Our Story

In 2006, Kristen Furino became the Head Coach of the Calabasas High School Dance Program. When she joined the family, there were only two levels of dance. In 2007, Mrs. Furino created a competitive level, giving dancers the opportunity to compete against local high schools. Fast forward to today, and Mrs. Kristen Furino has built an incredible program for dancers of all training levels - Dance 1, Dance 2, Dance 3, and Dance Team! The CHS Dance Program gives students a more intimate connection to their school, with performance opportunities during pep rallies, football games, basketball games, and Winter and Spring Concerts.

A  N O T E  F R O M  M R S .  F U R I N O

Dear Family, Friends, and Community Members,

For many years, the Calabasas High School Dance Program has been bringing the joy of dance to the CHS community. The longstanding goal of our program is to provide a well-rounded education for the beginning dancer to the advanced emerging professional. The CHS Dance Program aims to create motivated dancers who not only strive for technical excellence, but who are also creative and passionate about dance. Students from all four levels of dance take part in creating innovative choreography, developing an artistic eye by integrating technical skill with visual concepts. Students learn about hard work, dedication, communication, and determination as they additionally develop strong friendships that will last for years to come. Perhaps most importantly, students gain a sense of belonging at Calabasas High School by being a part of our “dance family.”

​Thank you for your interest in the CHS Dance Program!
​-Kristen Furino

T H E   T E A M

Our Coaches

Kristen Furino - Head Coach

Mrs. Kristen Furino grew up in Thousand   Oaks, CA and trained in multiple styles of   dance at Bobbie's School of Performing Arts. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in   Liberal Studies at Cal Poly State University,  San Luis Obispo, where she danced with the Orchesis Dance Company for four years.  Mrs. Furino began her teaching career  teaching American Sign Language at San LuisObispo High School.  In 2006, her twin  passions for education and dance collided  when she was offered a teaching position in the field of dance at Calabasas High School. She then went on to complete her Master’s  Degree in School Counseling at California   Lutheran University. Mrs. Furino is 
dedicated to providing a top quality dance 
program for the Calabasas High School 
community. Along with her colleagues in the 
Performing Arts Department, she is deeply 
appreciative to the community and school 
​district for their support of the arts.

Cole Thongnuam - Competition Coach

Originally from Wisconsin, Cole made his way out to SoCal to train at Chapman University in Orange, CA where he received a  BFA in Dance Performance. While at university, Cole took the position of Team Captain on their undefeated dance team. Post graduation he moved to Los Angeles where he currently reside and has been dancing professionally since. Cole is excited to share his passion for dance with all the dancers at CHS and is look forward to growing with them this season.

Annie Margolis - Assistant Coach

 Annie just graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in June with a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Dance, and She was a member and intern of the Orchesis Dance Company for two years.  Annie is  from Calabasas, and was on CHS DT from 2013-2017. Some of her best high school memories come from her time on dance team and she is excited to be back working with team again.