Caysie Torrey
Encyclopedia
Caysie Lee Torrey is an American actress and dance team coach for Parkrose High School in Portland, Oregon
. Her first role was in a children's production titled "Grandpa's Magical Toys" from the Wee Sing Video Series
. She also was cast in the 2000 film "Going the Distance
" where she portrayed a cheerleader. Ms. Torrey also modeled for various department store clothing advertisements during the mid 80s. She completed her bachelor's degree in Speech and Communication in 1995 from Portland State University
.
In 1998, Torrey auditioned for the Portland Trail Blazers
dance team and was awarded a one year contract with the team. More notably known as Blazer Dancer Caysie, she worked alongside her friend and coach Dee Dee Anderson dancing in between game play. She frequently returns to the court during many Blazer Dancer reunions. Torrey is affiliated with the National Basketball Association Cheerleading
for the NBA.
Since High School graduation in 1995, Ms. Torrey has been a dance team coach for Parkrose High School. She is also associated with the Oregon School Activities Association
and is an active board member of the Dance and Drill Coaches Association.
and grew up in the Parkrose district. Her parents are Daniel David Torrey, once owner of Interstate Batteries
of Portland and Tauney Torrey (née Ober) co-owner of the company. Torrey has a younger sister, Kellie Larrabee (née Torrey), who had played college basketball for University of Alaska, Anchorage. Her paternal grandfather played college basketball for Oregon State University
and was drafted by the Boston Celtics
.
Torrey has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest
. During her early years, she spent much of her childhood learning to dance.
. Her favorite subjects were dance and drama. During her high school years, Torrey was selected to participate in an educational exchange program that sent her to St. Petersburg, Russia to teach dance to students in the East. Her experiences developed her ability to become a coach of a dance team of her own.
After high school graduation, Torrey attended Portland State University
where she majored in speech and communication with a minor in psychology. During her college career, she began coaching as an assistant coach under Kelly Jones, then head coach, for Parkrose. During the summer months between school years, Torrey lectured at Thunderbird Dance Camp about the problematic issues of being a dance coach.
Torrey plans on obtaining her master's degree in counseling to help couples and families in need.
During the years that Torrey was the head coach, she developed the dance team from the older style of coaching to a newer more team-centric style. She kept on the coaching staff Shannon Negus, who specialized in choreography
and creative design of the dance team. A year later, Torrey brought on board Laurie VanAlstyne to help coordinate the technical aspects of dancing. Finally, in 2003, Torrey hired Marline Bueno to assist with the JV team and develop movements with props during the dance routines. The entire Parkrose Dance Team staff were all graduates of Parkrose High School
. This combination of experience and talent is known as the fabulous 4some.
During Torrey's tenure as head coach, Parkrose High School
ranked 2nd place five times and 1st place 4 times through out her 17 year coaching career.
. The audition was intense and was split over a two-day period. Heading up the auditions was then Blazer Dancers coach Dee Dee Anderson, who had been with the Blazers for many years and oversees the dancers. During the audition, Torrey was asked to learn and recite a choreographed dance routine in a short period. Finally, later in that year, she was selected to become a member of the Blazers dance squad.
During her time with the Blazers, Torrey learned many of the team's dance routines that were normally danced during the team's time-outs. She mentioned that the team's biggest challenge was to perform during a time when the Trail Blazers were behind in scoring. To this day, she still attends some of the dance team's alumni presentations along with past members of the Blazer Dancers.
While with the Blazer Dancers, Torrey also was hired on as a Fangirl with a local radio station that broadcasts the Trail Blazers games. She left the position due to personal differences.
. She auditioned and was cast for the role of Lassie in the show Grandpa's Magical Toys. In her role, she danced to Did You Ever See a Lassie? which was a Scottish folk song. In her role as Lassie
, she wore a aboyne dress
that are native to Scottish dancers.
. Because it was a locally produced feature it never received the notoriety it deserved. Her and a friend (on a dare) decided to go down to the studio and audition for a part in the film. As luck would show, she got the part of a cheerleader during one of the dance scenes in the film.
. She has been seen in many newspaper ads from various department stores. Some of the department stores she has been featured in are Fred Meyer
, Sprouse-Reitz
and Payless (now called Rite Aid
).
