Backhausdance. Photo © Tim Agler
Tawny Chapman completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance at Chapman University in Orange, California where she graduated summa cum laude and was awarded the Fannie Kalis Award given to a graduating senior for outstanding contributions to dance. Prior to college, Tawny trained with the Commercial Dance department at the Orange County High School of the Arts. Her professional performance credits include a Yo-Yo Ma music video, Jazz Dance World Congress as a guest artist with Jazz Spectrum Dance Company, Sean Greene Dance Company, William Lu's DAS Dance, and currently Orange County's critically-acclaimed modern dance company Backhausdance. Tawny has had the opportunity to work closely with renowned educators and choreographers Alonzo King, Arturo Fernandez, Jennifer Backhaus, Sean Greene, Molly Lynch, Brenda Way, KT Nelson, Liz Imperio and Dee Caspary, among others.
Tawny currently teaches all levels of jazz, lyrical, modern and ballet to students ranging from six to adult at Pacific Coast Academy of Dance (Irvine) and Impact Dance Center (Los Alamitos) where she also serves as Associate Director of the school's performing groups.She is on faculty at the Orange County High School of the Arts where she teaches modern dance in the Commercial Dance conservatory program. Tawny also directs the dance program at Crystal Cathedral High School and Middle School in Garden Grove.
In addition to teaching at local schools and studios, Tawny works as a freelance choreographer. She directs and choreographs repertory works for Leverage Dance, her own pre-professional company geared toward dancers ages 17 to 22. Leverage Dance has presented work at Studio A Dance!'s DanceSpot festival, Hart Pulse Dance's 4th Annual MixMatch Dance Festival, as well as it's own repertory concert The Junction held at Chapman University. Her choreographic credits include West Side Story (California Arts Center), Once On This Island (California Arts Center), Broadway Our Way (Crystal Cathedral High School), Oklahoma (Crystal Cathedral High School), Grease (Crystal Cathedral High School) and Broadway Showcase (Santa Ana High School).
Aside from dancing, Tawny works as a freelance graphic designer creating logos, merchandise, invitations and promotional materials. Her recent clients include LiveLife Pilates, All Core Fitness, OC Escrow, The California Conservatory of Dance, West Coast Dance Academy and Backhausdance. For samples of her work and fees, please visit the Design page.
Click below to download Tawny's current CV: