meet the founder
Caleb Leitch was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Walla Walla, Washington. He graduated from Walla Walla High School in 2015 and has a strong connection and appreciation for the arts community and the Walla Walla Valley. Caleb has a deep and enduring love for the art of dance, which was cultivated from the age of thirteen.
Caleb received his training from a variety of prestigious institutions. First, locally at the Dance Center, under Idalee Hutson Fish. Additionally, he studied under local theater and performance legends, Brian Senter, Norbert Rossi, Vicki Loyd, and many others. Then, he studied at the North West Dance Project under the guidance and mentorship of Tracy Julias, Franco Nieto, Ching Ching Wong, and Sarah Slipper. From there he had the chance to study at the world-renowned Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the expert guidance of Marcia Del Weary, Darla Hoover, Alan Hineline, and Nick Ade. He completed two teacher training certifications while there and was honored with the opportunity to work and run their community outreach program DiscoverDance. This extensive training has not only shaped him as a dancer but has also played a critical role in his approach to teaching dance.
Additionally, Caleb has worked with choreographers KT Nelson, Christopher Williams, and Melinda Howe. Caleb was the lead teacher for the Dance Center of Walla Walla for the last three years while directing the Dance Center’s first-ever Nutcracker. He has also worked with the Walla Walla High School’s drama department as a choreographer. Caleb is passionate about connecting with local organizations and programs to enrich arts education in the Walla Walla Valley.
To Caleb, teaching is not just about imparting skills; it's about encouraging students to express themselves through dance and helping them gain confidence and resilience along the way.
Studied at:
Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet
American Ballet Theater
North West Dance Project
The Dance Center of Walla Walla
Summer Dance Lab, Walla Walla
Caleb Leitch
Founder, Director, Choreographer
Meet the WABA team! All former or current dancers, our team strives to cultivate passion of dance in the Walla Walla Valley. With their own special talents, each member of our family is excited to share a love of the arts and dance with you.
Walla Walla holds a special place in the hearts of each member of the WABA team. As natives to the valley, each staff member has their own deep ties to our special town and arts and dance community. They can’t wait to give back by fostering the love and passion of dance they each hold with the youth of Walla Walla.
MEET THE TEAM
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KATIE JANIS
Katie Janis was born in Walla Walla, Washington where she graduated as salutatorian from Walla Walla High School in 2019 and grew up studying ballet at The Dance Center of Walla Walla. Katie was a teaching assistant and instructor for the Dance Center’s youth ballet program and an active performer and choreographer for Walla Walla High School’s annual spring musicals. In 2017, she was selected for the Apprentice Program of summer Dance Lab hosted at Whitman College where she performed an excerpt by Amy Seiwert staged by Kelsey McFalls.
Katie graduated in the spring of 2023 from the University of Washington (UW) earning a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Dance and a minor in Drama-Theatre Studies. In addition to choreographing her works for the UW Dance Majors Concerts in 2022 and 2023, as well as the Dance Student Association, she performed in choreography by faculty Alethea Alexander, Rachael Lincoln, Alana Isiguen and M.F.A candidates, Jenn Pray and Beth Terwillegar. She was selected for the Annual Dean’s list for 2019-2021 and in 2022 she received the Department of Dance’s Mary Aid de Vries Endowed Scholarship for outstanding academic and artistic endeavors.
In addition to creating for the concert stage at UW and The Dance Center of Walla Walla, Katie has choreographed for collegiate musical theater including work for Stage Notes at the UW and the Walla Walla University Music and Drama Departments in shows such as *The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee* and *Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat*. Furthering her choreographic education, in 2022 she participated in the Ballet Alliance’s Summer Project as a choreographer under the direction of Amy Seiwert. Katie recently served as Choreographer and Assistant Director for the 2023 Walla Walla Summer Theater production of *The Secret Garden* directed by Brad Willcuts and as Assistant Choreographer for Caleb Leitch’s *The Nutcracker* presented by The Dance Center of Walla Walla.
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FRANCHESKA CANNONE
Francheska was born and raised in the Walla Walla Valley, graduating from Walla Walla High School in 2015 and from Walla Walla University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in History, with minors in English and legal studies. Francheska continued her education at Portland State University to earn a Master’s degree in History with a focus on American legal history, U.S. political and cultural history, and public history and is also a certified paralegal. During her time in the Master’s program at PSU, Francheska was an editor for the Pacific Historical Review and also worked on many community-based projects to enrich the historical connection between the population and the past. Francheska also has management, organization, business, and bookkeeping skills that she enjoys applying to any project.
As a former dancer, Francheska is passionate about arts in the Walla Walla Valley and enjoys spending her time enriching the community in whatever way she can.
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JESSICA NELSON
Jessica Nelson grew up in Walla Walla, WA and has spent the last 10 years in Portland, OR and now lives in Bend, OR. She is a photographer, designer, and brand consultant. She is also a doula, and mother of two. Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Graphic Design from Portland State University and is passionate about helping organizations, businesses, or communities connect with art.
Jessica is a former dancer of 18 years. She trained in Walla Walla alongside Founder and friend, Caleb Leitch. She is passionate about involvement in the arts and building community. Cultivating creative spaces for kids to immerse themselves in learning has always been a passion. Her dedication learned through her ballet training is a skill that she finds invaluable in everyday life.
