Athletics, Fitness, & Outdoor Programs

Bill Nelson 62'

Course: Folk Dancing: From Classical Greek to Modern Israeli

Bill Nelson
Director of Folk Dancing for the City of Portland

A Personal Note: When I was a student at Reed, I lived a reclusive life, mainly in the chemistry building. Folk dancing changed all that, and it has continued to be integral to my life, allowing me to cultivate friends from all around the world.

I have folk danced since my Reed student days.

D.J. Rayley

Course: Hip-Hop Dance 1-2

DJ grew up in the performing arts and is a graduate from the nationally renowned Jefferson High School Performing Arts Program, committed to educating and preparing students for the physical and mental demands of a performing arts career. She has extensive formal cross-training in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, and theater, and in the traditional ethnic forms of African and Polynesian.  Complementing her formal training—DJ developed her Hip Hop skills being raised in the original roots of underground street mastery, focusing on the real life experience of cultivating the style, steps and culture.

DJ's background includes performing for launch parties, fashion shows, Cable Network Television, Starry Night Club, KBOO radio, Oregon Symphony, Funksion III, the Miss Portland pageant, Five Fingers of Funk Band, Hip Hop artist Timothy C., a modern dance soloist directed by Keith Goodman, and has been featured in the Oregonian, Willamette Week, KOIN 6 News, KATU with Helen Raptis, and Dance Studio Life Magazine.

For the past 17 years, DJ has been teaching Tap, Hip Hop, and Contemporary dance classes from beginning to advanced levels through a variety of institutions and programs such as Reed College, Mt. Hood Community College, Portland State International Special Programs with Japan, Korea and China, Renaissance Art Academy, YMA (Young Musicians and Artists), and other related organizations like private studios, community centers, and Portland Public elementary, middle and high schools.

DJ's diverse background, both as a performer and a teacher, has given her the knowledge to assist many of her students to advance into professional dance careers in L.A., New York, Washington D.C., and internationally. Her work has been recognized both regionally and nationally, granting her with awards for entertainment, age appropriate content, creative staging and musicality. Her personal commitment to dance education and training has given her liberty to study with famed choreographers from So You Think You Can Dance and You Got Served.

In addition to teaching dance, she is a member of NEA, the National Education Association, was certified by Oregon Teachers Standards and Practices Commission in 2009, and is a freelance lecturer for a series of teaching presentations for PSU, City Club of Portland, and Highline Community College.

Jogen Salzberg

Course: Zen Mind Meditation

Adam Jogen Salzberg is a Zen Buddhist monastic who has been in full-time residential training at Great Vow Zen Monastery of Clatskanie, OR since 2003. He has practiced meditation for fifteen years in various traditions. In his free time he enjoys poetry, painting, good coffee and jazz.

Katalya Scheizer

Courses: Lifeguard Training, Swim Instruction

Eliot Sitt

Course: Traditional Tai Chi Beginning/Intermediate

Eliot has been teaching Tai Chi for over 10 years. He first began learning Tai Chi as a student at Reed from Dave Barrett. He has also studied with Sifu Pikshan Ko and Sifu Gregory Fong. He is a licensed acupuncturist who practices Traditional Chinese Medicine in Milwaukie, OR.

http://www.milwaukieacupuncture.com/taichi/

Rodney Sofich

Courses: Backcountry Navigation, Rock Climbing: Beginning–Advanced

Rodney is an Oregon native.  Rodney has been instructing for Reed college since 2003 with his diverse outdoor experience.  He has been guiding and instructing in Pacific Northwest for the past ten years.  Within that time period he found time to be a seasonal Wilderness and Climbing Ranger for the Mt. Hood National Forest, co-instructs avalanche courses with MountainSavvy, filling in hours at a locally owned outdoor shop, and learning the art making climbing packs with Cilogear. Rodney has a Masters degree from Portland State University in Public Administration in Natural Resources.  Rodney also has an AIARE Level II Avalanche certificate.  He is also pursuing professional development with the American Mountain Guides Association, having completed the Single Pitch Instructors Course, Rock Instructor Course, and an Alpine Guides Course.  Rodney also maintains a Wilderness First Responder.  You can learn more about Rodney by reading the Reed Magazine “On the Ledge”

Angela Ballard

Course: Table Tennis

Talia Stoessel

Course: Step Aerobics

Will Symms

Courses: Swim Fitness, Intro to Outdoor Activities, Rock Climbing: Independent, First Aid CPR/AED

Born in Idaho, Will received his B.S. in Resource Recreation and Tourism Management in 97' from the University of Idaho. Will went back to school to keep up with the demands of the Reed students and attained his M.S. in Management and Organizational Leadership 11'. Will has worked in various recreational areas including work in the indoor climbing industry, state and county parks and recreation. Recreation, no matter active or passive works as a universal language among diverse crosssections of individuals to release pressure, learn new concepts and simply have fun.

You can find Will in the Outdoor Center Level 3 at the Sports Center various hours. Come on in and say hello and check out the climbing wall, backpack co-op and outdoor resource center to plan your new trip or just hang out in a casual environment.

Will oversees activities related to Physical Education and Outdoor Programming at Reed College including 1st year First year student trips, Reed Ski Cabin, Reed Outing Club, Outdoor Gray Fund, Backpack CoOp and Outdoor physical education classes. Interests include any outdoor activities and spending some quality time with his two son's Liam and Tresler, lovely spouse and of course the outdoor center mascot Ginger aka Ginny Mae (lovable pooch).

Vanessa Thiessen

Course: Ballet