Teachers
Bria Zan Thompson
Owner and Artistic Director
Hula, Jazz & Hip Hop, and Modern Combo Teacher
Bria’s love of dance began in her hometown of Haiku, Maui where she first studied and performed Hula at the age of 5. She later studied Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Modern dance styles and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance at the University of Colorado. In addition to her dance education, Bria is certified in Module 1 Acrobatic Arts, DiscoverDance Early Childhood Development, and Pediatric First Aid CPR.
After discovering her passion for teaching, Bria started Lokahi Dance as a traveling dance company in 2014. She has taught dance classes for Hutton Settlement Children's Home, local Preschool and Elementary schools, and the CDA Recreation Department over the years.
Finding a need for a non-competitive dance studio and a positive outlet for children in her community, Bria took a big leap and opened Lōkahi Dance Studio in the fall of 2017. She is so grateful to share the joy and benefits of dance education with families in beautiful downtown Coeur d'Alene!
GraceAnn Gaherty
DiscoverDance, Creative Ballet and Ballet 1 Teacher
GraceAnn is an Idaho native and first started dancing at the age of 3 years old. She discovered her love of dance by studying Ballet, Tap, Modern and Jazz at local dance studios. Currently, GraceAnn is pursuing her passion of dance by teaching Creative Ballet, Ballet, and the DiscoverDance program at Lokahi Dance while attending NIC for elementary education.
Malia Smith
Ballet 2 & 3 Teacher
After dancing and performing Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Irish with Momentum Dance Ensemble in Seattle for 10 years, Malia Smith danced at Comerford Irish Dance School. She enjoyed performing in the city at venues like the Seattle Center House, Bellevue Square and the Woodland Park Zoo. Ballet is her favorite style of dance, and she brings many years of choreography and childcare experience with her to Lokahi Dance Studio. Malia is looking forward to sharing her passion for dance with your child as she works toward her goal of becoming an elementary teacher.
Dawn Heath
Acro Teacher
Dawn's dance journey started when she was 5, and took ballet, tap, jazz and pom squad into her teenage years. In high school, she choreographed the dances for her high school dance team. Dawn loves children and has spent the majority of her life working with them. She created her own babysitting club when she was younger and opened up her own daycare at the age of 21. Dawn has been coaching gymnastics and acro for kids for the last four years and is USGA certified. Her daughter Aurora danced Hula at Lokahi which is where she fell in love with the studio! Ms. Dawn is a new teacher at Lokahi this year!
Kimberleigh Smith
Ballet Teacher
Kimberleigh Smith has had a love for dance ever since she saw her first Nutcracker performance at a very young age. She has continuously grown in her 12 years of studying dance and wishes to encourage young students to pursue their love as well. Kimberleigh aspires to be a professional dancer after high school and she finds that teaching younger students helps her expand in her knowledge of dance. Watching students become overwhelmed with the love of ballet is one of her favorite things as a teacher.
