Kaitlynd Valentini-Keim

Kaitlynd began her dance training at the South Dayton School of Dance at the age of three. She continued her dance training by studying with SDDT for eight years. Kaitlynd graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wright State University with her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance as well as earning minors in Psychology and Business. At Wright State she got the opportunity to train with Terri McWilliams, Gina Walther, Erin Robbins, Greg Robinson, Michelle Goodman and Judd Gibbs in addition to working with Shannon Bramham, Greg Graham, John Leher, Ray Mercer, Lloyd Culbreath and Dwight Rhoden during their residencies.

Kaitlynd choreographed her first full length piece, “Oblique” in 2013, which won the Monticello award at RDA/NE and she received a full scholarship to the National Choreographic Intensive. Again in 2017, Kaitlynd received the Monticello award and full scholarship to NCI for her piece “Phantasmagoria” which was also selected to be performed at the RDA National Festival. In 2018 Kaitlynd’s work “Cognative Dissonance” was selected to be performed at the RDA/NE festival as a part of the Gala Performance. Kaitlynd has attended RDA’s National Choreographic Intensive several times and in 2017, she was deemed the most successful emerging choreographer and was awarded membership into the prestigious choreography connection program by Janis Brenner and Jerome Begin, directors of choreography and music for dance at Juilliard.

Kaitlynd found her love for teaching dance at a very young age though the opportunities she had as a demonstrator as well as encouragement from many of her teachers. She began teaching for SDSD in 2010 and is thrilled to begin another season with SDSD