Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Jara.
Hi Leslie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Dance became a huge part of my life after the passing of my little brother. It was my way of grieving, communicating, and expressing how I felt. Amidst financial struggles, I began my dance journey by watching videos online.
After many years of self training, my work was put to the test when I tried out for the Drill Team at Granger High School. For four years I competed with my fellow Excaliburs and even led them through their competition season as President of the team my senior year. Alongside Drill, I was also on my school’s Dance Company, Track and Field, DECA, HOSA, Scholar’s Pathway and FBLA holding a leadership position in each group. My natural born leadership has taught me a lot about helping those around me succeed all while fighting for my own dream.
After graduating high school with a 4.0 GPA and CPA, I decided to continue my studies at the University of Utah where I graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Modern Dance. Here, I am also working to get a Masters of Arts Teaching Fine Arts by May 2026. I worked as a JuntosGlobal Teacher, teaching dance to students in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico via Zoom. I taught Hip Hop, Jazz, and Turns and Leaps for the recreational dancers at Utah Dance Artists, Utah Dance Institute, and Dance Tech Studios and served as a competitive director for 3 of their competitive teams.
I have performed in works choreographed by the College of Fine Arts faculty and graduate students: Christine McMillan, Austin Hardy, Stephanie Garcia, and Roxanne Gray. I have also choreographed and performed in several works for Fem Dance Company and Boom Crew.
Apart from teaching and performing, I’ve also had the opportunity to choreograph Hip Hop and Jazz half-time routines for junior highs and high schools across Utah and Wyoming.
Considering my past experiences with dance, I grew strong in my desire to change the toxicity and negativity that exists in most dance environments. That is why I helped create Allegiant Dance Crew (ADC). At ADC, our mission is to empower and bring dance to new and current underrepresented dance students through unity, culture, family, inclusion, growth mindset, and an enjoyable experience. I am extremely blessed and happy to share my passion and growth in dance with other amazing and talented dancers.
I also recently took on a position at my Alma Matter as the new head coach of the Drill Team at Granger high school. Here, I am hoping to rebuild the Drill program while also teaching Beginning Social Dance.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of the biggest struggles for me was experiencing the loss of my little brother, Freddy. I was only 7 years old at the time, but the impact has shaped me into the person I am today. Through this experience I learned to value each and every day as I don’t know when life could be taken from me. I learned that life is way too short to be upset about the little things. I learned to love and empathize with everyone and everything, which is a huge asset I bring into my dance teaching.
Another obstacle I’ve had to face was not fitting into the image of the perfect “dancer” stereotype. I’m not tall, I’m not flexible, and I started my training in high school which is considered late for some dance communities. On top of that, dance also has a way of being extremely unaffordable for many families due to the cost of competition entries, gear, travel, and much more. I couldn’t start my dance journey earlier due to not having the finances, but even when I did want to start dancing, I was treated differently in many communities due to the color of my skin. I had many people tell me I wasn’t good enough or that I wouldn’t make it as a dancer because of my skin-color and that “people like me” don’t dance. I have had opportunities for dance close to me simply for the way I looked on the outside. That is why I created Allegiant Dance Crew. Here, my goal is to make dance affordable, loving, and enjoyable for any and all who are willing to grow regardless of their age or how they identify.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am so extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to freelance as a choreographer, performer, teacher, coach, and artistic director for many dance communities across the state of Utah and Wyoming. I started off as a Hip-Hop choreographer for Granger High School’s dance company, but half way through my undergraduate degree I started branching out to other High Schools and Middle Schools. I have set different halftime routines (such as Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Character) with dance companies and drill teams at Granger High School, Willowcreek Middle School, Viewpoint Middle School, Lovell High School, Judge Memorial High School, Cyprus High School, and Hillcrest Junior High School. I’ve also choreographed many competition routines for solos, duos, and teams through the different studios I’ve had the opportunity to teach at.
As a performer, I have had the opportunity to work with Christine McMillan, Austin Hardy, and Courtney Landry while getting my undergraduate degree at the University of Utah. During my last year of my undergrad, I was also on Fem Dance Company directed by Alicia Ross, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with Stephanie Garcia and Roxanne Gray; performing social works about border identity and Mexican influence in Utah, California, Wyoming, and Washington D.C.
My teaching opportunities started off early in college. During my first year at the U, I was hired on as a JuntosGlobal teacher, teaching dance to students in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico via Zoom. I was then hired on to teach Hip-Hop, Tumbling, Jazz, and Turns and Leaps for the competition and recreational teams at Utah Dance Artists while also being an assistant director for their Mini and Junior competitive teams. The following year, I taught Hip-Hop recreationally at Utah Dance Institute and started teaching Contemporary, Hip Hop, Turns and Leaps, Jazz and Conditioning at Dance Tech Studios. This past year I was also the competitive director for the senior competition Hip-Hop team, Premiere Crew, at Dance Tech Studios.
I am extremely grateful for my role as Artistic Director of Allegiant Dance Crew. As mentioned, I opened this company as a way of giving the opportunity of dance to anyone aged 14+. Our goal has been to create a safe environment for people to explore and grow in their own dance journeys. Through this group specifically I realized just how much I enjoy teaching dance. We are currently working on our 4th season as a crew and are putting together a show called “Not Funny” which will be presented at Mid-Valley Perfoming Arts on October 11th, 2025. I have loved getting to teach these students and have been inspired to get my Masters of Arts Teaching Fine Arts at the University of Utah as a way of understanding my own teaching philosophy and arts teaching.
I am extremely excited to have taken on a new role as the new Head Coach for Granger High School’s Drill Team. Going back to my Alma Matter and coaching a team I was part of for 4 years has filled me with so many emotions. I adore getting to be back in that environment and bringing in my philosophy from ADC. The Drill world can be such a negative and toxic place due to the competition aspect of it, but I’m hoping to keep a positive and loving environment as we take this team through another competition season. Once an Excalibur, always an Excalibur.
Any big plans?
I am looking forward to graduating with my Masters this upcoming May 2026! After that, I plan on getting my education license through the Utah State Board of Education’s Alternative Route to Licensure. Through this, I hope I can continue to teach dance at Granger High and maybe start teaching dance at a middle school nearby. I plan on coaching the Drill Team for as long as I can and continuing to choreograph any halftime, competition, or solo/duo pieces.
The biggest thing I’m looking forward to is continuing the cycle at Allegiant Dance Crew. I adore this second family of mine and can’t wait to find new opportunities for these people to experience in the vast world of dance.
Pricing:
- Allegiant Dance Crew’s monthly fees are only $40 a month!! We perform, compete, and do some volunteer work throughout a whole year!
- Pricing for choreography varies! I’m pretty flexible:)
Contact Info:
- Website: Contact@allegiantdancecrew.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliejara64
