TIFFINY SMALLEY

DIRECTOR/ OWNER

Since 2001, Tiffiny Smalley has been at the helm of Davis Dance Academy, where she has combined her passion for dance with her commitment to the social and mental development of children. Under her leadership, the studio has flourished, winning national championships multiple times over the past two decades. However, for Tiffiny, the true success lies not in the trophies but in the growth and development of her students.  Tiffiny’s approach to teaching goes beyond dance; she aims to equip her students with the skills they need to become successful adults. By cultivating an environment of positivity and ensuring that her curriculum is always up-to-date, she creates a space where children can thrive both on and off the dance floor. Tiffiny also prioritizes the professional development of her coaches, certifying them in top-level programs to bring the best possible experience to her students. Her dedication to excellence and her unwavering belief in the power of dance to shape young lives have made Davis Dance Academy a beacon of inspiration and success. 

SYDNEY HORTON

COMPETITION DIRECTOR

Sydney discovered her passion for dance at 2 years old, and has trained for over 20 years in jazz, lyrical, hip hop, ballet, pointe, and contemporary. During high school, she was a member of her Drill Team and Dance Company, serving as Dance Captain and choreographing for both teams. Since then, she has continued to pursue her passion for teaching, choreography, coaching, and technical development at both the studio and high school levels. Her past professional experience includes performing with Moments of Grace Dance Company, serving as a certified UHSAA Drill Judge, and now, judging local studio competitions. Sydney began teaching at Davis Dance Academy in 2020 while coaching the Syracuse High School Drill Team for three seasons. She later coached the Bountiful High Mandonelles, helping lead them to their 2025 State Championship and recent 2026 Military State Championship. Sydney now serves as the Competition Director at Davis Dance Academy, where she continues to teach and choreograph. Her choreography has earned numerous Overall and specialty titles at both conventions and competitions. She is passionate about developing confident, technically strong dancers and is dedicated to helping each of our dancers reach their goals and achieve their full potential.

MCKAYLA WELLISCH

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

COMING SOON.

ReNae was destined to dance. Her mother professionally danced, taught, and choreographed, and owned a studio, Spotlight Revue. She began dancing at a young age and trained in jazz, tap, and lyrical. ReNae began teaching at 15, and a year later began training at Utah Academy Dance Studio. At 18, she won an Assistant scholarship from Tremaine Dance Convention and a scholarship to train with Linda Rhetter’s professional company in L.A.. She then began assisting for Tremaine, and trained at Rocky Mountain Preperatory Ballet. Here she performed various roles and went on to choreograph many variations in the Nutcracker with the company. Over the 26 years ReNae has been teaching, she has earned many choreography awards and has had students go on to dance professionally. She has been the Ballet Director at 3 studios, as well as becoming the Company and Artistic Director at Spotlight Revue. She continued her training by being certified in Progressive Ballet Technique and Acrobatic Arts. In 2024, she became an Aspire Dance Pro Judge. For ReNae dance isn’t a way to make a living, it’s a way of life. 

KIRBY MORTENSEN

UNITY DIRECTOR

Kirby started dancing at the tiny age of 3, training in Jazz, Ballet, and Ballroom. Early on she knew her greatest love was for Ballet and started assisting classes at 14 then teaching at 16. She taught for a few different studios over the next 7 years and then took a break to be with her family. Being back teaching has filled a void that nothing else can! She strives to create a fun positive learning environment that not only will create better dancers but better people in general! She has 4 kids that share her name, but every dancer at the studio becomes part of her family.

TALIA CLEVERLY

ACRO DIRECTOR

Talia started her dance training at Davis Dance Academy at a young age. This led her to join the Layton High Drill Team, where she served as both Junior Captain and Head Captain. Within the drill world, She made the 6A Allstate team twice, choreographed routines, and won multiple overall soloist titles. She also coached for the Layton High Lancelles for the 2025-2026 season. Currently, Talia is a member of the National and World Champion Weber State University Dance Team. She has been teaching for several years to dancers of all ages and levels. Talia is grateful to be able to spread her love of dance where it all began for her.

MATTHEW HELMS

INSTRUCTOR

Matthew is a professional ballet dancer, teacher, and ballet master whose career spans classical, neoclassical, and contemporary repertoire. After training on full scholarship at the International Ballet School and Ballet West Academy, he joined Ballet West’s Pre-Professional Trainee Program under Artistic Director Adam Sklute. He later performed for more than a decade as a leading principal dancer with Boulder Ballet, appearing in major works including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Giselle, Le Corsaire, Flames of Paris, and An American in Paris, as well as works by Paul Taylor and Christopher Wheeldon. Matthew currently serves as Lead Principal Dancer and Company Ballet Master of BalletNEXT under Artistic Director Michele Wiles. He performs leading roles in the company’s classical and world-premiere contemporary productions and has toured with BalletNEXT from Utah to New York City and the British Virgin Islands. He also travels as a guest artist and ballet teacher and is the creator of BalletForce, a specialized ballet and strength-training program for dancers.

Sophie has been dancing since the age of two, growing up training at The Dance Spot Dance Studio in Salem. Her passion for dance began at a young age, and by the time she was ten, she had also begun teaching. As she continued to grow as a dancer, Sophie became a Prodigy for NRG Dance Convention, further expanding her experience and expertise. Sophie is currently attending Weber State University, where she is a 3rd year member of the National and World Championship Weber State Dance Team. Sophie has a love for teaching, and is working towards her degree in Elementary Education. She is thrilled to be joining Davis Dance Academy this year and cannot wait to teach, share her passion for dance, and build connections with each of her students.

