FACULTY
Dance Biography: Kerin Martinez
Kerin began studying tap, musical theatre, jazz, and ballet at the age of seven in Northern California. She was a varsity dance line member and choreographer for both her high school and junior college dance teams. She began teaching tap at the age of sixteen at the Katherine Wheeler Dance Studio in Santa Rosa, California. At eighteen she was hired as a drama and dance instructor for the West County Theatre Arts Guild in Petaluma, California. Before moving to Austin, Texas, she lived in Anaheim, California where she performed dancing, singing, and character roles in parades and stage shows at The Disneyland Resort, which was a dream come true. Kerin was part of the faculty at a central Austin studio beginning in 2003, promoted to Assistant Director of the studio at large in 2010, and she spent 17 years as the Artistic Director of their award-winning competition teams. From 2009 to 2017, Kerin co-directed this team with Ryan Miller. She decided to retire from this position in May of 2020.
In August of 2020, Kerin began teaching dance outdoors. She founded Open Air Dance Collective in November of that year as a way to foster the community of students she was working with during the pandemic. She is fascinated by movement theory and the inspiring, healing power of dance. In addition to over 20 years of dance teaching experience and expertise, she continues her education as a dancer by taking in-person and virtual dance classes, regional convention classes and traveling to Teachers conventions and education seminars for both dance and kinesiology. She holds an ACE Certification for Group Fitness Instruction and is a 2021 graduate of the Yoga, Meditation & SEL Certificate from Breathe For Change. She was hired as an instructor for Ballet Austin in 2022.
She specializes in alignment, flexibility training, conditioning, tap, jazz, kick choreography and drill prep. For the last two decades, Kerin has enjoyed her seasonal work as a choreographer and conditioning coach for drill teams all across the great state of Texas.
Dance Biography: Ryan Miller
Ryan started taking tap classes at the age of seven in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Tap was his first love, and after moving to Panama City, Florida he began training in many other styles of dance. He danced with several performance teams in the Gulf Coast area which inspired a love for the stage that drove him to pursue a professional career in dance.
At nineteen, he moved to Chicago where he performed with Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago, and freelanced with other experimental dance projects. He performed works created by Lucas Crandall of Hubbard Street Chicago, John Lehrer, Shapiro and Smith, and Lar Lubavitz. In 2007, he was selected to perform alongside members of Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street, River North in the closing number of Chicago’s Dance for Life Benefit. While in Chicago, his choreography was performed in the Alvin Ailey CitiGroup Theater, Ruth Page Theatre Chicago, and The Harris Theater.
Ryan moved to Austin, TX in 2009 to pursue music. He was so grateful to have the opportunity to participate in the vibrant music scene that Austin has to offer. Ryan played guitar, bass, & drums in several bands and performed consistently at many venues, and festivals, including SXSW! He joined the dance faculty at a Central Austin Studio and co-directed their award-winning dance team alongside Kerin Martinez from 2009 to 2017. While in Austin, he continued as a freelance choreographer, setting pieces on local drill and dance teams as well as dancing in several professional showcases and benefits, including the 2016 Seton Medical Benefit and Dance to Breathe.
Accepting an invitation to perform with Alabama Dance Works, Ryan moved to Dothan, Alabama in 2017. Intrigued by the three-tiered format of the organization which included an outreach program, studio classes, and a professional company, Ryan spent the next 6 years heavily involved in all three. While at ADW, his choreography was featured each year at the Alabama Dance Festival in Birmingham, Alabama.
Ryan is delighted to be back in Austin, Texas to partner in what he believes is an important stride in dance education theory at OADC.
2023-2024 TEACHING ASSISTANTS
OADC was founded in 2020 by dancer & choreographer, Kerin Martinez.
Since 2021, she has been joined each season by a rotating professional guest faculty from across the country.
Ryan Miller (Alabama Dance Works)
Nicole Greene-Cramer (MFA Dance Science, Trinity Laban)
Helen Estrella (Motion Dance Center & Boulder Dance Workshop)
Eugene Peabody (Lion King Broadway Touring Cast)
Shelley Schmidt (SMSD)
Samuel Rutland Simpson (Alabama Dance Works)
Sara Arnold (UT Pom Alumni)
Elizabeth McGriff (Certified Acrobatic Arts Specialist, Alabama Dance Works)
