Jen Hurd: Owner / Director, Company & Academy Instructor

Jen founded the studio in 2008. She saw a need in the area for a studio that was more family-focused and inclusive. Jen has danced since she could walk and has taught dance to both competitive and recreational teams for the past 17 years. With one degree in Film Studies and another degree in Elementary Education, Jen has experience in producing and teaching, which help her in her responsibilities in the studio. Jen has won many choreography and studio awards over the years. She has an incredible staff that has supports her in all her goals, one of her main goals being giving dancers a safe and positive environment to dance in. Being in the dance world has brought her many life lessons, opportunities, and life-long friendships. Jen feels very blessed to know she is part of these dancer’s childhoods and considers herself fortunate to have this as her career. Apart from directing the studio, Jen is a mother of two awesome kids and considers the studio a part of the family. She is also a lover of all things Harry Potter, Disney, road trips, history, tubing rivers, camping, diet coke, and chocolate.

Joanna Howard: Assistant Director, Company & Academy Instructor

Jo has been dancing for over 20 years. From the second her feet hit the dance floor, she has had an undeniable love for all kinds of dance. She has competed in everything from Hip Hop to Contemporary, Lyrical to Character. She was a member of her High School Drill and Cheer Teams. She has been teaching for the last ten years and loves creating a story with her choreography. Miss Jo loves her students! She feels there is no greater reward than seeing their confidence and passion grow. Whether it be on or off the dance floor, she is continually trying to help them find love for themselves and those around them. She hopes to be a positive influence in their lives as they always better hers. Apart from her teaching career, she is a proud mother to three amazing children. She is so excited for this upcoming season with her Diversity family and can't wait for all of the amazing things they will accomplish together.

Shauntay Olson: Tumbling Director

Shauntay started taking tumbling and dance at the age of 3. By the age of 9 she was taking power tumbling and gymnastics from USA in Ogden. Shauntay enjoyed going to many competitions for tumbling, including State and Nationals. She was ranked 2nd in the Nation for her level, placing just behind a team member by only 1/10th of a point. Her favorite passes included full twists and back fronts. She was also a Cheerleader in High School where she loved all aspects of the sport. With Shauntay having a background in dance as well, she is able to teach the importance of technique into tumbling. She can spot anything from a cartwheel to a full twist. Shauntay has a love for children and the ability to manage any chaos kids can throw at her! Shauntay is married and a mother of three.

Brie Allred: Company and Academy Instructor

Brie has been teaching dance on and off for the past 20 years. She danced at WSU and then became the coach! They took Nationals all three years that she coached and cherishes the lifelong friendships and lessons she learned through it all. Aside from teaching, Brie has a degree in Interior Design and is currently chasing another degree in Sociology. She loves to hike the trails with her three kids and spends most of her free time at the gym. This is Brie's fifth year teaching for Diversity Dance and her favorite style to teach is Hip Hop!

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Alli Ball: Company Instructor

Alli Ball is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in Northern Utah. She currently works at Box Elder High as the Online Lab teacher, head coach of the drill team and dance company. In high school, she was captain of Viewmont High’s drill team and dance company, and a member of the All-State drill team in 2015. Alli was then accepted into the University of Utah’s modern dance program. While there, she danced in the Performing Dance Company in pieces choreographed by Jackie Lopez (2016) and Sara Pickett (2018), as well as a graduate thesis work by Louisa Rankin (2017). In May 2019, Alli graduated with her B.F.A in Modern Dance with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. The University of Utah awarded her with the Dee Winterton Teaching Award and the Steve Koester Choreography Award. She has been teaching dance, including acro, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, and ballet, for five years at multiple studios, as well as assistant coaching the Davis High Drill Team (2016-2017). Alli has also created choreography for the Davis High Drill Team, Viewmont High Dance Company, The Dance Factory, and Studio 1.

Kortnee Balls: Company & Academy Instructor, Tumbling Assistant

Kortnee has danced since before she can remember and considers dance her greatest passion. She trained with a local studio for 10 years in all forms of dance including ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, contemporary, and tap. She then went on to become a member of her high school Drill Team where she served as team Secretary and made the All-Region Drill team. After graduation, Kortnee then went on to dance at Snow College on their recreational team and helped teach at a few local studios. She has always considered dancing an escape and a place for her to express herself and hopes to be able to share that with her students. She has helped teach and choreograph many dances over the years and fits in perfectly at Diversity Dance with her drive and passion.

