Lisette Austin

A Seattle native, Lisette Austin began studying dance at age four, and was performing with the nationally-known Bill Evans Dance Company by age eight. Her dance training includes Jazz, Tap, Modern, African, Hip Hop and Ballet. From 1999-2001 Lisette was a member of Fusion Dance Company in Seattle. She also performed with Street Level, a professional Hip Hop company, from 2000-2001.

In 2004, Lisette saw a Brazilian show at a festival and fell madly in love with Samba. After taking classes from Seattle teacher Janelle Campoverde, she joined the local Brazilian drum and dance ensemble,
VamoLá. Within a year she became a dance director for the group, serving in that position for almost two years.

Since 2004, Lisette has extensively studied Brazilian dance with teachers in Seattle (Dora Oliveira), Portland (Donna Oefinger), San Francisco (Maisa Duke) and Brazil. She returns to Brazil annually to study dance, music and Portuguese.

Lisette has regularly performed with Seattle’s Show Brazil, and throughout 2007 was a dancer for Portland, Oregon's professional bateria, The Lions of Batucada. She also appeared as a guest dancer with Axé Didé Music and Dance Company in Portland. Over the past six years, Lisette has performed in countless parades, festivals and stage shows in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. Lisette is Co-Director of Tudo Beleza and teaches Rio-style Samba dance classes in Seattle.