TAWNY CHAPMAN, born and raised in Orange County, California has been dancing with Backhausdance since August 2005. She completed her BFA in Dance Performance at Chapman University, where she graduated summa cum laude and was awarded the Fannie Kalis Award given to a graduating senior for outstanding contributions to dance. Prior to college, Tawny trained with the Commercial Dance department at the Orange County High School of the Arts. Her professional performance credits include a Yo-Yo Ma music video, Jazz Dance World Congress as a guest artist with Jazz Spectrum Dance Company, Sean Greene Dance Company and William Lu's DAS Dance. Tawny has had the opportunity to work closely with renowned educators and choreographers Alonzo King, Arturo Fernandez, Sean Greene, Jodie Gates, Molly Lynch, Brenda Way, KT Nelson, Liz Imperio and Dee Caspary, among others. Tawny is currently on faculty at Impact Dance Center, Pacific Coast Academy of Dance and Orange County High School of the Arts. She also directs the dance program at Crystal Cathedral High School and Middle School in Garden Grove and is the Artistic Director of Leverage Dance, a pre-professional company geared toward dancers ages 17 to 22.