Meet The Staff

Megan Taylor

“I’m a bionic baby, that’s me. A bionic baby, you’ll see. A bionic baby, that’s me. Just look…at me.” Wearing a lime green bikini and holding a styrofoam barbell (which I broke when I tripped and fell over a microphone cord), I tapped my heart out in my first recital… and my feet haven’t stopped since. I began dancing at the age of three in Kelly’s parent’s basement, and I can still vividly remember the green tile floor, the mirrored wall, and the little white dog who always wanted to join in on the class. I’m sure I didn’t know it at the time, but the love of dance that was sparked from such humble beginnings truly ended up shaping the course of my life.

I continued to dance more and more as I got older, adding jazz, ballet, and lyrical to my repertoire (no hip hop – it didn’t exist back then). By the time I was in high school, I found myself at the studio five days a week, both taking and assisting classes (somehow I managed to graduate salutatorian of my senior class in spite of the amount of time I spent at the studio and working at Frosty Boy and Kroger – hint, hint to all of my high school students!). Even when I went away to the University of Michigan (Go Blue!!!), I remained involved at the studio, dropping in on classes during breaks and coming back in May to participate in the recitals. And after two years at school, something in my heart told me that I was not meant to study medicine, but that instead my place was in the dance studio.

I officially began teaching over 17 years ago, and it has been such a rewarding experience to be able to inspire so many young dancers throughout that time. The joy I get from seeing my students’ successfully master a new step, the pride I feel watching them perform on stage, and the bonds that I have formed with so many of them and their families over the years – these are some of the things that make me remember why I chose this path and why my job still makes me smile each and every day. As much as I enjoy all of the office duties I have acquired over the years, teaching remains my true passion. I even thought that I wanted to expand on that love of teaching, and went back to school several years ago at Wayne State University to get my teaching degree. After graduating, however, I just could not bring myself to trade in my tap shoes for an apple and a red pen. There is something truly special about being able to influence children’s lives in a positive way. By encouraging them to love and appreciate art, by bolstering their confidence and self esteem, and by reminding them to always strive to be the best that they can be, not just in dance but in all aspects of their lives, I feel as though I genuinely make a difference, and that is the most gratifying feeling of all!