Amy Lindsey

Amy Lindsey was born into an Air Force family and moved to Alaska in 1969. Her father retired in our beautiful state and Amy has lived here since. Her first introduction to movement in Alaska was an Acrobatics class on Elmendorf AFB with Barbara Clausen in 1970. She did gymnastics in middle school and cheered at Bartlett High School. At the urgent request of her sister, Amy took her first dance class as a freshman at Anchorage Community College in 1975. She continued taking every class available in jazz, ballet, modern and tap dance. She has taken other dance forms as workshops and loved them all. She went on to teach at ACC, later merged with UAA, and from 1985-2016, as an adjunct professor for the UAA Department of Theater and Dance. She taught jazz and tap until her schedule no longer permitted.

Amy was fortunate to study with some fantastic local dance pioneers including Steve Primis, Margaret Webber, and Lynda Lorimer, who offered her first teaching job for the Conservatory of Dance at the Dance Center in the mid 1980’s. She was also able to take many master classes with guest artists including Pilobolus Dance Co., Martha Graham Co, Ballet West, Alvin Ailey Co and many others. She did extensive workshops with Armgard Von Bardeleben, Joe Orlando, Dianne Walker, Kathryn Kramer, Brian Jeffery, and others.

Amy was one of the original members of Alaska Contemporary Dance Company, formed in 1981, under the direction of Lisa Dworkin-Kerr. This company toured the state giving workshops and performances in communities of Valdez, Juneau, and Kodiak. We also worked with many local groups including ASD, The Very Special Arts Fair, KAKM, Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau. Amy performed with Alaska Light Opera Theater, “West Side Story” and “Oklahoma,” and with the Anchorage Opera, “Die Fledermaus.” In the late 80’s she was the choreographer for Service High School’s production of “Carousel,” and decades later was the choreographer for Bartlett’s production of “Hairspray,” which included both of her children in the cast! Amy also worked as the instructor and choreographer for the Prime Time Dancers, a group of senior citizens who loved to perform, from 2000-2020. Amy was fortunate to work with several local visual artist and a collaborative project with Christopher Janey at the Sky Arts Festival in the late 1980’s culminating with being suspended mid air from giant helium balloons!

In 1987 Alaska Moving Arts Center was formed by a Shotokan Karate Club who wanted to expand the classes offered. It was formed as a 501(c)3 under the direction of Tony and Lynette Nakazawa and Becky and Craig Hesser. Amy was asked to run a dance program, originally starting with one jazz class. Amy worked alongside Becky, who was the Executive Director for almost 30 years before Amy assumed that position in 2017.

Amy continues to teach students from toddlers through teens and has many second generation students. The program Amy created is strictly recreational, but she created a Performance Company in 2006 to allow the students more opportunity to share their passion. This group continues to delight local audiences at festivals and fairs as well as local assisted living homes and senior centers. The programs at AMAC have continued to grow and now offers many forms of dance as well as karate. Some of our former students have come back to teach for us and the family-oriented center that Becky envisioned continues under Amy’s watchful guidance.