Currently, Taryn is coaching the award winning Velocity Dance Team, while teaching at private studios all over Orange County. Her goal in every class is to teach her students lessons in dance that will make them extraordinary dancers and people.
Taryn Chavez (Tap / Jazz / Lyrical) - Taryn began dancing at age of 3 at The Dance Center in Newport Beach, where she was trained in jazz, lyrical, ballet, rhythm tap, gymnastics, and musical theater. While competing for over 10 years, she acquired awards such as National Senior Soloist at Starbound, The Sweetheart Award at I Love Dance, and 1st Overall with a perfect score at International Dance Challenge. Taryn was a founding member of the Arreis Dance Program and Varsity Dance Team at Newport Harbor High School, and is currently one of the main choreographers for their dance program today.Taryn continued her dance training at Orange Coast College in modern, ballet, jazz, and tap, under the direction of Linda Sohl - Ellison and Christine Baltes. n 2006, Taryn was chosen by Linda Sohl-Ellison to apprentice with Rhapsody In Taps, a noteable rhythm tap company, guring their 25th Anniversary.
Kimberly Isbell (Ballet / Modern / Pointe / Tap / Jazz / Lyrical) Kim is from Orange County, California, where she began dancing at the age of two. Kim was trained in Cecchetti, ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, tap and hip - hop and won many dance competition awards throughout her early years. Kim graduated from the University California at Santa Barbara with a B. F. A. in Dance, and received the Alice Condadina Performance Award. Kim performed in Santa Barbara Dance Alliance’s New Works Festival, and choreographed a main stage work which premiered in UCSB’s Fall Dance Concert 2007. Kim is a former
Courtney Kenihan (Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, Hip Hop and ballet) - Courtney began dancing at the age of 4 at the Dance Center in Newport Beach. After training at the studio for12 years in jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, and lyrical, she continued her studies at Huntington Academy of Dance and Defore Dance Center in Costa Mesa. She is classically trained in Cecchetti ballet and has also studied on scholorship with Joffery Ballet School in New York City. In 2005, Courtney received a full scholorship to the University of Arizona to study dance. After studying and performing for a year, she pursued her dream of becoming an NBA dancer and joined the NBA Boston Celtics first ever dance team in 2006. Cortney was chosen to represent the Celtics in the 2007 Allstar game and worked with chorographer
Laurie Ann Gibson and performed in front of Beyonce, Jay Z, Adam Sandler, Eva Longoria, Governor Arnold Scharzenegger, Sean "Diddy"
member of the Nugent Dance Company and is currently performing with Backhausdance Company.
Combs and many more. Courtney has worked with many famous chorographersincluding Shane Sparks, Tabitha and Napoleon from the hit TV show So You Think You Can Dance. Throughout her 18 years of dancing has the opportunity to perform in London, Rome, China, Las Vegas, Arizona, Boston and New York City. I in 2009, Courtney retired from the Boston Celtics Dancers and graduated from Suffolk University with a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism. Courtney now brings all of these various dance experiences and focuses on teaching her dancers not only the importance of good technique, but also the importance of showmanship and expression in their movement. Courtney will be sure to remind her students that Cheerleaders, with the right dedication and determination, CAN be ballerinas too.
OCDTA FACULTY
Ashley Friend (Modern - Lyrical - Hip Hop) Has over fourteen years in dance. She began her training with the Irvine School of Dance. She has attended Focus Dance Center in Irvine and has performed with the West Coast School of Arts. Ashley has focused her dance disciplines in the areas of Modern, Hip-Hop, Improvisation, Contemporary Ballet, Jazz Modern Dance, Musical Theatre and Tap Dance.
Ashley has many accolades, such as scholarship winner at "That's Dancing" Competition and a two time scholarship winner at Tremaine Dance Convention in Los Angeles, Ca.
Whether it be performing in Swan Lake or assisting with Nickelodeon's
music video called "Backwards", Ashley has use her deep connection and passion for music, her creativity and ability to express herself to rise to the top as a performer and technician of music and dance.
