Feel the Beat Team Member Spotlight: Chanel Montoya
Team MemberSpotlight features Feel the Beat instructor, Chanel Montoya.
Dance has been Chanel’s foundation since the age of two—from high school teams to performing as a Lady Reapers alumna in 2019 and 2021. Today, that same passion for expression fuels her commitment to the disability community. She is deeply dedicated to fostering inclusion, guided by years of volunteer service and her own lived experience navigating disability and self-advocacy. Building on a strong professional background in healthcare, Chanel is currently pursuing a degree in Mortuary Science to further my career in compassionate service. As a proud single mom to two, she aims to combine my technical experience and artistic discipline with a lifelong mission of advocacy and person-centered care.
Tell us about your role at Feel the Beat. How long have you been at Feel the Beat and what drew you to the organization?
Current assistant and soon to be teacher, I started with Feel the Beat in Jan 2026.
What is your personal mission statement and what about that mission statement resonates with you most?
To lead by example as a mother, student, teacher and human; utilizing my resilience and lived experience to be a positive, uplifting, and constructive influence. My mission is to transform my journey of self-advocacy into a healing force, fostering inclusion and providing compassionate support for those navigating their own challenges through dance.
Is there a person in your life you credit as being a key to what motivates or inspires you on a daily basis? How have they impacted your life both personally and professionally?
My brother Dominick’s journey with trisomy 13 carved out a space in my heart for the disability community long before I received my own diagnoses. For years, I strove to be the advocate he deserved; today, that mission has evolved. I now fight to create the inclusive world that I once sought for myself and that my children deserve every day.
Tell us about a recent experience you’ve had in your role at Feel the Beat – something funny, inspiring, challenging, etc.
In high school I wished there was such a thing as an inclusive dance studio, finding Feel the Beat felt like a dream come true and I immediately wanted to be involved in such an inspiring organization.
Outside of dancing at Feel the Beat, what do you like to do for fun?
I’m a huge pro wrestling fan and a regular at local indie shows. When I’m not ringside, you’ll usually find me outdoors—camping, fishing, and soaking up nature with my family. I also love catching live music and hit as many concerts as I can with friends.