Meet the Faculty

Title: Associate Professor
Degrees: M.F.A., Mills College, B.F.A., UCLA
Teaching Experience: Since 2006
About: Denaya has had a long and loving relationship with movement. In her classes, she helps students to challenge themselves, push their limits, and open themselves up to new and lofty ideas and accomplishment. Her students find themselves doing things they never knew they could do and reaching higher than they knew they could reach while developing their confidence and personal voice. Through her career, she has danced with many prominent dancers and choreographers worldwide. Denaya absolutely loves teaching dance, yoga, and Pilates.
Quote: "Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.” – Alvin Ailey

Title: Adjunct Professor
Degrees: M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence College, B.S., CalPoly San Luis Obispo
About: Lauren Chertudi’s classes are founded on movement for all; she focuses on providing classes adaptable for all ages, abilities, and experience. Lauren uses anatomy, body awareness, and classical dance principals; to focus on finding challenge at any level, in any style of class. From years of performing classical modern work, post modern masterpieces, and contemporary new works; she creates a technique that honors the past while trying to push forward into the future.
Quote: "Curiosity is a great antidote to fear." – Meredith Monk

Title: Adjunct Professor
Degrees: M.A., Stanford University, B.S., University of Cincinnati
About: Joan Walton's high-energy teaching style and ability to communicate concepts to all levels of learners have become well known at universities and dance studios across the country. She has deep knowledge of Historical and Social Dance, Tap Dance, Musical Theatre Choreography, and Musical Theatredance Styles. She has performed and choreographed all over the country and taught Vintage Dance workshops both internationally and at home.  At CSM she teaches all the social dances and a GE lecture class, Dance Appreciation.
Quote: "They who dance are thought mad by those who hear not the music." – Friedrich Nietzsche