Torrey also earned the coveted "Coach of the Year" award by the Dance and Drill Coaches Association. She was nominated two other times prior to winning in 2007.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Her first role was in a children's production titled "Grandpa's Magical Toys" from the Wee Sing Video Series
Wee Sing Video Series
The Wee Sing Video Series is a collection of live action musical videos for children. Many of the videos contained colorful characters that taught lessons to children, like being young at heart or overcoming personal challenges with the help of friends...
. She also was cast in the 2000 film "Going the Distance
Going the Distance
Going the Distance is a 2004 Canadian teen/comedy film directed by Mark Griffiths, and written by Eric Goodman and Kelly Senecal. A road movie set across Canada, its tagline was They came. They saw. They came. The film was released in Canada as Going the Distance, but for American release the...
" where she portrayed a cheerleader. Ms. Torrey also modeled for various department store clothing advertisements during the mid 80s. She completed her bachelor's degree in Speech and Communication in 1995 from Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
.
In 1998, Torrey auditioned for the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
dance team and was awarded a one year contract with the team. More notably known as Blazer Dancer Caysie, she worked alongside her friend and coach Dee Dee Anderson dancing in between game play. She frequently returns to the court during many Blazer Dancer reunions. Torrey is affiliated with the National Basketball Association Cheerleading
National Basketball Association Cheerleading
National Basketball Association Cheerleading, or simply NBA Cheerleading, is a professional cheerleading league in Canada and the United States that supports a professional basketball team...
for the NBA.
Since High School graduation in 1995, Ms. Torrey has been a dance team coach for Parkrose High School. She is also associated with the Oregon School Activities Association
Oregon School Activities Association
The Oregon School Activities Association is a non-profit, board-governed organization that regulates high school athletics and competitive activities via athletic conferences in the U.S. state of Oregon, providing equitable competition among its members, both public and private...
and is an active board member of the Dance and Drill Coaches Association.
Early life
Torrey was born in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and grew up in the Parkrose district. Her parents are Daniel David Torrey, once owner of Interstate Batteries
Interstate Batteries
Interstate Battery System of America, Inc., a.k.a. Interstate Batteries, is a privately owned company that markets automotive batteries manufactured by Johnson Controls through independent distributors to more than 200,000 automotive shops worldwide. The company is based in Dallas, Texas...
of Portland and Tauney Torrey (née Ober) co-owner of the company. Torrey has a younger sister, Kellie Larrabee (née Torrey), who had played college basketball for University of Alaska, Anchorage. Her paternal grandfather played college basketball for Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
and was drafted by the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
.
Torrey has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. During her early years, she spent much of her childhood learning to dance.
Education
Caysie Torrey attended Shaver Elementary School in the mid 80s and continued up through middle school and then Parkrose High SchoolParkrose High School
Parkrose High School is a public high school in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is the only high school in the Parkrose School District.-Academics:...
. Her favorite subjects were dance and drama. During her high school years, Torrey was selected to participate in an educational exchange program that sent her to St. Petersburg, Russia to teach dance to students in the East. Her experiences developed her ability to become a coach of a dance team of her own.
After high school graduation, Torrey attended Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
where she majored in speech and communication with a minor in psychology. During her college career, she began coaching as an assistant coach under Kelly Jones, then head coach, for Parkrose. During the summer months between school years, Torrey lectured at Thunderbird Dance Camp about the problematic issues of being a dance coach.
Torrey plans on obtaining her master's degree in counseling to help couples and families in need.
Early Work
Torrey started dancing lessons at age three and performed in local dance studios. She started out in Ballet and moved into tap dancing and jazz.Parkrose "Elite" Dance Team
After graduating from high school, Torrey found herself interested in coaching for the team she had danced for. She began coaching in 1995 as the assistant coach of the team under Kelly Jones. Jones and Torrey worked well together for a period of 4 years before Ms. Jones left the team roster and Torrey was hired on as head coach for the "Elite" Dance Team. She continued to be the head coach for numerous years until after the 2008 season where she stepped down as head coach and became an assistant to the new head coach, Shannon Nguyen. Her reasoning was to spend more time with her family after the birth of her youngest son, Casdon.During the years that Torrey was the head coach, she developed the dance team from the older style of coaching to a newer more team-centric style. She kept on the coaching staff Shannon Negus, who specialized in choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
and creative design of the dance team. A year later, Torrey brought on board Laurie VanAlstyne to help coordinate the technical aspects of dancing. Finally, in 2003, Torrey hired Marline Bueno to assist with the JV team and develop movements with props during the dance routines. The entire Parkrose Dance Team staff were all graduates of Parkrose High School
Parkrose High School
Parkrose High School is a public high school in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is the only high school in the Parkrose School District.-Academics:...