PREZLEY HUNT

INSTRUCTOR

Prezley has been competitively dancing since the age of three, developing a lifelong passion and dedication to the art. She spent two years on the Davis High Drill Team and had the opportunity to compete for the title of Miss Drill Utah, placing in the Top 5.
Prezley has also traveled with Velocity Dance Convention as an MVA+ and had the incredible opportunity to perform as a backup dancer for Ava Max. She continued her collegiate dance career on the Weber State Dance Team, where she competed with Team USA at the Pan American Championship and competed at NDA for the Division I National Title.
She recently returned home from serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Gilbert, Arizona. She plans to develop her career through competitive and professional dance opportunities.

Ashley has been teaching dance for the past 17 years, specializing in Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary, and Ballet. She was a member of the Bountiful High Drill Team, where they were the 2009 State Champions. She continued her dance education at Utah Valley University, where she was a member of Synergy Dance Company and the Contemporary Dance Ensemble. Ashley has coached the American Fork Drill Team and has also worked with many drill teams throughout the state of Utah. Her choreography has earned numerous awards, including multiple Grand Champion and Overall Champion titles at various competitions throughout her career. She is currently an assistant coach for the Davis High D’ettes. In addition to her dance career, Ashley is a Licensed Massage Therapist specializing in injury and segmental work. Her goal is to combine her passion for dance and massage therapy to help dancers care for their bodies and live happy, healthy lives.

BROOKE LARSEN

INSTRUCTOR

Brooke began dancing at the age of three and started her formal training at Davis Dance Academy at age twelve. Throughout her training, she has studied a variety of styles including jazz, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, and hip hop. During her competitive dance career, Brooke served as Head Captain of the Syracuse High Dance Company and was honored as a 2018 Sterling Scholar Award recipient. She was also a member of Moments of Grace, a professional dance company, where she continued to grow as a performer and artist. Brooke has spent 10 years teaching competitive dance at Davis Dance Academy, where she has had the opportunity to mentor dancers of all ages and skill levels. She is passionate about building confidence in her students and loves watching their passion for dance grow. Brooke has choreographed numerous award-winning solo and team routines. She has also served as a judge for local dance competitions. 

CYNTHIA TARANTO

INSTRUCTOR

COMING SOON.

SAVANNAH CHILDS

INSTRUCTOR

Savannah has been dancing since the age of two, developing her skills and passion through extensive training in a variety of dance styles. She has trained with Center Stage, Utah Dance Artists, and Strictly Ballroom, gaining experience across multiple disciplines and developing an appreciation for the value of cross-training. Most recently, Savannah served as Girls Captain of the Bingham Ballroom Team, where she gained valuable experience in choreography, leadership, and mentorship. She has also participated in dance tours to Chicago and New York, taking guest classes at studios and continuing to expand her training and perspective as a dancer. As she begins her teaching journey at Davis Dance Academy, Savannah is excited to share her love of dance and the knowledge she has gained throughout her own training. She believes that exposure to a variety of dance styles can help dancers become more versatile, confident, and well-rounded, and she looks forward to incorporating that philosophy into her teaching. Above all, Savannah hopes to help her students discover the joy of being a dancer in Utah.

SHANNON VANDEMERWE

INSTRUCTOR

Shannon began her dance journey at age eight after spending her early years in gymnastics. She trained at Hi-Light Dance Academy in Alpine, Utah, and later became a member of the Lone Peak Drill Team. Shannon attended Brigham Young University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education while also minoring in Contemporary Dance and continuing to take as many dance classes as possible. She went on to teach ballet, jazz, hip hop, and lyrical at Hi-Light Dance Academy for six years, while also teaching 7th and 9th grade math in the Alpine School District. After moving to Arizona, Shannon continued teaching dance at Phoenix Dance Studio. She has a genuine passion for teaching and is thrilled to be part of the Davis Dance Academy family, where she looks forward to sharing her love of dance with her students!

AUDREY BERRETT

REC INSTRUCTOR

Audrey has been dancing with DDA since she was six years old, making dance a meaningful part of her life for many years. She is currently a Layton High Lancelle and serves as the costume manager for her drill team. Audrey also has experience in cheer, having served as head captain of the Central Davis Junior High cheerleaders during her 9th-grade year. She loves sharing her passion for dance and is excited to help inspire and encourage the next generation of dancers!

JOSEPHINE HEADDEN

REC INSTRUCTOR

Josephine discovered her love of dance at the young age of two. Over the past 13 years she has taken classes in ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, ballroom, funk, and acro, with hip hop being a special favorite. This is her 8th year of competing at Davis Dance Academy. She loves the process of choreography and has a passion for creating something unique and special with her teachers and teammates. She has choreographed her own solos for the past 3 seasons and has placed well in competitions, including receiving an overall judges choice award for her choreography and story telling. Josephine loves to teach and help others discover their own joy in dance and she is excited to be joining the DDA staff this year.

LAUREN DEE

REC INSTRUCTOR

COMING SOON.

WHITNEY PORTER

REC INSTRUCTOR

Whitney began dancing at the age of three and continued through high school, spending her final three years as a member of her high school drill team. After graduation, she continued sharing her love of dance through teaching while completing her education. Today, Whitney is a licensed cosmetologist and lash artist, working at a local salon while also keeping busy as a mom to five, soon-to-be six, children. She is so excited to return to teaching and looks forward to helping our youngest dancers grow in confidence, develop their skills, and discover their own love for dance.