I don't want people that want to dance. I want people that need to dance!
-George Balanchine
Sara Taylor (Owner/Dance Instructor/Competitive Coach)
Hello! My name is Sara Taylor and I am from the great state of Illinois! I have been dancing since I was three years old. I have lived in a bunch of places before Castle Rock but the state of Colorado has been my home for ten years.
I didn't always live in the suburb area of Chicago, Illinois. As much as that is where my heart is, my dad had itchy feet and always looked for a better place to live with our family of eleven! Yes, you read that right. Including my parents, we were a family of eleven and I was the youngest. All me and my four sisters danced, did gymnastics, and/or cheered. My mom made sacrifices for us to live out our passion and study the art of dance.
Moving a lot made me see a lot of differing dance studios. It was because of this, I was able to take bits and pieces from each studio and write it down so I could one day use that knowledge. I always knew I wanted to teach and I knew that I loved dance. Eventually, when I was in high school, I attended Adagio School of Performing Arts. It was there where I knew exactly what I wanted for my future. I wanted to teach dance. I spent years and years dedicated to the study of dance. It was as if my mind became obsessed with dance because once I went to college to study dance even more, I sank my teeth into different genres of dance that my previous studios didn't provide. In the 30 years that I have been dancing, I have been trained in Pointe Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Clogging, World Dance, Modern, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and my all time favorite, Polynesian.
For as long as I could remember, I wanted to have my own studio and help other students reach their full potential. This is my 8th year serving Castle Rock and I cannot wait for many more years to follow! Why should you choose Tempo as your dance studio? What are the things that I took away from the studios where I was once a student? I believe in structure. I believe that young students can learn to push themselves in order to accomplish what they didn't dream was possible. I believe in having fun while also learning. I believe that hard work can break down the supposed boundaries that students sometimes give themselves. I believe that dance can make you connect with yourself and others in ways that were impossible before. I believe that dance is the most beautiful, tiring, athletic form of art. I believe that art is universal. As I went from dance studio to dance studio, there were some unconditional truths that remained the same. I want to give my love of dance to as many young students so that they too can believe in dance.
My professional training includes:
To email Miss Sara regarding classes or anything else, you can contact her at [email protected]
I didn't always live in the suburb area of Chicago, Illinois. As much as that is where my heart is, my dad had itchy feet and always looked for a better place to live with our family of eleven! Yes, you read that right. Including my parents, we were a family of eleven and I was the youngest. All me and my four sisters danced, did gymnastics, and/or cheered. My mom made sacrifices for us to live out our passion and study the art of dance.
Moving a lot made me see a lot of differing dance studios. It was because of this, I was able to take bits and pieces from each studio and write it down so I could one day use that knowledge. I always knew I wanted to teach and I knew that I loved dance. Eventually, when I was in high school, I attended Adagio School of Performing Arts. It was there where I knew exactly what I wanted for my future. I wanted to teach dance. I spent years and years dedicated to the study of dance. It was as if my mind became obsessed with dance because once I went to college to study dance even more, I sank my teeth into different genres of dance that my previous studios didn't provide. In the 30 years that I have been dancing, I have been trained in Pointe Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Clogging, World Dance, Modern, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and my all time favorite, Polynesian.
For as long as I could remember, I wanted to have my own studio and help other students reach their full potential. This is my 8th year serving Castle Rock and I cannot wait for many more years to follow! Why should you choose Tempo as your dance studio? What are the things that I took away from the studios where I was once a student? I believe in structure. I believe that young students can learn to push themselves in order to accomplish what they didn't dream was possible. I believe in having fun while also learning. I believe that hard work can break down the supposed boundaries that students sometimes give themselves. I believe that dance can make you connect with yourself and others in ways that were impossible before. I believe that dance is the most beautiful, tiring, athletic form of art. I believe that art is universal. As I went from dance studio to dance studio, there were some unconditional truths that remained the same. I want to give my love of dance to as many young students so that they too can believe in dance.
