I started dancing at SMSD when I was five years old. Miss Trish was my very first dance teacher! As a teenager I danced with the SMSD dance troupe, and performed with Ballet Austin, Third Coast Jazz, and in London with UCA. I also won the very first scholarship given by TATD.

Along with teaching at SMSD, I worked at Westminster Presbyterian Day School, where I was a teacher’s aid for 9 years. My time was well spent there because it inspired my teaching of preschool children. I have a CDA in child development, and I am certified in CPR.

At SMSD I have the privilege of eing the Direictor of the SMSD Dance Troupe as well as teaching all ages at the studio. I have directed the dance troupe for 12 years now, and I love every minute of it! Continuiing my dance education is very important to me, so I attend dance conventions throughout the year. I have also been a member of the Texas Association of Teachers of Dancing since 1995. I really enjoy what I do and being a part of the SMSD family.

Speaking of family…I have a loving and supporting husband named David, and we have a seven year old daughter named Riley. God has blessed me with a great family at home and at work.

Jennifer is so excited to be teaching her 7th year at Shirley McPhail School of Dance, as well as being the Assistant Director to SMSD’s Performing Troupe. Jennifer began dancing at the age of 5 and received her training and love of dance from Judy Thompson-Price in Austin. Her dance education continued under Linda Divin, Deidre Strand, Acia Gray, and Greg Easley. Before graduating high school, Jennifer became an apprentice dancer for Tapestry Dance Company and soon after became a company member. After graduating high school, Jennifer became a company member of Austin Contemporary Ballet. She has danced in the Zilker Park Summer Musical’s "Oklahoma" and "Little Me." She danced the role of Dream Laurie in Southwestern’s "Oklahoma" production..
In 2009, Ms. Tcharikova created the choreography for University Christian Church for their creation of Amahl. The following year, she was asked to choreograph for their original score of On Christmas Night with composer Mr. Bob Chilcott. She earned her Certification in Ballet from the Texas Association Teachers of Dance in 2006 and attends annual conventions each summer. In addition to TATD conventions, Jennifer attends Soul to Sole, 3rd Coast Rhythm Project, and The Pulse to stay current in the ever changing world of dance. Most recently, she created a dance work out for adults, Ballet Shape, which fuses adult’s love of ballet and exercise to upbeat music.
Ms. Tcharikova has an open door policy with her parents and students and wants to maintain a line of communication at all times. She believes that every dancer possesses unique strengths and will continue to help students harness that individuality to dance with emotion and technique.

Brenna Kuhn has been joyously sharing her passion for tap dance with the students of SMSD for 9 years. She has been thrilled and blessed to be able to work under the direction of such an incredible dance educator, Edwina Worley.
Nominated best dancer by the 2007 Austin Critics Table for her work in Tapestry Dance Company’s award winning National Endowment for the Arts: Masterpiece Dance production of The Souls of Our Feet, Brenna Kuhn was a principal dancer with Tapestry for 9 years.

A performer, an educator and choreographer, diversity describes Brenna’s tap background. She started her dance journey in Detroit at the age of 12 as a member of the Lloyd Storey Tap Ensemble. In New Mexico, Brenna was a member of the Bill Evans Dance Company. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from the University of New Mexico. She is a published co-author in Medical Problems of Performing Artists and an avid reader in dance studies.

In 2000, Brenna moved to Chicago to perform with Especially Tap Chicago. In addition, she was the rehearsal director and a founding member of Chicago Tap Theatre with Mark Yonally and directed Visual Rhythm, a youth dance company.
Brenna served as the Academy Director for Tapestry Dance Company Academy from 2004 to 2007 where she taught tap and jazz and oversaw a curriculum that included classes in tap, ballet, jazz, modern and hip hop for youth ages 3 to 18 years and adults. Brenna’s teaching credits also include Hubbard Street Dance Chicago; Giordano Dance Center in Evanston, Illinois; Brant Lake Dance Camp in upstate New York; American College Dance Festival; Tap West; the New Mexico Rhythm Tap Festival; the Maui Tap Experience; the Third Coast Rhythm Project and Austin’s Soul to Sole Tap Festival.

Brenna’s choreography is in demand by many students and companies around the country. She has won awards for her tap choreography at national competitions, including Star Systems, and has set pieces on Tapestry Dance Company, Visual Rhythm, Chicago Tap Theatre, Visions in Rhythm, SMSD Troupe, Fusion Dance Company and Kingwood Ballet Theatre.
Brenna has mentored with Sarah Petronio, Acia Gray, Bill Evans and Lloyd Storey. She has shared the stage with tap greats Brenda Bufalino, Dianne Walker, Donald O’Connor, Leonard Reed, Fayard Nicholas, Arthur Duncan, Savion Glover and Lane Alexander. As a soloist, Brenna has played with the Albert Gulbay Trio in Paris, France and in 2006 performed with the Kris Kimura Quintet for the Chinese Foreign Minister.

