Tammy's School
of Dance
Tammy Clune
Owner/Director
Tammy Clune is proud to be the Owner/Director of Tammy’s School of Dance in Wexford. With over 30 years of teaching experience, Tammy still loves spending time instructing children of all ages and levels.
Tammy grew up dancing in the Pittsburgh area and was a student of many professional dancers and choreographers. She attends, along with her students, annual dance conventions throughout the U.S. where she learns the latest teaching styles and techniques. Before opening this studio in 1995, Tammy started successful dance programs in the North Hills School District for over 1,000 students.
Many of the TSD students have received awards including “Studio Dancer of the Year” at Tremaine Dance Conventions in NYC, “Outstanding Performance in Jazz/Contemporary/Musical Theatre” at JUMP dance conventions and several choreography awards. Tammy’s School of Dance has been honored by the community multiple times as “North Hills Best Dance Studio of the Year” and “Best Instructor of the Year”. Because of Tammy’s experience, she is able to offer the highest quality of instruction in all areas and levels of dance. Technique, performance, stage presence and building self-esteem is our focus, not competition. Tammy is very proud to offer quality instruction with a fabulous staff and flexible schedules for busy families.
Tammy recently traveled to Las Vegas where she successfully completed the Module One Acrobatic Arts Teacher Certification Course. Acrobatic Arts is now part of the TSD Acrodance curriculum. Tammy resides in Harmony Twp. with her husband Chris and has two daughters, Amber and Victoria.
Victoria Clune
Assistant Director
Victoria discovered her love of dance when she enrolled with Tammy’s School of Dance at the age of two. She is actively involved and spends countless hours at TSD training and living her dream of teaching the younger dancers. Victoria’s teaching experience started at age nine as a teacher’s assistant. Two years later she was running summer dance camps with the help of Miss Tammy, after school dance programs and dance birthday parties. Her experience with teaching ages 3-18 is a great advantage in the field of dance.
In addition to dancing, Victoria enjoys anything to do with performing on stage. She performed in all 4 North Allegheny Musicals during High School and was selected as the Dance Captain during her Junior and Senior years. Since graduating from NA in 2017, Victoria has been actively involved in the district’s Middle School Musical program. She has had the opportunity to choreograph shows such as The Lion King Jr, Elf the Musical, High School Musical Jr, and is currently working on the next show. Along with her musical theatre performances, Victoria was selected to perform with Millennium Dance Complex for the Harlem Globetrotters Halftime Show as well as take part in a music video choreographed and directed by Point Park University graduates.
Victoria values every second she gets to work alongside her mom and mentor Tammy. When she is not in the studio teaching or learning, Victoria continues her education through in-person and online dance courses. She is currently certified in Acrobatic Arts Training, NDEO Pedagogy and Content Knowledge of Dance, and Developmental Domains in Dance.
Victoria has attended many dance conventions in Las Vegas, Nashville, New York City and Pittsburgh over the past decade, having the opportunity to train under some of the most highly respected and talented instructors in the industry. Victoria is more than ready to share her passion and knowledge of dance with others. She takes great pride in her position at Tammy’s School of Dance and can’t wait to begin her 6th season!
Kate Pompa
Kate began her dance career at 3 years old at the Hamilton School of Dance on Long Island, New York. As a student at the BOCES High School for Performing Arts, Kate started performing regularly with the school's cultural arts company, specializing in the areas of ballet, lyrical, and contemporary dance. Kate performed in numerous Long Island productions including Hofstra University's Cabaret, St. Gregory Theatre's Guys and Dolls, and the Rockville Centre Guild for the Art's Little Mary Sunshine and Damn Yankees.
Kate moved to Pittsburgh in 1998 to train at the Conservatory of Performing Arts where she earned her Bachelors in Dance and had the opportunity to study under many esteemed dance professionals including Nicholas Petrov, Ronald Tassone, Judith Leifer-Bentz and many others. Kate was able to perform at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in various productions including Cinderella, Passions of Dance, as well as, featuring her choreography in Playhouse Dance Company's Tomorrow's Choreographers.
Kate discovered her love for teaching when she became an instructor at Miss Holly's Dance Studio as it opened its doors to the Plum community in 1999 and where she remained for the following 16 years.
With a recent move to the Franklin Park area with her husband, son and daughter Kate is excited to begin as a member of the TSD faculty where she hopes to continue to share her love of dance with all of her new students!
Annette Elphinstone
Annette Elphinstone grew up taking classes at her local dance studio, Louise School of Dance. Later, she attended Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School (LPPACS) as a Dance major and Musical Theatre minor, where her love for performing and creating grew.
Annette graduated from LPPACS and simultaneously obtained her Associates Degree in Dance and Dance Education. During the next three years, she attended Point Park University to earn a BA in Dance as well as a minor in Sports, Arts, and Entertainment Management.
