Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Phillips Harrison.
Hi Kelsey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been dancing and performing for as long as I can remember. My mom is a dance professor and choreographer, so I think I had no choice but to perform. Starting as a child dancing with the BYU Young Dancemakers and then continuing on to dance as Classical Ballet Academy and Center Stage. I also poured a significant amount of time into pursuing musical theater through high school and college, receiving a BFA in Music Dance Theater from BYU and spending 3 years as the dance captain of the BYU Young Ambassadors. I began teaching youth theater 12 years ago through the Timpanogas Arts Foundation and have gone on to direct over 30 youth productions across the valley. I have also choreographed and performed for many theaters and schools across Utah over the last 10 years including Hale Center Theater Orem, Lehi Arts, and the Jackson Hole Playhouse. When I have the time, I still love to perform, but with children and a dance studio to tend to, it’s hard to find the time!
I began teaching at Ultimate Dance Experience in 2020 and immediately fell in love with the feeling of safety, security, and positivity within the studio. That is a rare find in the dance world. When I was approached with the opportunity to take over, it was easy to say yes. I have been running the studio for the past 2 years and am excited to carry us into the future.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been anything but smooth! I knew that owning and running a performing arts studio has always been my dream. To teach the next generation of performers and help them see the joy and light they have to share is my biggest goal. But when I was asked if I wanted to take over the studio, I had just had my first baby and couldn’t see a way to shoulder that burden financially. With a lot of back and forth, my husband and I decided to take the leap and we have felt stretched and pushed every step of the way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Through experience all across the arts, musical theater is where I find the most joy and fulfillment. I have choreographed countless shows and have extensive experience teaching youth theater. There is a fine balance to find in directing youth productions between putting on an exciting show and creating a quality educational experience. This is what sets me apart – every student that comes through my program will gain the skills and fundamentals they need to pursue theater while still being part of a shows, concerts, recitals that they can feel proud of.
Beyond the technique, I also have a firm belief that my students matter as people first, performers second. I hope every student will come away from our studio prepared to perform professionally, but more importantly I hope they feel prepared to tackle every aspect of life having learned confidence, dedication, and an outward mindset by being part of our studio.
My focus is not on building dancers with the highest kicks or vocalists with the craziest riffs, but creating artists who know how to use those techniques to share a message with their audience and to build community and connection.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The dance and performing industry is ever changing and ever the same all at once. Covid created a large shift toward building virtual concert experiences and effectively moved all auditions to video format rather than live and in-person. I anticipate a swing back in the other direction over the next few years. People want connection. I can foresee more immersive theater popping up at a regional and community level and a growth in grassroots dance companies. There is a whole generation of dancers and performers who left the industry years ago to pursue families or other careers that are yearning for opportunities to perform again. I think they will continue to come together in smaller community productions and carve out more space for those who don’t want to work professionally.