My professional training includes:
- Dance Workshops and Conventions
- 30 years of dancing
- A minor in dance while attending BYU-Idaho
- Dancer of the Polynesian Cultural Association (PCA)
- Former Secretary and Choreographer of the Polynesian Cultural Association (PCA)
- Student teacher (World Dance) at BYU-Idaho
- Instructor and Choreographer at Dance Dynamics for 4 years
- Owner of Tempo for 8 years
To email Miss Sara regarding classes or anything else, you can contact her at [email protected]
Caitlin DeVries (Acro Instructor)
Hailey Harding (Lyrical & Jazz Instructor)
Hi, my name is Hailey Harding. I started dance in 1st Grade then had to stop a year later because my family was moving to Colorado! During that time, I was unable to dance, but I knew it was what I really wanted to do. When we finally made it to Colorado, I would make PowerPoint presentations to convince my parents to let me go back to dance. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to go. After years of trying to convince them, an opportunity appeared! My school was offering a dance class during the day as an extracurricular. So in the 6th Grade, I signed up for all the dance classes that I possibly could, which meant I was dancing every single day. In my 7th Grade year, my mom found a post about Tempo School of Performing Arts! That summer, we decided to try it out. And the rest is history! This will now be my 4th year dancing at the studio and I have loved every moment of it! During my time here, I have fallen in love with Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, and the Lyrical styles of dance.
Some accomplishments I have achieved are:
Thanks for listening to my TED Talk!
Some accomplishments I have achieved are:
- The Passion Award - Heat Dance Convention (2021)
- Scholarship with the Soul de Soul Dance Convention (2022)
- High Gold Placements in Competition Group Routines (2021-2023)
- Ultra High Gold Placement on my Solo titled "Bouquet" (2022)
- Teaching at Tempo (2020-present)
- Choreographing Opportunities for Dance Classes, Solos, and High Schools, including a rendition of "Curtains: The Musical" (2021-2022)
Thanks for listening to my TED Talk!
Autumn Snow (Tap & Jazz Instructor)
Hello! My name is Autumn Snow. I have been dancing at this studio for 7 years and it has been a wonderful experience. I have been teaching dance for almost 3 years now - only ballet - and I'm excited to try something new in teaching another genre: tap! My favorite style is tap. I have been doing tap for 6 years and I love the amazing sounds and rhythms your shoes and feet can make. I also love jazz; the fact that you get to be sassy and fast has always been a favorite of mine as well. I love dance so much because it's a way for me to be myself and for others to see what I'm great at. Along with that, I love to go to competitions and conventions because you get to see each others' talents and see how you can challenge yourself. I love to teach here because I love getting to show students what they can do and how they can express themselves as much as I can!
Izzy Townsend (Tap & Jazz Instructor)
Samantha Myers (Tap Instructor & Assistant Teacher for Ballet)
Hello! I'm Samantha Myers and originally from Minnesota. I moved to Colorado when I was three and have lived here ever since. I live in a family of five with my brothers and parents; I am the youngest. I've tried wrestling in the past but it's not my favorite so I've stuck with dance most of my life. I started dancing at four and joined Tempo when I was in the 1st Grade. I have been dancing with Miss Sara and my teammates for a long time. My passion for dance comes from the people around me and the enjoyment that it brings to me personally. Whenever I am going through something difficult, it helps me a lot with stress and settling my mind down. I have won some medals from competitions and I want to eventually make a living from my striving and impassioned mind through the art of dance.
Sami Ravsten (Lyrical Instructor & Assistant Teacher for Tap)
Hi! My name is Samantha Ravsten. I was born here in Colorado but I've lived in three different states. I am the oldest of three girls. I love mentoring and taking care of smaller children. I've been dancing since I was three. My favorite dance styles are: ballet, lyrical, and jazz.
Gabbie Greenhalgh (Tap Instructor)
Eden Hamilton (Lyrical Instructor)
Tempo School of Performing Arts
1022 Evalena Road Castle Rock, Colorado 80108 (303) 918-4527 |
Office Hours:
By Scheduled Appointment Only *** Closed on Weekends & Holidays |