Faculty

2017-2018 Faculty

Cathy Brimley: 6th & 7th Grade teacher

Cathy Brimley began dancing at the age of 8 from Ballet West’s Bene’ Arnold (Ballet Mistress) and William F. Christensen (Artistic Director) at the University of Utah’s, Ballet extension program. She continued her intensive ballet training until college and completed her BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. She received her secondary teaching certificate while she was teaching at Judge Memorial Catholic High School. During that same period she danced with RDT TOO, under the direction of Linda C. Smith. Cathy has also taught at Hillcrest High School, Indian Hills Middle School and Union Middle School, as well as taught at Life Arts Center under the direction of Pearl Wagstaff Garff for over 16 years. It was during those years that she received the University of Utah Alumni Teacher of the Year Award, UAHPERD (Utah Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) Teacher of the Year Award, and a nomination for the Huntsman Teacher of the Year Award. She is a free-lance choreographer for many of the High Schools, Middle Schools and private studios throughout the valley. She is excited to be joining the wonderful staff and dancer’s at South Valley Creative Dance.

Heather Francis: 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade teacher

Heather Francis is a dancer, teacher and choreographer from Farmington, Utah. She studied Ballet for 15 years at Clytie Adams School of Ballet in Kaysville, Utah and spend a few years training at North Central Civic Ballet in Fort Worth, Texas. Heather graduated with a degree in Dance Education from Brigham Young University with a minor in mathematics education. While at BYU she performed with the Kinnect Dance Company and BYU dancEnsemble. She performed with Kinnect in Kingston, Jamaica and completed ethnographic field research on dance and drumming in Ghana, Africa. Since graduating Heather has taught dance full time at Granite Park Jr. High in South Salt Lake. She has performed with the Dance Teacher Exchange and presented choreography at the loveDANCEmore Mudson series. Additionally, she serves on the Dance and the Child International Utah committee and the Utah Dance Education Organization publicity committee. She is so excited to join the South Valley Creative Dance team!

Lauren Curley: 10th & UP Adv. Contemporary

Lauren Curley began her training at Walker’s Dance in Lowell, Massachusetts at the age of four. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Hartford’s The Hartt School with a BFA in Dance Performance under direction of Stephen Pier and was offered a contract with Repertory Dance Theatre the day after graduation. While at Hartt Lauren performed numerous soloist roles including Jose Limon’s “Primavera” from Dances for Isadora and the female solo from Psalm, under direction of Nina Watt. In addition she has studied at the Limon, Taylor, and Graham schools and Henny Juriens Stichting in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Lauren has taught extensively throughout the New England area and is very excited to continue teaching through RDT’s Dance Center on Broadway as well.

Tami Knubel: 3 & 4 Year Olds, K & 1st Grade, 4th & 5th Grade teacher

Tami Redd Knubel began dancing at the age of three, dancing with the University of Utah Virginia Tanner Creative Dance Program, The Life Arts Center, The Christensen Center and later the U of U’s Children’s Dance Theater. Tami holds a BA in modern dance and a BS in social work from Brigham Young University. Tami has taught for the Life Arts Center, the Waterford School and along with her husband Stephan, opened South Valley Creative Dance in 2004. In 2012, she turned ownership over to Nicholas Cendese, who she is thrilled to watch as he takes SVCD to new heights!