In 2007, Brenna was chosen as one of eight dancers to perform with Petronio when she received the honor of Grand Master by the National Center of Dance in Paris, France. She performed with Tapestry at New York City’s Peter Norton Symphony Space in Tap City 2008, a festival presented by the American Tap Dance Foundation.

In 2009, Brenna co-founded FootNotes with Michael Stevens. FootNotes, as their name suggests, is the intersection of music and dance, sparking conversation in the universal language of rhythm and music. She is currently the director of Tapestry, Too, an adult student company at Tapestry Dance Company and is pursuing her yoga teacher training at Yoga Yoga.

Amanda Leigh Oakley is not only a performer, but a creator; constructor and educator of dance. She began dancing at age three at Barbara Driscoll’s School of Ballet in El Paso, TX, and at eight she was introduced to Modern/Contemporary and from that moment on committed to her journey of endless passion and dedication to this art form. She began to train and perform professionally with Contemporary Dance Theater were she studied under the inspirational direction of Bill Evans, Dana Shackleford, Candace Earnest and her sister Amy Oakley-Samz.

Moving to Arizona in 1998 Amanda continued her training at Scottsdale Community College where she received an AA in Dance Performance from The Maricopa Institute of Arts and Entertainment Technology in 2004 and throughout her training at SCC performed with their traveling company Instinct DanceCorps around Arizona and Utah. Throughout her years with Instinct DanceCorps she had the pleasure of working with Alan Danielson, Abby Fiat, Holly Johnston, Loretta Livingston, K.T. Nelson and performed as part of TILT Dance Company in Maui, Hawaii.

In 2008 Amanda received her BFA in Dance Performance from The University of Texas at Austin. She has extensive training in Ballet, Contemporary/Modern, Improvisation and Contact Improvisation. She has performed with many different dance companies/projects in Austin, TX. These companies/projects include Ariel Dance Theater, Fishbowl Soldiers, ReleaseMotion Dance Project and many other various independent artists from the Austin Dance Community. She is currently an Independent Choreographer/Dancer and the Co-Artistic Director for ReleaseMotion Dance Project; a multi-disciplinary dance company based in Austin, TX. She co-directed, choreographed, designed, costumed and performed in 'Circumstantial Playground' in April of 2009 and ‘I, Witness’ in August - September of 2010.

Highlights in her dance career include working with LA based Holly Johnston; founder of Ledges and Bones Dance Project, Kathleen Hermesdorf of Motion Lab from San Francisco and Nancy Stark-Smith – Contact Improvisation Dance Pioneer.

Amanda began practicing Yoga on a regular basis two years ago and will be attending the 7 Centers Yoga Arts School in Sedona, AZ next summer 2012 to obtain her Yoga Teacher Certification. Throughout her physical practices; both in dance and yoga, she strives to produce and execute stimulating and dynamic movement that stays authentic in both physicality and emotion.

Amanda is the Store Manager of The Dancer’s Den and is the Contemporary Dance Teacher at SMSD. She is so grateful to be going on her forth year here with the SMSD family and is so inspired by all the teachers passion, love and dedication to the arts.

Tanci’s passion for dance started at the age of three. Born and raised in Houston,Texas, she began her dance career at the Texas Ballet Academy. She continued her ballet training at the Ballet Center of Houston and studied under the direction of Victoria Vittum and Gilbert Rome. Here she performed with the Houston Repertoire Ballet Company until the age of 15. During her years of ballet training, Tanci developed a passion for jazz. Throughout high school Tanci danced with the Cy-Fair High School Brigade drill team where she held the positions of Junior Lieutenant and of Colonel her senior year. Tanci also received First Place in the Senior Solo Division at the Orlando, Florida, Dance Nationals in 2001.

Following graduation she went to work for United Spirit Association, a dance company based in Los Angeles, California. During the summers through her college years she traveled across the United States instructing dance camps. Also, during college she was a dancer and choreographer for the Cotten Kings Hockey Team in Lubbock,TX. A Texas Tech Graduate with a degree in Dance has taken Tanci to many dance studios throughout Texas. She has been a dance instructor and competition team director and choreographer for Laura Smith,at the Fairfield Dance Center in Cypress, TX. At the same studio, she was a choreographer and performer for the Round Rock Entertainment Dance Company. She performed at numerous events throughout the Houston area including the Mayoral Christmas Tree Lighting and the Woodlands Christmas Wonderland.

Tanci has lived in Austin for four years and has been an instructor for the 620 Dance Center,as well as for Edwina, here at Shirley Mcphail School of Dance. Tanci has been married to her wonderful husband, Brandon, for almost two years and has three adorable dogs. No kids yet! But we are anxiously waiting!

Lisa Feder is a Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor and Corporate Wellness Consultant. She is passionate about the field of Wellness because she has seen the life-changing, positive impact that healthy habits can have on her clients. Lisa has been teaching and training for over 20 years. Lisa received her Personal Fitness Specialist and Master Trainer Certifications from the Cooper Aerobics Institute. She is an RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) with the Yoga Alliance. She received her BSBA and MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.