Since the age of eight years old, Tanya McKay has been captured by the spirit of dance and for over thirty-one years has trained, rehearsed, and performed. Although her dance training began with classical ballet, and continued with such institutions as the Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Company, Long Beach State University, and Orange Coast Community College, she has also trained with many renowned west coast jazz instructors such as Joe Tremaine, Doug Caldwell, Carol Connors and Claude Thompson. Tanya has been among featured dancers in video presentations produced for industrial use and television, as well as appearing in print work, including the cover of San Diego's North County Pages and featured in several San Diego Union lifestyle and fitness articles.
However, the past twenty-four years have focused on business management, particularly dance management. Tanya's wish is to share the joy and enjoyment of music, movement and dance with her students while instilling a sense of personal accomplishment and good self esteem. ‘There is no limit to what can be accomplished, whether physically, mentally, and /or spiritually once you put your heart and mind to the task. I hope that is what I communicate to my students.'
Tanya is the mother of four beautiful adult children and "Gramma Tanya" to nine year old Presley, six year old Dylan, two year old Jax and six month old Maddox. She continues to teach North County DanceArts' pre-dance students, co-teaches with her husband, Louis McKay in many of the jazz levels, provides private tutoring and coaching in both jazz and ballet, and choreographs for independent projects.