Tamara Zink – Studio Director & Owner/Competition Director/Instructor/Choreographer/Private Coach & Mentor/Cleaner/Travel Coach/Dancer
Tamara Zink has been the Studio Director and Owner of Artistry in Motion Dance & Performing Arts Studio for 12 years and has been instructing dance for over 40 years. Her areas of expertise include (but are not limited to): Ballet and Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, and Acting.
Miss Tamara has a love for teaching and bringing out the gifts of each student. She is fervent in exploring the many sides of oneself and finding the inner passion and love for one’s art form. She has a gift for instilling a wonderful work ethic and quality of technique, knowing a dancer shines through when adding artistry.
Miss Tamara has dedicated a lifetime to coaching and mentoring students in the performing arts and has numerous students with full careers on Broadway, working in LA and Las Vegas, and as members of professional companies in the United States and Europe. Some highlights include:
- Chantelle Pianetta: SAB, NYC Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Company C, Menlowe Ballet, currently a Soloist with Golden State Ballet and West Coast Swing Dance Champion
- Anthony Huxley: currently a Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet
- Dancer at the LA Dance Awards and signed to BlocLA (talent agency)
- Professional dancers in NYC
- Dancers accepted and attending Interlochen
Miss Tamara has trained, danced, taught, choreographed, and mentored for 23 years in the Bay Area, 10 years in Boston and NYC, and the rest in the PNW (not necessarily in that order). She started dancing at the age of five in Spokane at the Tessa Williams School of Ballet. Throughout her career, she trained in the Royal Academy of Dance (London, England) curriculum through which she is a Full Member earned by exams, as well as Balanchine and Vaganova styles. In her youth, she attended the Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts in Boston, affiliated with Boston Ballet, and the Banff School of Fine Arts. She was also selected for the National Ballet of Canada training program. Some of her instructors included: Nicolas Orloff (Russian), Valerie Taylor (England), Alan Hooper (England), Jonathan Watts (Joffrey), and Edward Villella (Miami City Ballet). She has danced locally and nationally on stages in Boston, NYC, Canada, Florida, SF Bay Area, Spokane, and Seattle. Some of her favorite roles include: Stars and Stripes (Pas), Giselle (Pas), Sleeping Beauty (Soloist), and many more. Later, she was also a College Dance Team Captain and National Winner USA Cheer/Dance, a coach for cheer and dance, and a Jazzercise Instructor! She also did some modeling and won Little Miss Spokane, Little Miss Washington, was a California Miss America Talent Winner, appearing on the Jerry Lewis Telethon, in parades, and more.
While in the San Franciso Bay area, teaching, choreographing, and performing, she served as the Ballet Director and a Competition Choreographer for Dance Connection Studio under Studio Owner, Paula Henson. Some highlights of her work there include:
- “Classical Kids”, an LA Tony Selznick Production Ballet Competition Trio (Choreographer)
- “Rodeo” and “Newsies” chosen and featured on the American Stage at Disney World (Choreographer)
- “Clara’s Christmas Fantasy”, an original re-telling of the Nutcracker, performed at the Dean Lesher Theatre-Paula Henson for over seven years (Producer/Choreographer)
- Multiple awards for competition pieces, including: Outstanding Choreographer, Regional and National 1st Places and Overall High Scores
Miss Tamara has also performed and choreographed for multiple award-winning regional theaters, including: Center Repertory, Contra Costa Musical Theatre, Diablo Light Opera, Piedmont Light Opera, Pacific Light Opera, Pleasanton Playhouse, DVC Theatre, and Willows Theatre. Some of her productions include (*indicates Equity House):
- Brigadoon (Maggie) at Contra Costa Musical Theatre – Featured role, award nominated
