 | | 
 |
|
Cecilia Shahandeh
Owner of Beyond The Beat Dance Studio, has been dancing for 25 years and teaching for 16 years. She choreographed numerous Opera Workshops at COD and has choreographed for the Miss Palm Springs and Miss Indio Beauty Pageants. Cecilia is the founder of BTB Dance Team formed in 2000 and performed for over 150 functions and won several Talent Competitions throughout the valley. She was a Copa Dancer in the 6 month long tribute to Frank Sinatra at the Annenberg Theatre when she was only 17. Cecilia has taught at several different Elementary Schools, Country Clubs, Weddings, Parties, Nightclubs and studios throughout the Valley. Cecilia has appeared on the NBC's American Dreams by winning KMIR's Rocktober Fest Dance Competition and has made multiple appearances on KMIR's Today show as well as KESQ's TV's News Channel 3 with her Dance Exhibitions. Cecilia has been a featured performer with Musical Chairs, Wayland Pickard Tribute to Liberace, and the Ted Herman Orchestra. She was awarded the 2006 & 2007 Musical Chairs Scholarship for outstanding Youth Performer. She was also the 2009 & 2010 DTL Award Winner for a Professional Lead Dancer in a Ballet. She is a Swing & Latin Dance Champion and a 2 time Overall Winner of the McCallum Theatre's Open Call & numerous category winner of the Choreography Festival. Cecilia traveled to Holland in 2000 with the King of Swing Buddy Schwimmer where she studied extensively in Ballroom & Latin. Cecilia has her Associates Degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Acting as well as her Bachelor of Science in Business Management.
 Linda Martin
Linda has been dancing since she was 5 years old. Her early training was in Tap and Ballet, then later in Jr. High School she was a cheerleader then a Pom Pom girl (choreographer) throughout High School. In her early 2o's Linda studied Belly Dance, which quickly became her passion. While working in the Orange County and Los Angeles areas for many years, she worked with musicians and dancers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Greece, Iraq, Turkey.....to name a few. This experience made her the well rounded Belly Dancer she is today with a deeper understanding of the Middle Eastern culture.
Dena Banes Martin
 Dena has been a resident of Palm Springs for close to 16 years and has been teaching dance for 20 years. She is the owner of Kinds In Motion Dance School that specializes in bringing dance to pre-schools and elementary schools across the Cochella Valley. She has put together many productions for the schools by casting the parts, writing the scripts and choreographing. In Orange County, she has choreographed for dinner theaters such as a speakeasy style "roaring 20's" musical and choreographed musicals at Cypress High School and Cypress College. At 19, Dena was one of the two people that won a scholarship for American Dance Machine in New York City. When she came back from this awesome experience, her focus was choreographing and teaching. Dena is married with three girls, and when her oldest was in pre-school Dena began her love for teaching young budding ballerinas! She is very excited to be a part of Beyond The Beat Dance Studio.
 Janis Hill
Janis Hill has enjoyed teaching West Coast Swing and Salsa for the past year here at Beyond the Beat Dance Studio. Her teaching and training education comes from Skippy Blair’s GSDTA (Golden State Dancers Teachers Assoc.) Janis concentrates on the basics, emphasizing lead and follow technique, focusing on what comes before each step (anyone, can take a step), preparing yourself before the actual step brings forth a wonderful feel and look in all your dancing which creates confidence and enjoyment. Check out our schedule of all dances offered at this beautiful studio. We welcome beginners.
 Ken Prescott
Director and Choreographer has directed from Broadway to Brazil. As a Director and Choreographer he has created production numbers from "The Lawrence Welk Show" and "The Andy Williams Show" in Branson Mo. He has directed and Choreographed "Crazy For You, "George M!", "The Boyfriends", A Day In Hollywood-A Night In The Ukraine", "West Side Story", "Singin' In The Rain", and "On Your Toes", which garnered him a Carbonnel Nomination and on and on. He co-authored a musical version of "A Christmas Carol" called "A Dickens Of A Christmas" which has been produced across the country and was nominated as best new musical of the year. His "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" as Director/Choreographer was launded by the New York Times at Gateway Playhouse. As a performer he has won 3 DTL Awards as Best Leading Performer, Best Director, and Best Special Production. In addition he has won 2 Los Angeles Drama Logue Awards for his performances in the Gene Kelly in "Singin' In The Rain" and as Eddy Ryan in "Funny Girl". He has sung with the "New" Modernaires- starred on Broadway. He has his own Big Band Show in Myrtle Beach, S.C. called "Big Band At The Savoy" which cast him in several roles. He was also the star of "42nd Street" on Broadway and was a member of the "New" Modernaires, of Glenn Miller Fame.
