MEET OUR STAFF

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 found her love for dance at a young age, and has been dancing for over 20 years with training in jazz, lyrical, hip hop, ballet, pointe, and contemporary. She danced on her high school teams, where she choreographed and was Dance Captain on her Drill Team. She has continued to choreograph and coach on both a studio and high school level since graduating, finding a passion for technique and choreography. Professionally, Sydney joined Moments Of Grace Dance Company for a season, was a certified UHSAA Drill Judge, and now judges for several studio competitions. She began teaching at DDA in 2020, while also coaching for Syracuse High School’s Drill Team for 3 seasons. Sydney was also a coach for the 22X State Champion Bountiful High Mandonelles, helping them to their most recent State title in 2025, and Military State Championship in 2026. She continues to choreograph and teach for us here at Davis Dance Academy. Sydney’s choreography continues to grow, earning many overall titles at both local and national conventions and competitions.

MCKAYLA WELLISCH

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

COMING SOON.

RENAE SORENSON

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

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.

SUMMER PHILLIPS

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. 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.

SOPHIE BECK

INSTRUCTOR

COMING SOON.

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.

BROOKE LARSEN

INSTRUCTOR

COMING SOON.

ASHLEY PETERSEN

INSTRUCTOR

COMING SOON.

CYNTHIA TARANTO

INSTRUCTOR

COMING SOON.

SHANNON VANDEMERWE

INSTRUCTOR

CONING SOON.

BRI PAINTER

INSTRUCTOR

Bri is a dancer for Weber State University’s Dance Area. She grew up attending local competitions and national conventions. She was captain of her High School’s Dance Company and a Dance Sterling Scholar! She has received a full dance scholarship for WSU. Before college and during High School, she attended The Collective PAC and trained alongside Corner Canyon Drill. These days, she studies Dance Teaching at WSU and is receiving her Therapeutic Dance Certificate, which allows her to work in rehab facilities, prisons, and psych wards. In those settings, she would teach dance in ways that support her students’ minds and well-being. As soon as she graduates, she wants to start working in secondary education to use her teaching skills. She still performs with WSU every semester in the Dance Area performances. Most recently, she represented WSU at the American College Dance Association (ACDA) in Las Vegas, where she performed two adjudicated works choreographed by students. She can’t wait to continue these teaching experiences throughout college.

SAVANNAH CHILDS

INSTRUCTOR

COMING SOON.

AVREE MILLER

INSTRUCTOR

COMING SOON.

ELLIE RIRIE

REC INSTRUCTOR

Ellie has been dancing for 18 years, and teaching for 5. She’s skilled in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and lyrical, and loves sharing her passion with her students. She holds certifications in the Building Blocks of Dance and Pre-pointe Evolution programs, which are grounded in scientifically backed physical therapy principles. She also has led both a preschool dance program and a ballet program which are both largely successful. Outside of the studio, Ellie is currently in school studying functional medicine, a field that allows her to explore the connections between health, wellness, and movement.