Our Founders

Kabby Mitchell III

"Kabby Mitchell III was in his early 20s when he became the first black company member of PNB, back in 1979; pictures of him from the time show a charismatic young man clearly at ease with being elegantly airborne. He danced with the company until 1984, reaching the rank of soloist. It was the beginning of a rich career that took him around the world — he performed with Nederlands Dans Theater, as well as Dance Theater of Harlem, PNB and other companies — but kept him rooted here in the Pacific Northwest, where he became a beloved choreographer, teacher, mentor and role model." -Moira Macdonald, The Seattle Times

Klair Ethridge

T.U.P.A.C. Co-Founder and Executive Director, Klair Ethridge has always worked in the arts/entertainment fields. She began her dance training at the American Ballet Theatre School, the High School of Performing Arts, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and various other schools of dance in New York City. Klair danced in numerous stage, television, commercial, and feature film productions before moving behind the scenes.

Our Mission

T.U.P.A.C.’s mission is to provide the youth of Tacoma, particularly Black and BIPOC youth in the historic Hilltop Community, with opportunities to achieve artistic excellence through culturally relevant pre-professional dance training, community events, and classes in the performing arts. Further, our mission is to provide students with mentoring by national and international artists, and intergenerational artists, and most importantly, whole person development and community give back.

Our Vision

T.U.P.A.C. envisions a future where our students will be globally recognized as T.U.P.A.C. artists by the content of their character, their poise, the generosity of their spirit and the phenomenal contributions they make to their communities and the planet.

Land Acknowledgment

T.U.P.A.C. would like to acknowledge our studio is on the land of the Indigenous Puyallup tribe. The Puyallup Tribe of Indians have lived along the shores of the Puget Sound in Washington State for thousands of years. The people of the Puyallup Tribe have been known for their "generous and welcoming behavior to all people who enter our lands."

Our Founders

Kabby Mitchell III

Klair Ethridge

Our Mission

Our Vision

Land Acknowledgment

Board of Directors & Advisors

T.U.P.A.C. Board of Directors

T.U.P.A.C. Advisory Board

Our Founders

Kabby Mitchell III

Klair Ethridge

Our Mission

Our Vision

Land Acknowledgment

Board of Directors & Advisors

T.U.P.A.C. Board of Directors

T.U.P.A.C. Advisory Board

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