Amanda Byars is currently in her first year at the Ohio State University in the MFA dance program. For the last four years she has resided in Portland, Oregon. While there, she co-founded and directed the modern dance company, Key Turn Project. She performed, taught and choreographed with KTP since its inception in 2005. During her time in Portland, Amanda also became a STOTT Certified Pilates instructor and taught fulltime for several years. From 2003-2005, Amanda lived in NYC and performed with ACFDance and as a pickup dancer. For her undergraduate degree she attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, part of the Five College Dance Department. In 2003, she graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Dance.