. This combination of experience and talent is known as the fabulous 4some.
| Year | Place | Head Coach | Asst Coach(s) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1st | Kelly Jones | Caysie Torrey | - |
| 1997 | 7th | Kelly Jones | Caysie Torrey | - |
| 1998 | 7th | Kelly Jones | Caysie Torrey | - |
| 1999 | 2nd | Kelly Jones | Caysie Torrey | - |
| 2000 | 4th | Kelly Jones | Caysie Torrey, Shannon Negus | - |
| 2001 | 1st | Kelly Jones | Caysie Torrey, Shannon Negus | - |
| 2002 | 7th | Caysie Torrey | Shannon Negus, Laurie VanAlstyne | - |
| 2003 | 4th | Caysie Torrey | Shannon Negus, Laurie VanAlstyne, Marline Bueno | - |
| 2004 | 3rd | Caysie Torrey | Shannon Negus, Laurie VanAlstyne, Marline Bueno | - |
| 2005 | 2nd | Caysie Torrey | Shannon Negus, Laurie VanAlstyne, Marline Bueno | - |
| 2006 | 2nd | Caysie Torrey | Shannon Negus, Laurie VanAlstyne, Marline Bueno | - |
| 2007 | 2nd | Caysie Torrey | Shannon Negus, Laurie VanAlstyne, Marline Bueno | - |
| 2008 | 2nd | Caysie Torrey | Shannon Nguyen, Laurie VanAlstyne, Marline Bueno | - |
| 2009 | 2nd | Shannon Nguyen | Caysie Torrey, Laurie VanAlsyne, Marline Bueno | - |
| 2010 | 1st | Shannon Nguyen | Caysie Torrey, Laurie VanAlsyne, Marline Bueno | - |
| 2011 | 1st | Shannon Nguyen | Caysie Torrey, Laurie VanAlsyne, Marline Bueno | - |
During Torrey's tenure as head coach, Parkrose High School
Parkrose High School
Parkrose High School is a public high school in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is the only high school in the Parkrose School District.-Academics:...
ranked 2nd place five times and 1st place 4 times through out her 17 year coaching career.
Blazer Dancer years
Torrey auditioned in early 1997 for a dancing position with the Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. The audition was intense and was split over a two-day period. Heading up the auditions was then Blazer Dancers coach Dee Dee Anderson, who had been with the Blazers for many years and oversees the dancers. During the audition, Torrey was asked to learn and recite a choreographed dance routine in a short period. Finally, later in that year, she was selected to become a member of the Blazers dance squad.
During her time with the Blazers, Torrey learned many of the team's dance routines that were normally danced during the team's time-outs. She mentioned that the team's biggest challenge was to perform during a time when the Trail Blazers were behind in scoring. To this day, she still attends some of the dance team's alumni presentations along with past members of the Blazer Dancers.
While with the Blazer Dancers, Torrey also was hired on as a Fangirl with a local radio station that broadcasts the Trail Blazers games. She left the position due to personal differences.
Grandpa's Magical Toys
Torrey made her acting debut in 1986 in a locally produced children's series called Wee Sing Video SeriesWee Sing Video Series
The Wee Sing Video Series is a collection of live action musical videos for children. Many of the videos contained colorful characters that taught lessons to children, like being young at heart or overcoming personal challenges with the help of friends...
. She auditioned and was cast for the role of Lassie in the show Grandpa's Magical Toys. In her role, she danced to Did You Ever See a Lassie? which was a Scottish folk song. In her role as Lassie
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
, she wore a aboyne dress
Aboyne dress
The Aboyne dress is the name given to the prescribed attire for females in the Scottish national dances, such as the Flora MacDonald, the Highland lilt, and others. There are actually two versions of the Aboyne dress in use.- Description :...
that are native to Scottish dancers.
