CEO/Artistic Director/Instructor

Jen McClary has been a dedicated dance educator in the Portland, Oregon area for over 20 years. Her teaching centers on empowering students to find and express their unique voices through movement. She is the Artistic Director of disORDER dance company, a pre-professional company that bridges the gap between competitive and concert dance, encouraging young artists to explore deeper creative expression. She has produced and choreographed six original productions with that company. Jen has trained in ballet, PBT, jazz, tap, lyrical and modern, has a BA in Dance with a concentration in Jazz from Point Park University, a MFA in Creative Practice from Saint Mary's College of California, where she focused on how somatics and phenomenology can be used as pathways to healing trauma through movement and embodied awareness. Currently, she is a CET candidate of Bill Evan’s Somatic Dance Institute. 

While in New York City, she studied closely Pam Chancey, Traci Stanfield, Michelle Barber, Calen Kurka, Chris Hale, and Wes Veldink. While working at Broadway Dance Center, Jennifer discovered a passion for theatre production. She taught herself lighting design and stage management and began working behind the scenes for various artists. She continues to offer her skills as a lighting designer and technician in support of fellow creatives.

She will continues to encourage young dancers to find their creative voice by empowering their abilities to excel in what she loves the most.

PPC Director/Instructor

Amanda Cruz is the Director of Pulse Dance Studio, a dance studio that provides top instruction offering programs for a variety of commitment levels to allow all dancers to enjoy and grow in dance.

Amanda’s love for dance began at a young age, training in all styles at Footlites Dance Studio and Eastern Washington Elite All-Stars. She went on to become a varsity member of the University of Cincinnati Dance Team from 2013-2015 where she won two UDA D1A Hip Hop titles and three gold medals competing as Team USA at the ICU Championships.

Amanda has since devoted her career to perfecting her craft and sharing her talent with others teaching and coaching at studios across the country. Over the last year she has taken on the Manager and Director role at Pulse Dance Studio. Amanda’s mission is to share her passion for dance and provide the same experience she had growing up to her students while creating a sense of community.

Instructor

Makayla grew up dancing since the age of 3 and has lived in the Vancouver, WA area for her whole life. She has trained in a multitude of styles, including jazz, tap, ballet, acro, acro stunting, lyrical, hip hop, point, contemporary, and pom. She gained this diverse experience from Schell Dance Studio, Style Shock Dance Studio as an all star dancer for two years, and Pulse Dance Studio, where she completed her high school career. In high school she was given the opportunity to choreograph for her schools theater department and in 2020 and won the choreography award for “The Fifth Avenue Awards Theater” in the state of Washington. In 2023 she was certified in Acrobatic of the Arts.

Makayla attended California Baptist University where she was on the Dance team there 2020-24. Earning 5 National college titles, two in D1 pom, one in D1 Jazz, and two in D1 game day!

Instructor

Natalie is from Walla Walla Washington and has been training in dance since the age of 3. She began technical training in jazz, hip hop, ballet, pointe, and gymnastics. She completed two years on an acrobatics team, two years on her high school dance team, then finished her high school career with two years of cheerleading. In 2011, Natalie competed at the prestigious Italian ballet Grand Prix. She worked as a Walt Disney cast member from 2014 to 2015, performing at the iconic parades and park events as various characters. Following this job, Natalie made the Trail Blazers professional dance team. She danced at games and represented the Trail Blazers from 2015 to 2021, becoming a captain for the Portland’s favorite dance team. Not only is Natalie an established and accomplished professional dancer, she is also a well renowned choreographer. She has choreographed for Thunderbird dance, Proaction prep and Dance Team Social. She is a choreographer for multiple studios in the Portland and Vancouver area, and is loved by all of the students and staff at Pulse. She brings vast experience, extensive dance expertise, amazing choreography, and great energy to our studio! She is also a spin instructor and has been teaching spin since 2016. She is a lover of all things dance, cats, and her new baby June!