Who We Are

Ready, Set, Dance located in Gotha, Florida has been in business in the Orlando area for 10 years! We offer all types of dance for all ages and levels! Our studio offers a real "family atmosphere." During the time they spend with us, your children are our children!Along with our commitment to teach the art of dance, keeping your child safe is our highest priority! Our dancers and their families are active within our community, performing at many charity functions, school functions and public functions!

 

The staff at Ready, Set, Dance know how
important it is for dance to be fun... as well
as a learning experience!

 

 

 

About Tonya Sherie Matheny

2003 to Date  
Owner/Director of Ready, Set, Dance Studio, located in Gotha, Florida

 

1995 to 1998
Served as consultant to Creative Dance and Performing Arts Centers in Fairfax, Virginia.  Retained to educate CDPA on fund  raising for competitions, applying for “arts” grants, choreography for competition,  building a successful  dance company, training students for scholarship programs.

 

1987 to 1995
Owner/Director of Performing Arts Centers (West Palm Beach), Performing Arts West, (Royal Palm Beach), Performing Arts Wellington (Wellington), Directed a total student body of over 1000 students, 14 teachers and 3 studio managers.

 

Founder/Director of “Jampac” Dance Company, a non-profit dance company consisting of dancers ages 8 to 18.  “Jampac”  dancers performed within the community, attended workshops/competitions, and toured throughout the United States, Toured and performed throughout  Russia in 1990 at the invitation of the Soviet Government, also  toured/performed  in Denmark and Spain in 1990.

 

1987 to 1995
Choreographed  for television’s “Miami Vice!”, choreographed talent routines for Miss Florida, Miss Wellington, National Miss Teen and more.

 

1985-1990
Attended Dance Educators Teachers Training School in NYC. 
Attended summer session intensive of Teachers Training School at Western Kentucky University.

 

1981-1983
Moved to New York City, (age 17) studied dance at Joffrey Ballet, Steps and Carnegie Hall among others.  Studied with various teachers including Chuck Kelly, Luigi, Michael Shawn, Frank Hatchett, and  Robert Christopher.

Performed in a tribute to Ziegfeld Follies with Anne Reinking.

Attended NYU School of the Arts for dance.

 

1980
At the age of 16, danced for theme parks owned by Six Flags Atlantis, Frontierland in Cherokee, North Carolina and Ghost Town in the Sky. Triple Threat, dancing, singing and acting in 6 shows a day, 6 days a week!

 

1977
At the age of 13, auditioned and was accepted into the Palm Beach  Ballet Company.  Performed various roles in classical ballets and contemporary pieces

 

1970-1981
Studied ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics (tumbling) with The Thomas Dance Studio, a Dance Masters of America certified studio, and  taught for the Jon Mullen Performing Arts Centers. (Jon Mullen is an ex-Broadway dancer)

 

Accreditation: 
Member in good standing with Dance Educators of America  for over 18 years.  Dance Educators is one of only two organizations that test and certify dancers to teach. 

Member of Professional Dance Teachers of America for over 18 years. An organization dedicated to maintaining a high  quality of dance teachers in the United States.

Students dancing professionally: Orlando Ballet (4 previous students), Pacific Northwest Ballet, Cleveland/San Jose Ballet, Princeton Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Company, Boston Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet and Memphis Ballet.

 

Many past students have been on full scholarships with the following:  the prestigious Harid Conservatory, Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Boston Ballet, SAB (School of American Ballet), Interlochen School of the Arts, Chataqua to name a few.