Tamalyn Blackman
Owner and Founder
is a native of North Charleston, SC, and graduated with a Bachelor's of Arts degree from the College of Charleston. After relocating to Elloree as a newlywed, Tamalyn began teaching dance in Orangeburg through the Parks and Recreation Department in August of 1986. Ten years later, she and her husband, Lee Blackman Jr., built Tamalyn's Dance Centre which is in its twenty sixth year of operation. She founded the Orangeburg Civic Ballet, Inc. in 1993 as a non-profit, totally volunteer, community dance company. OCB is still going strong and continues to cal Tamalyn's Dance Centre its home.
Tamalyn started her formal training with the Charleston Ballet School, becoming a member of the Charleston Ballet Company at age eleven. She then trained at the Charleston Dance Studio becoming a founding member with the Robert Ivey Ballet where she earned the title of Principal Dancer. During this time, several pieces were choreographed specifically for her. Tamalyn has also studied ballet in New York, Seattle, Atlanta, and Augusta with such teachers as Robert Joffrey, Gus Giordano, Melissa Hayden, Edward Villella, Suzanne Farrell, and Valentina Kozlova. She has performed at the World's Fair; in Spoleto for both operas and ballet; with the Charleston Opera Company in West Side Story, Cabaret, and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum to name a few; and with the Orangeburg Part Time Players as a performer and choreographer. While building her business, Tamalyn taught dance and aerobics in Charleston, Walterboro, Estill, Santee, Elloree, and Holly Hill. Tamalyn's Dance Centre is proud to have been the on-site school at Mellichamp Elementary School. Tamalyn and Lee reside in Elloree.
Allison Bates began her dance training with Tamalyn Blackman at Tamalyn's Dance Centre in 1999. Throughout her years
dancing at TDC, Allison had the privilege of dancing and performing with the Orangeburg Civic Ballet in numerous performances such as The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, and Coppélia to name a few. Allison also traveled with the OCB to perform in places such as Piccolo Spoleto, the North Charleston Arts Festival, and Amazing Feets. Allison began teaching dance at Tamalyn's Dance Centre in 2007, and that experience led her to seek a degree in Dance Education at Winthrop University, where she studied under teachers such as Stephanie Milling, Margaret Schriffin, Mary Beth Young, and Bethany Tuffy. During her studies at Winthrop, Allison performed and choreographed in numerous shows such as Winthrop Dance Theatre, the Winthrop University Choreography Showcase, and the Rock Hill Rockettes Upon graduation, Allison returned to the Orangeburg Civic Ballet as an assistant director in 2011, and then took on the role of Artistic Director in 2013. She has helped create and direct performances such as Nutcracker, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, The Wizard of Oz, and Alice Allison has also had the opportunity to teach and choreograph at local dance events such as the Orangeburg Arts Consortium and the Orangeburg chapter of the National Liturgical Dance Association Convention. Allison resides in Orangeburg, SC with her husband, Dustin, and their sons, Noah and Levi and daughter, Eliza.
Cammie Bunch has studied dance for 26 years, mostly under the strict hand of Anita Ashley and Leigh Powell Buckley at the Columbia Ballet School. There she was a member of the Devine Street Dance Company. She has also studied dance at Columbia College with Patty Graham, Wrenn Cook, Martha Brim and Marcy Jo Yonkey-Clayton. She has performed roles such as a solo in Don Quixote and the lead in the ballet Sing, Sing, Sing, choreographed by Maurice Curry (former director of Jazz Dance America). She was also a member of Ann Brodie's Carolina Ballet. There she participated in many performances such as The Nutcracker The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Mladosti to name a few. Cammie is a current member of the Columbia College Dance Company directed by Wrenn Cook and has also been a member of the Dreher High School Dance Company directed by Ann Richardson She has performed the role of Swanhilda in Coppelia and many other solos such as a jewel in Sleeping Beauty, and the role of the Spanish princess in Swan Lake. Cammie has also studied at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts, the Joffrey Ballet School, and The South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities.
Shannon Williams has danced since age 3 in many various styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop to name a few. She has not only taken from Tamalyn’s Dance Centre since the age of five but has since taught various classes at the Dance Centre as well. She was a member of the Orangeburg Civic Ballet for twelve years before becoming an assistant director. Growing up Shannon had the opportunity to perform in many area productions, such as the Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty ballets, and she also performed in area festivals such as Piccolo Spoleto, Amazing Feets, and the Festival of Roses. Throughout her college career Shannon had the opportunity to study with many master teachers and observe other dance teachers in area school across the midlands. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Dance Education in 2016 and was a dance teacher at Meadow Glen Middle School for the 2016-2017 school year. Dance has always been in Shannon’s life and she looks forward to sharing her experience, knowledge, and joy for dance with her students.