- Oklahoma (Dream Laurey) at Piedmont Light Opera – Partnered with San Francisco Ballet Dancer
- A Chorus Line (Cassie, Larry, Assistant Choreographer, Cleaner) for Multiple Productions
- Wizard of Oz (Glinda) at Piedmont Light Opera
- A Secret Garden (Featured Dancer, Dreamer Singer) at Diablo Light Opera
- My Fair Lady (Featured Dancer, Ensemble) at Contra Costa Musical Theatre
- Oklahoma (Gertie, Featured Dancer) at Diablo Light Opera
- Fiddler on the Roof (Choreographer) at Piedmont Light Opera
- Scarlet Pimpernel (Featured Dancer, Dance Captain) at Diablo Light Opera
- Sweet Charity (Dancer) at Contra Costa Musical Theatre
- Music Man (Dancer) at Center Rep*
- Jekyll & Hyde (Featured Dancer, Choreographer) at Willows Theatre*
- Boys from Syracuse (Choreographer) at Contra Costa Musical Theatre
- Annie (Choreographer) for Multiple Productions
- Oliver (Choreographer) at Pleasanton Playhouse
- Once Upon a Mattress (Choreographer) at Piedmont Light Opera
- Cabaret (Featured Dancer) at UC Santa Clara
- Aida (Dancer) at Spokane Opera House with Choreographer John McFall (San Francisco Ballet)
- Soul Mirror, an original production (Producer, Director, Choreographer) at Lesher Center of the Arts in Walnut Creek featuring future stars: Chantelle Pianetta (Soloist Golden State Ballet), Anthony Huxley (Principal Dancer NYC Ballet), Traci Shibata (LA Industry Dancer/Choreographer on Tour with Pink), Madeline Trumble (Broadway, including: Katherine in Newsies, Mary Poppins First National Tour US, Mary in The King and I, Wicked US Tour) and others
- ACT San Francisco (Performer, Training)
- Fantasy Forum Member – Walnut Creek Theatre Group
Since returning to the PNW, Miss Tamara’s primary focus has been her studio, Artistry in Motion Dance and Performing Arts Studio (AIM). The studio has a strong training program in all areas of the performing arts for pre-professional students and recreational students, as well as a flourishing adult program. Each year, the students’ work is highlighted in competitions, conventions, and full productions like the Winter Showcase and June Showcase. Miss Tamara’s emphasis on leadership and mentoring produces well-rounded artists with a strong foundation of technique and a passion for artistic expression.
Under her guidance, AIM’s competition team and individual dancers and performers have won numerous awards and received many invitations, scholarships, and roles, including:
-
- YAGP Regional Semi-Finals in Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco: Top 12 placements in both Classical and Contemporary, including: 1st in Contemporary, 1st in Small Group (Duo), 3rd in Classical and Contemporary, resulting in invitations to Finals
- Classical Ballet Scholarships and Acceptances into Summer Intensives, including: SAB, PNB, SFB, Houston Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, The Rock School, CYPB, Boston Ballet, Walnut Hill, Joffrey, ABT, Alberta Ballet, Ballet West
- Regional & National Competition and Convention Awards and Invitations, including: NYCDA, KAR, Spotlight, DanceMakers, Velocity, Thunderstruck, Radix, Nuvo, Jump, and 24/7
- AIM Dancers selected as Convention Assistants: Celebrity, Spotlight, Radix, and AOM
- Lead roles in regional theater productions
- Other highlights include: Top Studio Thunderstruck, Spotlight Dance Cup Sweepstakes Award, KAR Intermediate Top Studio & Elite Top Studio, Studio Excellence Awards, KAR Ultimate Performance Awards, NYCDA Awards, DanceMakers Judges Choice Awards, Multiple nominations for The Dance Awards and Industry Dance Awards
Outside of dance, Miss Tamara holds a BS from Santa Clara University in Political Science/Pre-law. She is the mother of two fabulous daughters, Chantelle Pianetta, a professional ballet dancer and West Coast Swing Champion, and Cassandra Pianetta, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, dancer, actress, and singer. Miss Tamara and her husband, Joe, currently reside in Spokane.
