FAST FIVE Crystal Bain trips the light fantastic

Meet Crystal Bain, an active choreographer and educator in her community of Coeur d’Alene.

You can find Crystal teaching fourth grade at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities during the day. She has a dance performance team ranging from kindergartners to fifth graders. She has bachelor's degrees in dance and elementary education from the University of Idaho — go Vandals! Crystal just received her Master of Arts in Dance Education from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She started her very own dance company and is directing her fifth season of Ripple Dance Co. LLC (rippledance.com) with her 30-plus years of experience in dance. She hopes to make a ripple effect in her community. Crystal was just recognized as the Idaho Dance Teacher of the Year for 2025 and is now the president of the Idaho Dance Education Organization.

1) How long have you been dancing, how long have you been teaching and what do you love about both?

I have been dancing since the age of 5 with formal classes. My first class was in ballet with the Coeur d’Alene School of Ballet. I moved on in middle school to start trying different styles like jazz and hip hop. At North Idaho College I tried social dancing and really enjoyed East Coast swing. I then moved to the U of I and got my bachelor's in dance, where I fell in love with modern dance. 

I have been teaching since I was in high school. Both of my parents were teachers in the area and like they say, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” I have loved teaching dance to all ages. I was thrilled when I became part of the staff at Sorensen Magnet School. I am able to share the knowledge and love for dance with all the students that go through that school. 

I have loved dance and teaching so much that I recently graduated with a master's in dance education from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Both of these arts, dance and teaching, give me a way to share and inspire passion in others in ways they didn’t even know they might have.

2) What motivated you to start your own professional dance company, and what events are on the horizon?

I started Ripple Dance Co. because I wanted to share my passion for dance through my choreography in the area. I have always loved going to the big cities and seeing the big-name dance companies, like Pacific Northwest Ballet or Alvin Ailey. I wanted to create that here in Coeur d’Alene. I know I am not as big as they are now, but they started small, too. 

We are working hard on getting ready for our next season. Ripple will be holding auditions for our screen dances coming up this April. We create dance on film throughout the summer and then have a showing in the fall. 

My huge dream would be that we could create an arts-powered academy where young people could learn from experts in their field on how to become professionals. 

3) Why should people dance?

There is a lot of research out there about how dance is beneficial for all. Dance keeps you active both mind and body. Through the actual act of dancing, your muscles are not only actively working, but they are also becoming more flexible. Flexibility is a very helpful thing as we all get older. I am not saying everyone needs to be able to do the splits, but having more flexibility in your body makes it so you can have more range of motion as you age. Dance is a full-body workout. Your muscles, lungs and brain all get a workout.

Dance has been shown to help those with Parkinson's disease and other nervous system disorders. Practicing patterns of movement helps the brain to communicate with the body better, which benefits all.

Dance also helps some to communicate their emotions when they have no words. It provides a way to work through emotions. When you dance, you release dopamine into your system, which helps to create the "happy feeling." This, in turn, helps reduce stress.

4) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I was a whitewater rafting guide. My parents were guides when they first met, and so I grew up rafting. I love water and everything about it.

5) What is the trickiest dance style to master, and what is your preferred genre?

That is a personal feeling for each individual. For myself I have a hard time with tap. It is such a rhythmic and pattern-oriented dance style that if you are off a bit everyone can hear it. Of course, with lots of studying and practice, it is a beautiful dance.

I enjoy modern because I feel free with where I can go with my movement. Modern was created to rebel against the strict technique of ballet and to offer a freer, more natural and raw movement. I love working with spoken word when dancing because I can express the emotion behind the words. Modern also lends to my love of improvisational dancing. To see what can happen on the spot because of a word, object or outside effect on the dancer is so interesting.