Tiffany van der Merwe is honored to be a part of the internationally acclaimed Oklahoma City University dance faculty as a full time instructor. Oklahoma City University’s Dance & Arts Management department has recently been recognized at the Flo- Bert Awards in New York City, Dance Masters of America in Las Vegas, and named the “best preparatory dance program in the nation” by K.C. Patrick, editor –in- chief of Dance Magazine.  Tiffany currently serves as the Jazz Style Coordinator for the jazz faculty, teaches on the tap faculty, and choreographs for the American Spirit Dance Company.
 
Known for her passion to preserve our jazz history, Tiffany is pursing an international research effort to study with our remaining jazz legends. Recently, she has returned from the south of France, studying with Matt Mattox, as well as traveling to New York City to examine the Luigi technique. Together, with her one year intensive study at the Giordano Jazz Dance Center in Chicago, Tiffany plans to unite the influences of these techniques with the jazz trends of today, thus, providing young students the opportunity to explore both.

Tiffany has served as assistant director, choreographer, and master teacher for the “Friendship Thru Dance Tour”- Taipei, Taiwan. She has also had the unforgettable and unique opportunity to tour through Europe, Scandanavia, and the Balkan region for LaTour Productions, on an extensive USO Tour. Her travels have taken her to the warm tropics of the Bahamas dancing for America’s #1 cruise line, Royal Caribbean, as well as the windy city of Chicago where she was granted the great pleasure of dancing at the Giordano Jazz Dance Center for choreographers such as Debbie Giordano, Kirby Reed, John Lehrer, Fury Gold, Michael Taylor, as well as the Kinetic Dance Theater.  She has worked closely with internationally acclaimed Mystique productions as dance captain and soloist. Tiffany’s choreography has been seen at Dance Chicago, aboard the Sovereign of the Seas, for Royal Caribbean, Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s Yuletide Magic, Oklahoma Opera & Music Theater, the Addy Awards, the Awards of Excellence Ball and the American Spirit Dance Company, directed by National Dance Teacher of the Year, Jo Rowan. Tiffany has also served as the director and primary choreographer of the Middlesex Dance Company in Concord, MA. As a master teacher, Tiffany has taught on three continents, through-out the mid- west, as well as, throughout the Chicagoland area.