Our Story

In 2006, Kristen Furino became the Head Coach of the Calabasas High School Dance Program. When she joined the family, there was only one level of dance. She immediately implemented a second level for those dancers who train outside of school. 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 Luis Obispo 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.

Sydney Orenstein - Competition Coach

Sydney Orenstein started dancing locally at the age of 3. She trained in unique styles of dance, including Flamenco, Dunham, and African, along with all classic techniques. Sydney is a four-year alumna of the Calabasas High School Competition Program, having graduated from Mrs. Furino's Dance Team in 2010. Between school and her travels abroad, Sydney began working as the Studio Manager at Dance Dimensions, which includes the positions of Dance Teacher and Competition Company Director. After receiving a BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA, Sydney was granted the opportunity to become an Assistant Coach for the Calabasas Dance Team. Sydney is thrilled to be working with the entire program of dedicated, passionate, hard-working dancers, and she is excited to learn more from her students and continue to watch them grow!

Courtni Gidish - Assistant Coach

Courtni Gidish lives in Los Angeles, CA and is currently pursuing her dream of
becoming a professional commercial dancer. She fell in love with dance at the young
of 3 and hasn’t stopped dancing since. Growing up she danced competitively at her
dance studio as well as with the Calabasas Dance Team! Once she graduated from
High School in 2011 she continued this passion as she moved to Orange County to
attend Chapman University as a Dance Performance major. She graduated from
Chapman in 2015 and moved to Los Angeles. Since then, Courtni has been dancing
professionally in all styles, including jazz, hip hop, contemporary and much more!
Some of her highlights include, “Suicide Squad” Purple Lamborghini Video for
Warner Brothers Pictures, BodyselfieTV Online Fitness, as well as dancing with
professional dance company Karmagraphy doing Bollywood fusion dance. Courtni
LOVES working with the CHS Dance Program and cannot wait to see what her future
has in store!