Megan Darvin
 Megan first started dancing during her freshman year at Palm Desert High School with the Palm Desert Dance Productions Club. She continued to dance with the production team for another two years until she auditioned to join her High Schools Junior Varsity Team. Throughout her high school years she also performed with the Encore Show Choir and taugh younger students locally around the Palm Desert area. In March of 2009 she joined Beyond The Beat Dance Studio and now teaches Hip Hop and manages the Competition & Performance Team. Megan is on all the Competition Teams at BTB Dance Studio which includes Jazz, Contemporary, Tap, Hip Hop, Ballroom, Swing & Latin.
 Palmer Bassett
Palmer has been dancing since the age of 10. While attending Concord Academy of Fine Arts, she found her passion for dance. She has been with BTB since 2007 and has been teaching Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, Lyrical and Hip Hop to all ages and levels. In 2009 Palmer received the Desert Theatre League's Award for Best Supporting Dancer in a Ballet for 2009 & 2011. Palmer has choreographed numerous performance pieces for her Middle & High School as well as competition routines for local dance teams. She is currently a Senior at Palm Desert High School and hopes to transfer to a University where she can obtain her degree in Performing Arts.
Dorothy Dale Kloss Dorothy Began dancing at the age three, while Calvin Coolidge was president. While teaching the legendary Bob Fosse in a Chicago Tap Dance Class, she won a tap contest, changed her name, and overnight catapulted to stardom doing her own act at the Empire Room in Chicago. She toured the country from The Strand Theatre in New York to CAlifornia to Mexico City with the famous CANTIFLAS. With her exciting tap rhythms, and style she toured with Eddy Duchin for a year, and was the last act to work with his orchestra before their introduction into Military service in World War II. Her talent and wit constantly entertained the troops for the USO in WWII. In 1946 she was the hostess and dance instructor of one of the earliest TV Shows in Chicago, "THEATRE OF THE AIR" on WBKB! She has starred with Liberace, The Mills Brothers, Mel Torme, to name a few. Her "Betty Grable" legs were seen for 15 years at The Palm Springs Follies, and her interview on "THE TODAY SHOW" on NBC caused a huge sensation. She received her very own star on the Palm Springs Walk Of Stars May 29, 2010. She is in the Guinness Book Of Records, 2009, as the world's oldest, living working showgirl. Dorothy just received the "Golden Halo Dance Award" from the Southern Motion Picture Council; the past recipients have been Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Cyd Charisse to name a few. Her Tap Dancing is Legendary, and she can "banter" with the best of them. As Doroty says, "Age is a state of mind, and her state; "Younger than Springtime"!
Amanda Phillips .jpg?221 "29727_10150167445400472_884910471_12172605_3944537_n_(1)")
Amanda was fortunate to formalize her training at Randolph-Macon Woman's College (now Randolph College) with Pamela Risenhoover. There she also benefited from a visiting artist's program that brought in accomplished performers and teachers from Julliard School, Alvin Ailey Company, ABT, Pilobolus Dance Company and the Martha Graham Company. She continued to study into adulthood and was pleased to find classes at BTB to continue her education when she moved to Palm Desert. She has a M.A in Educational Counseling and is a Counselor at College of the Desert. Amanda's Ballet B class focuses on building strength and a consistent technique in order to prepare students to move on to working on pointe and continuing their growth as dancers.
Kyle Aiken 
Kyle has been dancing since he was five years old, training in partnering of all dance types. He is currently working towards his Degree in Physics and hopes to acquire his Masters in Engineering. When he is not going to school, he teaches private lessons in ballroom, latin, and swing as well as partner technique. Kyle is also a member of BTB Dance Studio's Swing & Contemporary Competition Teams.
Mary Jane 
Mary Jane Smith started singing at the age of 5. Studied music education both at C.O.D. and The University of California at San Bernardino. She has over 25 years of teaching experience. She taught music for Palm Springs Unified school district and for Desert Sands Unified School Districts Performing Arts School and was awarded teacher of the year by Lewis School of Music and is a triple winner of Desert Theatre Awards Childrens Musical Theatre. She served on the Board of Desert Theatre League and the Palm Springs Opera Guild of the Desert. She has played numerous roles in both Opera and Broadway Musicals and played violin and Viola in many Orchestras. She enjoys teaching and sharing her love for music with her students and many have gone on to take music as their choice to major in Music in College and take on Music as a professional career.
Marcia Harp  Marcia Harp is an award winning performer and choreographer, including a Los Angeles Dramalogue Award. She has performed in numerous theatrical productions from New York to California, including being a soloist with The Palm Springs Follies. She now performs in her recently acclaimed one woman show as well as motivating hundreds of students with her unique style of teaching. In addition to television and film she has had her own radio talk show. Recently, Marcia received two Awards for Best Lead Performer by The Desert Theatre League. She has degrees from Ohio State and San Francisco State Universities along with being an AAU World Champion Power Lifter.
Jerry Martin
 |
|
|
