Established in 1976, DCJ Dance has been a beacon of creativity and passion in the dance world ever since. Our founder, Dianne Cole Johnson, envisioned a space where dancers of all ages and backgrounds could thrive, and that vision continues to guide us today. With her passion for quality technique, Dianne paved a course for fine arts, deep rooted in Carrollton, that still continues today.
After working closely alongside her mom in the dance studio her entire life, Jordan continued in her mom's educational foot steps with training and completing her bachelors at Southern Methodist University. Soon after Jordan took a more active approach as the assistant director of DCJ Dance. Following Dianne's passing, Jordan took over with ownership and continuing Dianne's legacy of excellence in dance across North Texas. We are so excited to now have 2 schools under the umbrella of DCJ Dance with our home studio in Carrollton and our new performing arts location in Frisco. |
Meet our Staff
(Click image to see Bio)
Meet the dedicated team behind the magic at DCJ Dance & Performing Arts. Our instructors are more than just teachers; they're mentors, role models, and lifelong supporters of our students' dance journeys. We pride ourselves on an all adult staff comprised of professional dancers and college degreed educators.
Our team of instructors brings a diverse range of expertise and experience to the studio. From former professional dancers to certified and college degreed educators, each instructor is dedicated to nurturing talent and fostering a love for dance in every student.
Behind the scenes, our support staff keeps everything running smoothly, from scheduling classes to ensuring the studio is always welcoming and well-maintained. Their hard work and dedication are essential to the success of DCJ Dance.
Our team of instructors brings a diverse range of expertise and experience to the studio. From former professional dancers to certified and college degreed educators, each instructor is dedicated to nurturing talent and fostering a love for dance in every student.
Behind the scenes, our support staff keeps everything running smoothly, from scheduling classes to ensuring the studio is always welcoming and well-maintained. Their hard work and dedication are essential to the success of DCJ Dance.
Entertainment Industry Consultant
Amber Horn is two time Emmy Award winning casting director, who knows how to engage with actors to bring out their best work in auditions.
Amber and her casting partner, Danielle Aufiero, immediately made a splash in the entertainment industry when they opened the doors to Aufiero / Horn Casting over ten years ago. Their longstanding relationships with studios, production companies, and directors have allowed them to cast for a variety of projects. With over 75 feature films, television pilots and series collectively; the pair have earned multiple award nominations and recently won a 2023 Emmy Award for casting "Best Foot Forward" and also won a 2021 Emmy Award for casting "The Healing Powers of Dude" on Netflix, as well as three Artios Awards for their work on Disney's "Andi Mack" and Netflix's "The Baby-Sitters Club." Industry giants like Netflix, Apple, Disney, and Warner Bros. and Paramount trust their casting expertise. Other notable projects Aufiero / Horn have cast include On My Block (Netflix), The 100 (The CW), The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix), Motherland: Fort Salem (Freeform), 13 Reasons Why (S4, Netflix), and Awkward (MTV), among many others. Powerhouse companies such as Amazon, Netflix, ABC, Disney+, Disney Channel, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, MTV, The CW, and Freeform have entrusted the expertise and the outside of the box mentality that Aufiero / Horn have to offer when it comes to casting their projects and bringing the characters to life. For a more detailed list of credits, please see Amber’s IMDb profile. |
Our Founder
Dianne Cole Johnson opened Dianne Cole Johnson School of Dance, now DCJ Dance, in 1976. She held a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. Dianne trained with Martha Graham, Luigi, Alvin Ailey, Arthur Mitchell, Karen Kriete of Harkness Ballet, Nikita Talin of Ballet Rusee de Monte Carlo, Toni Beck, and others. The school was opened in 1976 upon graduation from SMU and Ms. Johnson then founded the school’s non- profit ballet company, Repertory Dance Theatre of Texas, in 1985. Ms. Johnson was the choreographer for the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant and the Miss Texas Dance Troupe. Her students have performed professionally all over the world. The studio was selected "Best of Big D - D Family Magazine, Best Dance Classes, voted "Best Dance Studio" by Dallas Morning News Neighbors.go, and ranked #1 studio in Texas by Dancer Magazine. In addition, she has received "Best of the Best Technique" award by Cathy Roe Productions for four straight years: 2008-2011, received the "Class Act Award" twice from New York City Dance Alliance, and received National Champions award from Starbound Talent Competition three straight years: 2009-2011. Her daughter, Jordan Kemph, took over as director when Ms. Johnson was diagnosed with cancer in 2011. She passed away in 2014 due to complications from lymphoma but her legacy lives on.
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