Katie Wyatt: Company and Academy Instructor

Katie started dance when she was three years old and has danced ever since. Over the years she has taken many different types of dance and loves them all. She was a member of the Viewmont High School drill team as well as dance company. Her favorite memories of dance while growing up were performing at Kingsbury Hall, competing at the U of U, and all the friendships made along the way. Katie especially loved dancing in college at Utah State. Go Aggies! She is a wife and mom of two kids who she loves very much. Katie loves the happiness and confidence that dance empowers people with and she is so excited to be part of the Diversity team!

Jenie Labrum: Creative Movement

Jenie was raised in South Eastern Utah and has loved dance since she can remember. Having four younger sisters, Jenie began teaching dance early. She would hold “dance” classes for all the neighborhood kids. In junior high and high school she danced on the school Drill/Dance teams and had the opportunity to take ballet classes from CEU. To give back to her community, Jenie taught dance classes once a week to younger dancers with her teammates. Jenie was fortunate enough to gain a dance scholarship and was able to dance in college where she fell in love with contemporary dance and performing arts. Jenie was also a member of the Baggerettes; the Snow College dance team, which afforded her many amazing dance experiences. After college, dance took a backseat as Jenie’s growing family became the love of her life. She still found ways to fill her love of creative dance though with teaching aerobic classes, which include floor, step, kickboxing, spinning, hip hop hustle, Zumba, interval, and currently Jazzercise. Jenie immensely enjoys teaching children the art of dance, how to move their bodies and express themselves through their movements. She loves to teach them HOW to dance and how to LOVE dance, which is what Creative Movement is all about.

Witney Wayment: Ballet Instructor

Witney began dancing ballet when she was 3 years old and knew right away that she loved it. As she grew, she performed in multiple Nutcracker productions, recitals, and ballet programs. She was able to train with Ballet West and had the opportunity to audition for and be admitted to BYU's competitive Summer Ballet Camps, which really sealed her love for classical ballet. Witney continued her classical ballet training all the way through college when she got her degree in Nursing. Witney is a wife and a mother to four busy kids. She has found so much happiness in being able to teach kids (including one of her own) her love of classical ballet at Diversity Dance!

Sarah Carlson: Strength & Conditioning

Sarah started dancing at age 13 and immediately feel in love! She danced with her high school drill team all through high school and served as the president her senior year as well as being an All-State dancer, and won the drill down at the State competition. She then went on to Dixie State University and danced with their competition dance team and helped teach at a studio in St. George. Sarah received her degree in Sports Therapy and is over our amazing Strength & Conditioning class to help our students become stronger and more capable of using their muscles. She is so grateful for the opportunities and confidence dance has given her and hopes to be able to share that with her students and is so excited to be a part of Diversity Dance!

Heather Hansen: Tumbling Coach

Heather has been involved in the dance world since the age of 3. She has been on competitive teams in power tumbling and cheerleading since age 12. After graduating high school, she became a power tumbling coach and was the cheerleading coach at West Point Junior High School for several years. She loves teaching and is passionate about the awesome sport of tumbling! Heather has been married for 14 years and has 4 wonderful children.

Cherry Burnett: Assistant Tumbling Coach

Cherry gets to be the grandmother of the studio as she is Jen’s mom! Cherry was born and raised in the big city of Ogden, Utah. She spent her whole childhood tumbling and dancing. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she wanted a big family. Her wish came true with four wonderful children who grew up way too fast. Cherry also runs “The Cherry On Top”, which is workout classes in the studio weekday mornings at 5:00 AM! Cherry loves working with children and she has 50 years of experience in gathering kids together, teaching them to learn and grow, and to have fun together. Cherry’s goal in life is to be an example of kindness and to help others see the good in themselves by doing their very best. Cherry is excited to work with your children and to assist the parents in building great kids with high self-esteem and a bright future!

Heather Walker: Lead Front Desk Receptionist

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Jacinda Heyder: Front Desk Receptionist

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Candice Benzon: Front Desk Receptionist

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Heidi Thrapp: Bookkeeper

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Monaka Leishman: Cleaning & Maintenance

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