Meet Sara Taylor | Dance Studio Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve been dancing since I was two but made the decision that I wanted to own a dance studio when I was sixteen years old. I knew exactly what I wanted to do in my life and what I wanted for a career and a future. I went through a phase where I didn’t know if that was going to be a possibility (I worked for a studio in Northern Colorado instead) but when my husband was offered a job at DTC, we moved from Johnstown to Castle Rock, I saw my window of opportunity to make that dream a reality. I was twenty-four years old when Tempo School of Performing Arts opened its doors.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I don’t know if I’m necessarily “set apart” from others. I think, in all honesty, dance studios can sometimes be an oversaturated market and a majority are very similar. However, I suppose I wanted to offer something more affordable to my community. As we live in a county that’s fairly wealthy and most studios in our area are charged a ridiculous amount in rent for their space, I wanted to offer something for the demographic that needed a more viable option for their children to have that opportunity versus going completely without due to high expenditures. Dance isn’t a cheap sport so I’m happy to make costs a little more affordable for families already making the sacrifices of enrollment alone.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For Castle Rock, there’s so much to do. Obviously, we have to climb the Rock then once we’re done with that, we’d hit Pegasus restaurant for brunch. For a dinner though, the options are endless as far as food goes: Angie’s, Tamarind, Scileppi’s, Dos Santos, Tribe, and my favorite pizza place in town, Granelli’s. For vibes of a small town, we’d walk around downtown, go to Bogey’s West, explore Ecclesia Market and The Barn. I love walking the Plum Creek Trail. Festival Park, especially when the Farmer’s Market is around, is an absolute must. Outside of my little town, Denver is amazing with Meow Wolf, seeing a performance at Colorado Ballet… but obviously I’d fight for a reservation at Casa Bonita to give my best friend the full Colorado experience. That’s a must. Golden would be another place with their hiking trails and downtown area. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my husband’s hometown of Morrison with the amazing Red Rock Amphitheatre.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout belongs to my husband, Blaine Taylor. Who, after all my daydreams became legitimate plans, he didn’t scoff or chide my ambition and instead helped me set the necessary path forward. I can also thank my parents for paying for dance classes growing up, I can thank my sisters who all danced and were amazing examples, I can thank my former teachers who inspired me, I can even thank Martha Graham for preaching to “keep the channel open,” I couldn’t ask for a better partner who doesn’t belittle my career pursuits than that of my husband.

Website: https://tempocastlerock.weebly.com/

Image Credits
All photos (except for the one that is CLEARLY from the 90’s) is Miss Katie Howard… the one from the 90’s is from a photographer studio in Glenwood, Iowa that is no longer in business but it was on the corner of Sharp & Walnut Street on the main square. The picture is 29 years old…