rybeck: True Flow Yoga and her Barre certification at The Studio Seal Beach.In addition to teaching regular classes at fitness studios, Katie produced a series of fitness events including Barre Night: live DJ and workout event and Kreative Sculpt: Women’s empowerment workout and social event in Southern California. Today, Katie continues to update her knowledge on the fitness and wellness industry to ensure the work she is doing is giving dancers the best approach for their body and dance. Resistance training, use of weight, dynamic stretching, and meditation are all important in creating balance for longevity in a career in dance. She has seen and experienced the many benefits to incorporating this into the studio, helping many dancers young and professional, advance in their abilities.

Katie co-founded and co-choreographed a series of immersive pop-up art events in Long Beach, CA, 0.0 Series: a collaborative cross-blend of visual artists, dancers, and musicians. In 2020 Katie co-choreographed Henosis, a work set on ADT for ArT=Mixx Maui 2020. In 2021 Katie choreographed and directed Echo, a dance film for ADT’s first SEED residency. Katie will be the choreographer for ADT’s 2024 SEED residency. In her private lessons, Katie works with dancers on college auditions and competition choreography. Katie’s competition soloists have placed in the top 3 at the JUMP competition.

Katie sees movement as a connective language that has the power to promote genuine transformation, self-expression, and empowerment. It is an access point to self-awareness, bringing us closer to ourselves and ultimately to the community around us. Katie sources her broad range of experience to provide a unique and powerful transformative learning process for her students. Katie encourages dancers to grow in a well-rounded environment that sustains and fuels dancers to continue thriving throughout their lives, both in and out of the studio.