Going the Distance (2000)
Torrey's second film was another locally produced feature called Going the DistanceGoing the Distance
Going the Distance is a 2004 Canadian teen/comedy film directed by Mark Griffiths, and written by Eric Goodman and Kelly Senecal. A road movie set across Canada, its tagline was They came. They saw. They came. The film was released in Canada as Going the Distance, but for American release the...
. Because it was a locally produced feature it never received the notoriety it deserved. Her and a friend (on a dare) decided to go down to the studio and audition for a part in the film. As luck would show, she got the part of a cheerleader during one of the dance scenes in the film.
Modeling career
Torrey began modeling in 1986 at the age of 9 and continued until she was 12. Her mother, Tauney, had signed her up with a local modeling company called Troutman Profiles, Inc located in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. She has been seen in many newspaper ads from various department stores. Some of the department stores she has been featured in are Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer, Inc., is a chain of hypermarkets founded in 1922 in Portland, Oregon, by Fred G. Meyer. The company was one of the pioneers of one-stop shopping, eventually combining a complete grocery supermarket with a drugstore, clothing store, shoe store, fine jewelers, home decor store, home...
, Sprouse-Reitz
Sprouse-Reitz
Sprouse-Reitz is a defunct chain of five and dime stores based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The Sprouse-Reitz Company was founded in 1909 and at its peak had nearly 400 stores in the Western United States. In 1991, the declining retailer tried to revive itself by renaming its stores...
and Payless (now called Rite Aid
Rite Aid
Rite Aid is a drugstore chain in the United States and a Fortune 500 company headquartered in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, near Camp Hill. Rite Aid is the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast and the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S....
).
Personal life
In September 2005, Ms. Torrey married long time partner Brett R. Duax. Torrey has two children, Brandon and Casdon Duax. Brandon is her step-son from Brett's previous marriage. Brandon was born in 1999 and Casdon was born in 2008.Community Awards
Torrey has been involved with the community for a number of years. Through her dedication and patience she had received two awards for her contributions. In 2005, she won the "Educator of the year" award from Multnomah County. She was given this award by her long time friend, Anna Canzano (née Song) who was the Master of Ceremonies at the event.Torrey also earned the coveted "Coach of the Year" award by the Dance and Drill Coaches Association. She was nominated two other times prior to winning in 2007.
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Going the Distance | 2000 | Cheerleader | - |
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grandpa's Magical Toys | 1986 | Lassie | From the Wee Sing series |
| Production | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bye Bye Birdie | 1991 | Chorus Singer | High School Production |
| How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name.... |
1992 | Business Woman #2 | High School Production |
| Oliver Oliver The surname Oliver is of several different origins.-Etymology:The surname Oliver is derived from the Old French personal name Olivier. The Oliver surname seems to be French Norman in origin. The Olivers were probably part of William the Conqueror's Norman Invasion of Britain in 1066... |
1993 | Dancer | High School Production |
| The Crucible The Crucible The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists... |
1994 | Ann Putnam | High School Production |
| The Pajama Game The Pajama Game The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. It features a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where worker demands for a seven-and-a-half cents raise are going unheeded... |
1994 | Gladys Hotchkiss | High School Production |
| Quilters (musical) Quilters (musical) Quilters is a musical with a book by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek, and lyrics and music by Barbara Damashek. It is about the lives of American pioneer women based on the book The Quilters:Women and Domestic Art by Patricia Cooper and Norma Bradley Allen. The show was originally developed and... |
1995 | Cassie, Various Characters | High School Production |
Awards
| Award | Award category | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educator of the Year | Member Excellence | 2005 | |
| Coach of the Year Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards.Some of these are:*AFCA Coach of the Year *Annis Stukus Trophy... |
Best coach in DDCA | 2005 | |
| Coach of the Year Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards.Some of these are:*AFCA Coach of the Year *Annis Stukus Trophy... |
Best coach in DDCA | 2006 | |
| Coach of the Year Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards.Some of these are:*AFCA Coach of the Year *Annis Stukus Trophy... |
Best coach in DDCA | 2007 | |