As Miss Cathy’s daughter, dance has been at the center of Christine’s life for as long as she can remember. In fact, she started dancing here at the age of 2 ½ and continued to dance through college where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in theology and philosophy, a minor in fine arts, and a Master’s in theology and religious studies.
Currently attending Dayton University to complete her doctorate in theology, Christine is always excited to return home and help with the family’s business.
As a Janet Hays and Co. Show Biz Kid dancer, Christine consistently won highest score of the day honors with her solo performances and was often recognized with special awards, such as “Most Entertaining” and “Best Technique.” Besides competing, Christine also performed on Carnival Cruise Lines, in the Moscow Ballet’s Nutcracker, with the Pittsburgh Power Sparks Dance Team, and at amusement parks from Kennywood to Disney.
In addition to performing with the studio, Christine was also the founder and captain of the Seton-La Salle High School Dance Team and the Wheeling Jesuit University Dance Team. Both teams had successful seasons under her leadership, consistently winning first place awards. As a student at John Carroll University, she performed on the JCU Dance Team and was the head coach for the Seton-La Salle High School Dance Team, which also won first place at competition. She now performs with the UD Dance Ensemble in partnership with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
Christine truly enjoys being on stage – from dancing, to acting, to singing – and she has performed leading roles in her schools’ productions of Man of La Mancha, Copacabana, Leader of the Pack, Almost, Maine, The Good Doctor, and Pippin. Christine loves working with students of all ages, and her favorite moments are seeing the dancers light up on stage at the Recital.
Taryn, who has taught at Janet Hays and Co. since 2001, holds a B.A. in Performing Arts/Dance from LaRoche College, as well as a degree in Theatre. She spent her early years studying dance in the Pittsburgh area, taking ballet and modern classes from world renowned artists such as Tamar Rachelle, Ernest Tlentino, Anastasia Bedard, Gelsey Kirkland, Patrick Hinson, Ib Anderson, and Stephen Mills.
She has danced Balanchine ballets such as Serenade, Who Cares?, and Concerto Barocco, and she has choreographed sections of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Le Train Blu, the Nutcracker, and original works of The Little Mermaid, The Frog Prince, and Snow White and the Seven Merry Maids.
The past Assistant Artistic Director of Oil Region Ballet, Taryn’s original choreography has received many acknowledgements, such as “Attention Grabbing” and “Clean Lines and Proper Technique.” She also expanded her dance experience by teaching a ballroom program to at-risk youth, to help children make better life choices through dance.
Miss Taryn has had a successful career at Janet Hays and Co. with many of her groups receiving the highest overall score at dance competition, including her daughter and Show Biz Kid Brylin, along with numerous special awards.
She loves being a part of Janet Hays and Co. and looks forward to continuing to share her dance experience with our students, motivating them with upbeat, fun-loving humor, mixed with the traditional discipline of dance class.