Heidi Malnar is an Emmy Award and two-time Big Easy Award winning dancer and choreographer from Chicago. She is the founder, artistic director and principal choreographer of Gulf Coast Theatre on Tap– New Orleans’ Premier Rhythm Tap Company; whose mission is to celebrate, promote, and preserve America’s indigenous dance form in the birthplace of jazz.

Currently teaching in the dance and musical theatre departments at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), She received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. Heidi is a former company member, of the Chicago-based Jump Rhythm Jazz Project, directed by Billy Siegenfeld, where she received an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence on Camera: Performer” for her work in the multiple-Emmy- Award-winning documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There, produced by HMS Media and aired on PBS. She also performed with Chicago Tap Theatre, directed by Mark Yonally.

Recent productions include “Hoofing for Heroes,” “Neutral Ground,” “Love Taps: An Evening of Romance and Rhythm” with Gulf Coast Theatre On Tap. In the theatre community, Heidi has choreographed “Peter and the Starcatcher” at Le Petit Theatre; as well as “One The Air,” “America’s Wartime Sweethearts: The Andrews Sisters,” “The Mysterious Wisterias,” and “Always, Patsy Cline” at the National WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen. Heidi also performs in the SDC’s “Thanks for the Memories Bob Hope and His All Star Pacific Tour”. She has also had the pleasure of choreographing at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts in “Annie,” “42nd Street,”“13,” and “Spamalot.” She has enjoyed teaching positions at Tulane University, New Orleans Ballet Association, St. Martin’s Episcopal School, and Encore Studios. Before moving to New Orleans, Heidi enjoyed her faculty position at Carthage College where her choreography for “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” received a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Certificate of Merit. She is eternally grateful to her family, teachers and Earl for their tremendous support, guidance, and love.