At the young age of 3, Cori Heckmann-Moody began her dance training and fell in love with the rhythms and sounds of tap. After thirteen years of training and assisting, it wasn't long before Cori knew she wanted to share her passion for tap with others. For twelve years, Cori directed the tap programs for several studios throughout California, and in 2015 opened her own studio, Roseville Academy of Dance in Roseville, CA. With recognition from today's most popular dance competitions, Cori has won numerous awards for her choreography, most entertaining acts, and highest scoring tap performances at both the regional and national level. Her students have received high point awards, title awards, scholarships, and have taken home top honors from many dance competitions. Cori spends her free time continuing her dance education, choreographing and teaching master classes for studios throughout the United States, judging dance competitions, and running a private lesson based business, CHM Dance Productions. Cori loves teaching dance and is very excited to be returning for her fourth year with the KAR Dance Convention.

KEVIN HERMANN, now residing in San Diego, CA, began his dance training as a child in Albuquerque, NM. He went on to receive his formal training from the University of Arizona, where he graduated Cum Laude with a B.F.A. in dance. He has had the privilege of performing works by world-renowned choreographers Mia Michaels and Dee Caspary, and has danced with Malashock Dance and Company and the San Diego Opera. Kevin is a full time teacher and choreographer at The Element Dance Center in La Mesa, CA; winner of the 2008 FDC Pinnacle Cup. His students can be seen in national commercials for Welch's Grape Juice, Divaz Dolls, Target, Kraft, Mattel and McDonald's. He has also been awarded Teacher of the Year and Choreography of the Year from Kids Artistic Revue National Dance Competition. Kevin has also added video and television work to his credits including commercials for Allstate Insurance, videos for Los Angeles based singer Brooke Wilkes, Melissa Lowe's The New Ballet Workout (Kultur Productions), and has appeared dancing on CBS with Miss America 2000, Heather Renee French. Mr. Hermann continues to travel from coast to coast setting his high energy, unique choreography for kids of all ages and is in high demand for master classes and summer intensives. In addition, Kevin travels with the highly acclaimed Fusion Dance Workshops, a personalized in house intensive, to studios around the country. He enjoys sharing his love and passion for dance with kids around the country!

Mario Velez Jr. is a professional hip-hop choreographer and dancer\performer. Mario has toured and worked with artists such as Omarion, TLC, Rock Steady Crew, Fergie, My Chemical Romance, Brandy, Boyz II Men, Doug E. Fresh, Paula Abdul & many others! He has also toured with the world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters! Mario is currently performing and choreographing for the National Recording Artist, Jasmine Hormez and for Automatic Response Dance Crew which was featured on the show’s first season of “ America’s Best Dance Crew!”. He has also done work with the NBA and WNBA Phoenix Suns Dance Team, The Seattle Supersonics, The Warrior Girls , The Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Mercury Hip-Hop Squad. He has trained dancers that have worked with artist such as: Lady GaGa, The Jabbawockeez, Jason Derulo and pricipal dancer David Hallberg from ABT, and many others. Mario has also started an exciting and very passionate Dance Studio called Diverse Elements. His diversity also includes choreography for shows, Splash and Bottoms UP in Las Vegas NV, and Jubilation in Reno, NV. This was all possible because of his long time partner and wife Melissa Velez. Mario has one saying that he lives by-"Hip-hop is not just rapping and music, it is a culture, a way of life!"

Marisa is actively working in the world of theatre in addition to being the company artistic director and a choreographer for Ms. Karen's Dance Studio in North Little Rock, Arkansas. She is currently a board member for the Arkansas Dance Network to help promote and advocate the art of dance throughout the state of Arkansas. Marisa grew up dancing and competing and went on to earn a B.F.A in dance performance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Marisa has trained in many genres of dance including: tap, jazz, ballet, modern, ballroom, hip hop, lyrical/contemporary, clogging and musical theatre. Marisa has a special love for musical theater and has worked professionally as a choreographer, swing, dance captain and cast member in many professional productions and is also Equity membership candidate. As a choreographer and instructor for the Arkansas Repertory Theater's education program, Marisa has the opportunity to share her love of dance and theater with many aspiring young performers. She is currently collaborating with musicians and writers to create a brand new, all-original musical, Project élan which made its debut in July of 2013. She is also working on a reinvention of the Rogers & Hart classic, Pal Joey that will make its debut in September 2013. Some of her other most recent work includes productions of Cabaret, Irving Berlin's White Christmas and A Christmas Carol. Marisa has been recognized for her choreography both regionally and nationally and her students have also brought home many national and regional titles. Marisa hopes to continue to inspire students to pursue their dreams and perfect their craft.

Tawnya has been dancing for 25 years and has won numerous awards and scholarships. She has been teaching and choreographing all styles of dance for 13 years and has trained many scholarship winners, professional dancers, and national champions. She has also trained many dancers who have been accepted into prestigious dance programs and College dance programs such as ABT, Alvin Ailey, UC Irvine, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount, Marymount Manhattan, UCLA, among others. Tawnya received her B.A. in Dance from SJSU, where she was a member of their modern dance troupe, University Dance Theatre, under the direction of Julliard Alumni Gary Masters. After College she continued her training in a work study program at Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood California, one of the premiere dance studios in the nation where she trained under and assisted some of the worlds top choreographers including owner and master teacher, Bill Prudich. Throughout her training Tawnya has been fortunate to train with some of the best choreographers in the country. She discovered her love for fusing Ballet technique with Hip Hop and Contemporary styles while dancing with Funkanometry SF in their all female Hip Hop Company De La Femme. Currently, Tawnya is busy teaching, producing shows, and choreographing for companies, teams, award shows, and events such as "The NAACP Awards where she choreographed for Vanessa Williams and the "original dream girl" Sheryl Lee Ralph and dancers. In 2006 Tawnya and her husband (Motion Picture and Event Production Designer) Jason Kuzia were so excited to open the bay area’s newest dance center, Nor Cal Dance Arts, where Tawnya is also the Artistic director of it’s pre-professional dance companies and teams. Since it's opening the studio has seen great success and has grown into a new location and state of the art 10,500 sq ft. facility. The studio has been awarded "Best of San Jose" for 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. In June of 2009, Tawnya was selected as a National Finalist for the Capezio Award for Choreographic Excellence in NYC. The opportunities lead to the start of her professional company, Rugged Dance Company. While directing and choreographing for Rugged, Tawnya has had her work showcased at the notorious Roxy Theater in Hollywood Ca, Music Box Theater Hollywood Ca, Fort Mason Theater SF, Montgomery Theater San Jose, and many other venues. Through her work with the company she has been awarded the People's Choice award and Critics Choice at SJDanceCo's ChoreoProject Awards Concerts. Honored to grace the cover of the 25th anniversary issue, The Metro magazine named Tawnya as one of Silicon Valley's top 25 to watch as a next generation of leaders in their fields. The article signified her as a rising leader in Bay Area arts, alongside other great entrepreneurs such as Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. Regarded as one of the Bay Area's best instructors and contemporary choreographers Tawnya is so excited to be working with new and talented dancers and hopes to encourage performers and audience members to experience the art of dance in new and creative ways.