WE ARE IMAGE DANCING

Tawnya began dancing "late" in life in comparison in the dance world, she took her first ballet class at the age of 8 years old. Soon after she added a jazz funk class both of which through Pat Jackson's American Dance Academy. With barely a year of dance classes under her belt, she joined a competition team which she had to quickly get caught up in jazz, ballet, tap and hip hop as she competed for several years up and down the California coast. She soon started her teacher training with The Dance Center of Atascadero when she was a sophomore in high school (in 1997). She expanded her studies to include Pointe, Break Dance, Lyrical, Clogging, Country, and Swing partner dancing. She completed the teaching training course the same year and continued to perform and compete.

​

Tawnya was on the dance team at Atascadero High all four years of high school. She was responsible for scheduling practices, running rehearsals, selecting and editing music, choreographing routines, and auditioning potential dancers. Tawnya also received training in all technical and backstage aspects of dance performances. This training included lighting, staging routines and costuming. Tawnya instructed and choreographed for all levels of jazz and hip hop. Thanks to her training and experience, she is accustomed to working with both large and small groups of students. Many of the larger groups Tawnya supervised had as many as 150 pupils.

​

In 2003 to 2005, Tawnya attended Alan Hancock College and Cuesta College where she majored in Dance. She was accepted into the intensive dance programs that required training in modern, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, floor bare, ballet, pointe, performance and choreography. She received recognition for her skills and was awarded many spotlight performances. In the Helena region, Tawnya continues to raise the bar with intricate dancer formations for her advanced student jazz/lyrical pieces.