Megan Maltos
Owner, Artistic Director
Tap, Jazz, Preschool

Megan began dancing at the age of four in California and at the age of 9, joined Danswest Dance Productions. She was a member of the Performance Group and Danswest Company until the age of 19, where she studied under Frank Trent. She became a teacher at Danswest in 2001. She received her education at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and graduated in June 2005 with a Bachelors in Business Administration from the Eller College of Business and a minor in dance from the School of Fine Arts.

As a student at Danswest, she received numerous group and individual dance competition performance awards, including Junior National Dance Champion in 1995 at the Showstoppers Dance Competition, and Top Senior Tap Soloist at the West Coast Dance Explosion Dance Competition in 2001. She also had the opportunity to tour Europe and her company was invited to dance at the Roman Jazz Festival as the youngest group to ever perform. While at the University of Arizona, Megan had the privilege to study with such greats as Amy Ernst, Michael Williams, Sam Watson, David Berkey, Nina Janik, and Susan Quinn. She was also selected to perform at Gus Giordano's Jazz Dance World Congress in Buffalo, NY. Megan has also worked in music videos and film. More recently, her choreography has been performed at regional and national competitions, with awards for performance and choreographic creativity.

Anton Smith
Hip-Hop Teacher

Anton is a native of Philadelphia, PA. He received his dance training in the Philadelphia/New York area and has choreographed and performed actively throughout the U.S. since 1992. In 1996, Anton was awarded Most Dynamic Group, for his VIBE Hip-Hop Troupe, in a Philadelphia citywide talent search. Anton continued his dance studies in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the University of Arizona in 1999 and received the Honors College and Medici Scholars award for choreography. In 2002, at the finals of the National Dance Alliance in Orlando, Florida, Anton's choreography won overall in the Best Funk category. More recently, Anton and other members of his performance group, The Human Project, were commissioned in 2003 to share the stage with R&B recording artist Ashanti and R. Kelly, in addition to studying with internationally renowned Brazilian dance company, Bale Folklorico da Bahia, in their home country. Anton has also worked with many arts and community service organization to include the YWCA, Tucson Unified School District, Tucson Pima Arts Council, and UA Presents.

Shelly Steigerwald
Modern, Jazz, Contemporary

Shelly Suzanne Steigerwald was born in southeast Texas where she studied at the prestigious Houston Ballet Academy. After relocating to Colorado Springs in her early teens, Shelly trained at Springs City Ballet and then later the Colorado Jazz Dance Company where she became a principle dancer and choreographer. Shelly went on to study at the University of Arizona where she was awarded a full tuition waver dance scholarship her third and fourth years.

While in Tucson she taught full time at Danswest Dance Productions where she reshaped the Jazz dance program and received numerous choreography awards. Upon graduation, she attended the American Dance Festival 2007 and was awarded the Young Artist Tuition Scholarship. She has studied techniques including Horton, Cunningham, release and contact improvisation. She went on to dance with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines where she performed four amazing shows featuring choreographers Loui Van Amstel of “Dancing with the Stars,” Sherry Zunker, Frank Chaves, and Harrison Mceldowney of River North Chicago. She has performed locally with Tom Lewis Dance and Art.If.Act! Dance Project. She most recently toured with Art.If.Act!, on “The Great American Dance Tour,” a 16 city tour of China!

Shelly is an extremely versatile dancer, teacher, and choreographer who likes to have her hands in everything, and is always looking for new ways to create and share her love of dance! She has been a proud member of the Danswest family since 2003 and is excited for the years to come!

Heather Griffin
Jazz/Lyrical/Modern

Heather began her early training in Yuma, Arizona at Dancemakers studio where she became a teacher in 2002. While in Yuma, she was a member of Dancemakers Performing Arts Company for nine years and a guest artist at Ballet Yuma. She choreographed works that have been performed in the annual Arizona Jazz Dance Showcase and the Yuma Dance Festival. She has performed in various competitions through out as well as the Jazz Dance World Congress and with the Arizona Repertory Theatre. Heather attended summer programs on scholarship hosted by The Joffrey Ballet, Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. She has been graced with the opportunity to perform in Las Vegas, San Antonio, New York and Italy.

In 2003 Heather was awarded a scholarship to attend the Giordano Dance Center but decided to pursue her education at the University of Arizona. Heather was a performing member of the UofA dance ensemble and in 2007 she received her BFA as a dance major.

More recently, Heather has been dancing and touring with Art-if-Act Dance Project and in 2012 did a 16 city tour in China.

Heather has been teaching jazz, modern and contemporary at Danswest since 2006 and choreographed award winning routines for the Dance Company.

Mika Deslongchamps
Jazz/Lyrical/Ballet

Mika has been performing since she was a child and has turned her love of dance into a career and a philanthropic movement. In 2008, Mika started her own college dance company - On the MARK! Her award-winning choreography is in demand by organizations throughout Tucson.

In July 2010, Mika co-founded and became Artistic Director of Dance for a Cause, creating a company that will challenge dancers while raising funds for a variety of organizations and bringing the joy of dance to new audiences.

Mika holds a bachelors degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences. When not dancing, choreographing or teaching, she creates customized murder mystery parties and is involved in church activities.

Christopher Compton
Ballet Instructor

Christopher Compton began his dance traning at the age of 18 at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia under the tutelage of Andrew Pap. After earning his BFA in Ballet, Christ moved on to train with Marcia Dale Weary at the famed Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. While at CPYB, Chris was offered contracts with various ballet companies across the U.S. with companies such as Colorado Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and others, but chose to pass on those opportunities to see if he could land his dream job… working with Twyla Tharp. In December of 2003, Chris got his wish when he began working in the 1st National Tour of Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel’s Tony-Award Winning “Movin’ Out.” In 2007, after “Movin’ Out” had ended its run, Chris began working on the North American Premier of “Dirty Dancing” in Toronto. Chris was honored to perform the role made famous by the late Patrick Swayze until the show’s close in April of 2009.

Tarah Guenther
Bio Coming soon