Meet the Reverie Team
A Dream in Motion
Eliza Wilder
(she/her)
Executive Director
For over five years, Eliza Wilder has been envisioning a space where dance, performance, and community thrive under one roof. When her monthly dance event, Revival Fusion, lost its venue in 2024, the call to create a lasting home became urgent. With the support of friends and investors, she began searching for the perfect space - one that could sustain artists, celebrate movement, and foster connection.
Century Ballroom was the first place Eliza danced when she moved to Seattle as a wide-eyed college student, and when Hallie Kuperman announced she was stepping away, the stars aligned. Eliza is committed to honoring Century’s legacy while building a future where dance, theater, and storytelling continue to flourish. She’s working closely with Hallie to ensure a smooth transition, keeping much of the current staff and preserving the essence of what makes this space beloved.
With a BFA in Theater Directing from Cornish College of the Arts, Eliza has spent the past decade producing sold-out theater and circus productions, directing large-scale corporate events, and founding High-Fidelity Fusion, an international dance festival. A lifelong dancer, she’s trained in ballet, jazz, and circus arts, performed with the Sister Kate dance troupe, and studied over a dozen partner dance styles. She’s also an award-winning filmmaker, a nationally recognized dance instructor, and a passionate advocate for Seattle’s dance community.
Now, as she takes the helm of this historic space, Eliza’s vision is clear: to restore its 1908 beauty, expand its offerings with yoga and theatrical storytelling, and create a vibrant, sustainable home for artists and dancers for generations to come.
The Story & Magic
of Reverie
Century Ballroom has been a cherished dance space in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood for decades, and as we take the next step in its journey, we wanted a name that reflects both its legacy and its future. After hundreds of thoughtful submissions, we are thrilled to announce its new name: Reverie Ballroom.
Inspired by legendary dance halls like The Savoy Ballroom, The Palladium, The Crystal Ballroom, and Paradise Garage, we wanted a name that honors history while embracing something unique. “Reverie” captures the magic of dance, where we lose ourselves in the rhythm, the music, and the moment.
Whether you love swing, fusion, salsa, tango, or ballroom dance, this is your place to dream, dance, and create new memories.
"When the music changes, so does the dance."
—African Proverb
Our Board of Directors
Alyssa
Manning
(she/her)
Alyssa is an event planner, entrepreneur, artist, investor, and retired research scientist. She co-directs High-Fidelity Fusion with Eliza, and is the visual art manager and an organizer for SEAF, a large annual arts festival. She also creates various smaller education- and community-focused dance and arts events. She transformed her basement into a dance studio to have an optimal space in which to offer these smaller events. Alyssa is the founding board chair for The Dance Thing, a local partner dance non-profit with an emphasis on culturally relevant education and programming.
Alyssa’s passion for dance has developed through performing, learning, competing, and teaching many partner and solo dance styles for over 30 years. Her most extensive movement training has been in both competitive and social ballroom dances, jazz dance, and yoga. She currently spends many hours enjoying the blossoming of creative expression that comes from combining varied dance forms that is fusion dancing. She is excited to begin learning Argentine tango in 2025.
David
Cohen
(he/him)
David is a patent attorney, practicing IP law for over 25 years in Seattle. A graduate of Stanford, NYU Law, and UW Computer Engineering, David has worked at ÆON Law and Perkins Coie as well as managing his own law firm. He serves on the board of Hillel at UW, led its multi-year strategic plan development, and as the organization’s treasurer, helped double its operations to $2M/year. He enjoys home improvement projects and loves partner dancing.
David has danced at the Century Ballroom for over twenty-five years. Starting in college with social ballroom dances, he has studied a bevy of partnered dance styles. He loves the distinct musicality, techniques, and aesthetics of each dance: from Viennese waltz to cross-step, from triple-step swing to Lindy hop, from West Coast Swing to blues, from salsa to Argentine Tango. An active member of the fusion community, David loves traveling for dance events and exchanges across the country and overseas. He occasionally teaches (encouraging newcomers of all backgrounds to give partner dancing a confident try) and is on the Revival Fusion organizing team. David is thrilled to help our dance community thrive, and is looking forward to even more opportunities to experience joy on the dance floor.
Dandelion Mané
(they/them)
Dandelion Mané is a multifaceted software engineer, generative artist, and passionate partner dancer. With a career spanning cutting-edge technology and creative expression, they have contributed to groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and digital art.
Their work at Google Brain (now Google DeepMind) focused on AI research, pushing the boundaries of machine learning and its applications. Later, at Protocol Labs, they explored the evolving landscape of cryptocurrency and decentralized technologies. In the realm of generative art, Dandelion co-created QQL alongside renowned artist Tyler Hobbs, a project that redefined collaborative art-making through algorithmic design.
Beyond their technical expertise, they bring the same curiosity and innovation to partner dancing, embracing movement as another form of artistic and intellectual exploration.
Be a Part of Seattle History
Make a Larger Impact
Our community is stepping up. You can make a one-time donation through our GoFundMe. You can make a bigger impact by investing or making a more substantial contribution. Thank you for being part of supporting the dance community in Seattle.