Amanda Westergard
Owner, Instructor, SWDC Director
Amanda is the Owner and Director of Studio W and teaches classes in ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary and acro each week. She is also the Director of our Dance Company. Amanda began dancing in 2004, when she was 14 years old. Since then, she has danced with many different instructors in Sonoma County and studied dance at Santa Rosa Junior College. Amanda danced with Surge Modern Dance company and has performed in five of SRJC’s annual spring performances. She also has choreographed dances for the SRJC performances. During her eleven years of teaching, she began a dance company, a summer camp program and made several life long friendships. Amanda has seventeen years experience in teaching ballet, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, tumbling, choreography and preschool dance programs. Her favorite thing about teaching is she’s also always learning and growing her skills as a dancer and instructor.
Andrea Tidd
Instructor, SWDC Co-Director
Andrea began dancing and doing theatre when she was 8 years old. She really fell in love with the process of learning, applying and finally getting on stage for a big performance. She graduated from Art Quest at Santa Rosa High School in 2005, and went on to study dance in college. She has worked with children for almost 10 years and loves every moment of it. Her favorite color is orange and she loves her garden. She has an 8 year old son and two dogs, Luna and Obi. She is so happy to be part of the Studio W family and can’t wait to watch all the kids grow and learn.
Taylor Haney
Hip Hop Instructor
Taylor found dance to be her passion while expressing herself creatively through music and gymnastics growing up. In 2010, she began dancing on the Windsor High School Dance Team and, by senior year, became the choreographer. Between 2012 and 2015, Taylor performed and competed with Santa Rosa hip-hop dance crews and later started her own after opening up a dance studio called Canopy Dance Co. Taylor started a high school hip-hop dance club called Syncing Society and coached the Windsor High School Dance Team prior to opening up her own dance studio. She has taught dance in elementary schools throughout Sonoma County with Luther Burbank Center’s Dancers Unite program, along with teaching dance classes to all ages at Art & Soul, The Dance Center and Windsor Fitness Club. Taylor is committed to the hip-hop and heels dance community in Sonoma County and creates an all-inclusive vibe because she believes everybody deserves the opportunity to express themselves through dance.
Katelyn Blockinger
Tap Instructor
Katelyn is a seasoned performer, with over 20 years of professional credits. An Ohio native, Katelyn grew up dancing every moment possible, competing with her local studio and performing with many Cleveland professional theaters. She moved to New York City and graduated from the Musical Theatre program at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts with a focus on Dance.
Shortly after graduation, Katelyn was offered a position in the long running Las Vegas showgirl spectacular Donn Arden’s Jubilee! where her high kicking, glamorous costume wearing dreams came true. She also performed extensively with a vintage style company, the LA Follies during her years in Los Angeles.
Katelyn has appeared in regional theatre productions all over the country, and a couple internationally! She spent many years in Portland, Oregon teaching tap, choreographing musicals and performing locally.
She has a passion for passing on her knowledge and loves to watch students grow as performers. Katelyn hopes to inspire the next generation of performers, while continuing to educate about the roots of dance, especially the iconic choreographers who made dance what it is today.
