With a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance from Loyola Marymount University, 20 years of teaching experience, and 13 years of studio and production management behind her, Amanda Davis is the proud founder and owner of Transitions Dance Center. Amanda has been a member of the Yuba-Sutter community for nearly 30 years. She has worked on numerous community projects and performances - choreographing for the Yuba College Theatre Department and The Acting Company, acting as Cast Coordinator for Adventist and Rideout's, "Dancing With Our Stars",  and as an assistant choreographer for Way, Way, Way Off Broadway to name a few. She is excited to open Transitions Dance Center and create a space for dancers to develop and grow as artists and humans. 

Samantha Chizek, a dancer, choreographer, and instructor. She completed her B.A. in Dance at California State University, Sacramento in 2021. Has been dancing in the Yuba-Sutter and Sacramento area for over 20 years and has had the pleasure of dancing in pieces by Keri LaGrand, Mike Esperanza, Melecio Estrella of Bandalooping, Darrius Strong of STRONGmovement, Pat Taylor of JazzAntiqua, and Leandro Damasco Jr. She has worked with professors from both San Diego State University and Sacramento State University including; Leslie Seiters, Joe Alter, Bernard Brown, Lorelei Bayne, Megan Brunsvold-Mercedes.

Samantha is the Artistic Director of Nhan Ho Project. A contemporary fusion based dance company in Sacramento that is dedicated to bringing the surrounding community together through dance and movement. She is also a member of Borne Dance Company, a contemporary dance company based in Sacramento and New York. Borne Dance Company is dedicated to raising awareness to mental health, eating disorders, and body positivity through art and movement.

She also teaches some contemporary and adult dance classes at Step 1 Dance and Fitness in Natomas. She has choreographed in various styles for competitive dance teams, who have competed and participated in workshops/conventions all over California and Nevada. She enjoys sharing her passion for dance and being able to share such an art form with the students.

“To touch, to move, to inspire. This is the true gift of dance.” -Aubrey Lynch

Andrea Dunham was born and raised in the Yuba Sutter area. She began dance at the age of 5 with Colleen Holt of Colleens Dance Factory, and trained with her until she graduated from Yuba city High School in 1993. During her time at Colleen’s, she competed on the National television show, “Star Search”, attended dance conventions and competitions across the country, and frequently trained at top studios in the Los Angeles Area, such as “The Edge” and “Tremaine’s”. Her professional dance credits include, ensemble dancer for the Music Circus production of “Singing in the Rain”, member of the Sacramento Kings “Fastbreak Dance Team” for five seasons, and member of the dance troupe “City Slam” of San Francisco. Andrea also held the titles of both Mini Miss Yuba Sutter and Miss Yuba Sutter. She has taught many styles of dance in the Yuba Sutter/Sacramento areas over the past 30 years, and currently enjoys sharing her love of tap with growing dancers at TDC. When she is not teaching dance, you will find her working as a special education teacher for Yuba county office of education or spending time with her family of six!

Shelley Fish started her gymnastics training at age 10. Her training led her to a private gymnastics club where she was a competitive gymnast all the way through her days at Chico State University. While on the Women’s Gymnastics Team at Chico state, she advanced all the way to Nationals where she was able to compete in Springfield, Massachusetts. Shelley spent several years teaching, choreographing and judging gymnastics and is excited to bring her knowledge into the classroom with the dancers at TDC.

Angelica Gomer, a dancer, a teacher and a therapist. Angelica has been dancing for 20+ years and has been teaching for a little over 3 years. She grew up in the Yuba- Sutter area and loved her roots in performing, competing and learning new styles. 

Angelica received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Whitworth University in 2019 with a double minor in Sociology and Dance. While at Whitworth she preformed for three consecutive years in the American College Association and had the privilege from learning from a variety of college professors. 

In 2021 she received her Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology from William Jessup University and is currently working as a marriage and family therapist. 

Angelica also teaches contemporary at Rising Stars. She enjoys being able to pursue the things she loves in a variety of ways and aims to create an environment where dance is fun, positive and creative.

Lena Bautista started dancing when she was 6 years old, and has trained in Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary and her absolute favorite, Hip Hop! She's worked with choreographers and master teachers such as G. Madison IV, Nico O'Connor, and Kelsey Cena. When she isn't on the dance floor, you can find her at the Paul Mitchell School for Cosmetology where Lena is working to obtain her Cosmetology License!

We love how excited Miss Lena is to be a part of the TDC family and love that she pours her passion for Hip Hop into teaching.

Katelyn Counts has been dancing since she was 13 years old and has trained in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Modern, and Hip-Hop. Although she had a later start than most dancers, that did not interfere with her passion and drive for the art form. She has danced in pieces with choreographers such as G. Maddison IV, Nico O'Connor, and Elizabeth Auclair. Katelyn was in the Martha Graham Residency at the University of Nevada, Reno. The residency resulted in the dancers opening for the Martha Graham Dance Company with Martha Graham's "Heritic" at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in Reno, Nevada. She has worked with professors at both University of Nevada Reno and California State University such as Nate Hodges, Rosie Trump, Eve Allen Garza, Cari Cunningham, and Erin Reynolds. When not at Transitions, Katelyn can be found dancing with Nhan Ho Dance Project or at Sacramento State University studying Health Sciences and Dance. 

She is so excited to continue to pursue and share her knowledge in dance as she works towards becoming a nurse in women's health.

Mariah Larios is a performer, a teacher, and choreographer. Growing up in the Yuba-Sutter area, she attended Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts and went on to receive her Bachelors of Arts in Musical Theatre from California State University East Bay. Mariah has trained in jazz, tap, ballet, ballroom, musical theatre dance, voice, and acting. In the summer of 2016, she went to the Open Jar Institute in New York City where she took master classes from Broadway professionals such as Thayne Jasperson, Bob Cline, Stacia Fernandez, Joseph Mitchell Parks, and James Gray. Now you can see Mariah performing and choreographing locally. Mariah has been teaching since 2017 and is thrilled to be a part of the TDC family!

Melissa trained in Ballet, Tap and Jazz at Colleen’s Dance Factory for 12 years right here in Yuba City.  In college she continued with dance and started country partner dancing as well.  But then she got the silly idea that grown-ups do "grown-up" things and that doesn’t include dance.  In 2015 she finally realized that she was grown-up enough to not believe that nonsense any more and found a West Coast Swing class in a school gym in Montana.  Six months later she was teaching lessons, serving in community leadership and competing at WCS Conventions.  In 2018 she relocated back to Yuba City and began to focus on dance professionally.  She began teaching again at Downtown Dance in Chico and now teaches here at Transitions, at 916 Swing in Sacramento, and at several other monthly and regional dances.

Laurissa Poma-Sweet began her dancing adventure with Studio B at the age of 5 learning the incredible genres of ballet, jazz, tap, musical theater then advancing to contemporary and pointe. She spent 7 years participating in the Yuba City Youth Ballet Company. With her time in YCYB, she participated in community events including Pink October Runs, Blue Star Mom’s, Salvation Army Bell Ringing and Turkey Drives and had been given the opportunity to learn from extraordinary Master Teachers, operate as a co-director to the Student Showcase for 3 years, participate in competition at California Dance Classics and attended the Regional Dance America Convention where she earned scholarships for summer dance intensives and colleges for dance. During her Senior year in school, she joined Transition Dance Center. Laurissa looks forward to learning more from the TDC family and continuing to extend her knowledge in the dancing community.

Transitions Dance Center has qualified instructors ready to meet your dancers' needs. If you are interested in joining the faculty at TDC, please send your resume to amanda@transitionsdance.com