After graduating, she has had the opportunity to dance and perform in Chicago with Chicago Danzetheatre Ensemble, Columbus for the Columbus Arts Festival, and Pittsburgh with MURRDance.
Now back in Pittsburgh, Annette is excited to be back teaching dance for her fourth year with TSD!
Shannon Kennedy
Miss Shannon began formal dance lessons at the age of 3 at a studio in Titusville, Pa. She found her love of teaching at the age of 15 when asked to instruct cheerleading at the local YWCA. Throughout her teenage years, she continued to study dance at a small studio called Titusville Dance Conservatory and participated in summer programs put on by Dafmarc Ballet of Erie, PA. During this time, Shannon studied French, Vaganova, and Cicchetti styles of ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, and contemporary dance.
Shannon continued her dance studies at LaRoche University, where she earned her BA in performing arts with a concentration in the Vaganova method of ballet with a minor in psychology. While at LaRoche, she participated in an independent study of pedagogy, the science of teaching dance, with Nicholas Petrov. She had the privilege of learning from Kenneth Nickel, Sara Everhart, Mary Cunckleman-Chippan, Claudia Morris, Beth Robertshaw, and Gerard Holt. Her repertoire included The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Giselle, Pas De Quatre (as Fanny Cerrito), and Reign de Egypt, an original by Gerard Holt (as Cleopatra).
After graduation in 2002, Shannon began her career in dance instruction at Michelle's Dance Center. At Michelle's, she specialized in the ballet program for competitive and non-competitive students and choreographed pieces for national competitions. Since then, she has instructed at several studios in the region, including The Dancen' Place, North Pittsburgh Dance Academy, and North Pittsburgh Dance Alliance. Shannon has taught ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip hop, tumbling, and contemporary dance forms. Many of her students went on to collect Gold, Hi-Gold, and Platinum awards for their talents.
Shannon resides in Cranberry Twp with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. She is ecstatic to join the studio family and start molding young minds in the art of dance.
brenna hayden
Brenna Hayden started dance at the age of 10 in Saint Louis, Missouri. She trained at local dance studios and started competitive dance at the age of 12. Later, she began training at Saint Louis Ballet to further her ballet education.
While there she found her love for choreographing and started choreographing for local dance competitions. Her choreography received many choreography awards and judges choice awards.
Currently, she is attending Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA to obtain a BFA in jazz dance and train under the instruction of Jason McDole, Kiki Lucas, Rocker Verastique, Crystal Frazier, and Susan Stowe. She has been trained in contemporary, ballet, jazz, modern, tap, hip-hop, dance history, and injury prevention.
Brenna has always had a love for teaching and is excited to be a part of the TSD team!
grace barcaskey
Grace began her career in dance at the age of 2 but enrolled in TSD at the age of 5! From the
first class she had at Tammy’s she knew she had found her home away from home. Grace
trained under Miss Tammy Clune and other incredible TSD staff until she graduated in 2020.
During her time at Tammy’s School of Dance, Grace was able to attend dance conventions and
learn and train under some of the biggest names in the dance industry. There, she won a few
specialty awards such as Studio Dancer of the Year, Excellence in Jazz, and Excellence in Lyrical.
Her love for dance and performing also grew at her high school where she was a member of the
Pine Richland High School Dance Team all four years. Her senior year, she was the only senior
captain of the Dance Team where she led the team to a bid to UDA Nationals, won an All-
American award, and choregraphed every routine the Dance Team performed during the year.
She was also a member of the Pine Richland High School Musicals all four years of High School
where she was named Dance Captain her Junior and Senior Years.
After graduation, she returned to TSD as a substitute teacher several times throughout the year
where she fell deeper in love with creating and choreographing. Grace, then went to Ohio
University and tried out to be a member of the Ohio University Dance Team. She performed on
the OUDT at football and basketball games and other school related events! Grace recently
transferred to Duquesne University and will be taking as many dance classes in the city as she
can fit into her schedule!
Grace is ecstatic to step into this new role as a teacher at Tammy’s School of Dance, and she
cannot wait to work with the talented students and faculty!
Laura rodriguez
Laura began dancing at age 5 at Taps-N-Toes Dance Studio in her hometown of Brewster, New York. She trained in all different styles of dance there, including ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, hip-hip, and contemporary. It wasn’t until high school when Laura realized she wanted to take dance more seriously.
Laura trained at different summer dance intensives during her high school years, including The Joffrey Ballet School in San Antonio, Texas, Point Park University Summer Dance Intensive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Boston Conservatory Summer Dance Program in Boston, Massachusetts.
Laura is currently attending Point Park University, where she is studying to get her BFA in Dance with a concentration in Jazz, and a minor in Psychology. She is also secretary of a club called, “We Are Queens”, which is all about empowering women and dancers.
Laura is delighted to be a part of the TSD team, and is excited for what the future has to hold!