Our Teachers
Tanya Bleil-Johnson
Tanya has owned and operated Just for Kicks School of Dance since 1991. While still in High School, Tanya was named one of President Bush's "Points of Light" and was honored at the capitol building for her work in the community. The studio was started in the basement of her childhood home with 26 students and quickly grew to become the biggest studio in Kitsap County. In 2009, she was awarded with the 40 under Forty award in Kitsap County. Her choreography has received high scores at Rainbow Dance Competition, Hollywood Connection, Jump Dance Convention, West Coast Dance Explosion, Spotlight Dance Convention, Showstopper Dance Convention and Dance Magic as well as winning the Grand Prize at the Admiral Theatre's Sounds of the Season Talent competition twice. She specializes in bringing out the showmanship and energy in her students and has developed lasting relationships with her students for more than 22 years.
Stephanie Brush
Stephanie received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from SUNY Geneseo and her Master of Arts in Education from Old Dominion University. She holds Washington State Teacher Certification in K-8 Elementary Education and in Theatre Arts. For the past ten years, she has worked as a director and choreographer of youth musical theater in public and private schools in the Puget Sound area and has taught musical theater dance at Just for Kicks School of Dance for the past seven years. In 2011, she was awarded the 40 under Forty award in Kitsap County for her work teaching children in Theatre Arts. Stephanie has also been seen in a variety of productions throughout the Puget Sound. Some of her favorite roles have included The Cat in the Hat in Seussical The Musical at Western Washington Center of Performing Arts and Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown at Paradise Theater.
Andrew Pontious originally from Bremerton, Washington started studying ballet at the age of 11 with Pacific Northwest Balllet. At the age of 15 he left for Washington D.C. and graduated from the Kirov Academy of Ballet in 2010. He began his professional career with the Dresden Semper Opera Ballet in Germany where he spent two Seasons. He then moved then moved to Madrid, Spain and danced for the Victor Ullate Ballet Comunidad de Madrid this past year. He is happy to be home dancing in the Pacific Northwest and in New York with the Thomas Ortiz Dance Company.
Taylor Scott
Taylor Scott has been teaching at Just For Kicks for the past five years and has been dancing at Just For Kicks for seventeen years. Taylor also studied under Kirsten Cooper at Westlake Dance Center in Seattle, Washington for six years where she trained at a pre-professional level. She has performed on national stages while working closely with choreographers such as Stacey Tookey, Mandy Moore, Natalie Reid, and Mary Ann Lamb. Taylor is a well rounded dancer and instructor and has won numerous choreography awards while instructing in jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, and ballet.
