Today we’d like to introduce you to Krista Derington.
Krista, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started dancing as a little girl, thanks to my mom. That love eventually carried me to BYU, where I received a dance scholarship and earned a degree in Dance Education. As a freshman, I was hand-selected for BYU’s Showcase Ballroom Team, the university’s second touring ballroom team, before later dancing with both the BYU Ballroom Touring Team and Contemporary Touring Company. During those years, I earned several amateur ballroom titles and had opportunities to perform throughout the United States and in China, connecting with people and communities through dance. I was also part of a BYU team that won a U.S. team title.
Right after graduating, amateur ballroom dancers weren’t allowed to teach private lessons, so I made the decision to turn professional specifically so I could start teaching private lessons. Around that same time, I found a professional partner and began competing in Professional American Smooth. What started as a practical decision to allow me to teach opened the door to an entirely new chapter in my dance career—and gave me my first taste of running something that was truly mine.
Around that same time, I began a performance-focused Master’s degree in Modern Dance at the University of Utah, where I again received scholarship support for my training. As part of my graduate education, I also completed the Integrative Movement Studies program and became certified in IMS and Laban Movement Analysis. That part of my education meant a great deal to me because my dance career had never fit neatly into one style. I was building a professional career and becoming a recognized competitor in ballroom while also training and performing at the graduate level in modern dance. Those are two very different dance worlds, and I was proud to have developed the versatility to be taken seriously in both.
Meanwhile, John was pursuing his own Master’s degree at BYU. We had our first child here in Utah before John finished his degree and got his first job, which took us to Kansas.
I continued my professional dance career in Kansas for five years, teaching for a studio while also building my own private lesson clientele on the side. I taught students ranging in age from 6 to 80 and began competing extensively in Pro/Am, a division where professional teachers compete alongside their amateur students. It gave students who didn’t have a competitive partner the opportunity to have that experience, and it gave me the chance to coach dancers one-on-one and then step onto the competition floor beside them.
At those same competitions, I was continuing my own professional career with my Professional American Smooth partner. I found success in the Professional Rising Star division, ultimately becoming a national finalist in 2016. Looking back, those years gave me the unique opportunity to experience competition from both sides—as a professional competitor pursuing my own goals and as a teacher helping students pursue theirs.
I became a certified makeup artist during that time too and started a small side business with SeneGence—something I still do quietly today for my dancers and clients.
When I moved back to Utah, the previous owner of a small studio called Davis County Ballroom asked if I wanted to buy it. That’s the moment I truly became a business owner. I renamed it Premier because I wanted it to feel elevated, a place serious, competitive dancers could call home. Over the years the name evolved into what it is today, Premier Dance & Ballroom Academy.
Along the way, I hit a real season of burnout after going through a betrayal that made me try to do everything myself. Hiring a virtual assistant and joining the Dance Studio Owners Association were turning points that helped me build real systems and learn to trust and delegate again.
Today, Premier has grown into a full youth performance and competitive program, a growing adult program, and our own Special Olympics dance team within the studio. Alongside the studio, I also started a nonprofit called Simply Youth Ballroom, which brings dance into local schools and keeps the cost to participate so low that it gives kids opportunities they might not otherwise have. Youth dancers in our community can also earn the opportunity to perform on a summer tour by helping the nonprofit, whether that’s TA’ing for teachers in the classroom or helping put on our fundraiser, the Synergy DanceSport Festival.
In 2025, I was incredibly honored to receive Layton City’s Hometown Hero Award in recognition of these efforts and the impact our programs have had in the community. For me, that recognition wasn’t just about what I had built—it represented the teachers, dancers, families, and community members who had helped turn these ideas into opportunities for so many young people.
That support has led to some incredible experiences. In October 2025, we sent dancers to China, where they represented the United States at the 13th China International Folk Arts Festival in Foshan, with an extended tour to Beijing and Changsha.
We’re now building a brand-new facility for the studio, and in spring 2027, we’ll also be launching Elysian Hall, a new events center opening alongside it. It’s been a full-circle journey—from teaching my very first private lesson to building something that gives people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds a place to learn, perform, compete, connect, and belong.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My husband and I got married in 2008, and on our first anniversary in 2009, John was diagnosed with MS. For an entire year, it affected his ability to move and care for himself, and I ended up working three jobs while finishing my own degree. Looking back, I honestly wonder how we managed it. Thankfully, John found the right combination of medications and has been in remission for the past ten years. This past July, we celebrated 18 years of marriage, which is one of my proudest moments, but looking back, I can always see all the struggles it took to get here.
I’ve also faced struggles on my own personal dance journey, dancing with professional partners who weren’t always kind. That taught me how to stand my ground, and how important it is to enjoy your own journey, especially in a sport as competitive as ballroom, where it’s easy to forget the joy in it while chasing the win. I’ve carried that lesson into my business life too: hard things are going to be hard, but there’s real value in learning to enjoy the hard things themselves, not just what comes after them.
And on the business side, it hasn’t been a perfectly smooth road either. I came into ownership as a creative, as a dancer, without any formal business training, and had to learn everything as I went. A harder season came after I went through a betrayal that shook my trust in people. For a while, I responded by trying to do everything myself, refusing help, refusing to delegate. About a year into that, I hit real burnout, to the point where I was at a crossroads: change how I was operating, or risk losing the business altogether. Hiring a virtual assistant through Yoked Staff and joining the Dance Studio Owners Association were the turning points that helped me build real systems and slowly learn to trust people again.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Premier Dance & Ballroom Academy is a dance studio in Layton, Utah, offering both a youth program and a growing adult program. Within youth, we run two tracks with equal footing: a Performance track, which is open enrollment with no audition required, and a Competitive track, which is audition-based. Performance includes Combo Dance (Ballet, Jazz & Creative), Acro, Hip Hop, and Jazz. Our Competitive track is Ballroom only, a deliberate choice that comes partly from my own ballroom background, and partly from the previous owner, who had already built the competitive side around ballroom before I took over. Our adult program includes Ballroom, West Coast Swing, Country Swing, and Blues, along with weekly community social dances. Country Swing has become especially popular for us right now, including a consistent Friday night Country Swing social that brings together our older youth dancers and college-age students.
What really sets us apart is that focus on ballroom specifically. Because it’s a partnered style, it naturally attracts boys in a way most dance disciplines don’t, and honestly, boys love to compete. Last season, we had more than 45 boys, 18 and under, dancing in our program, which is a genuinely uncommon number for a dance studio. Bringing the arts to both genders, and making sure boys feel just as welcome and valued in this space as girls, is something we work hard at and care deeply about.
We also specialize in efficiency. Many of our competitive dancers are also playing other sports, so we don’t rehearse anywhere near as many hours as other studios in our area, often 5 to 6 hours a week total, compared to 15 to 20 hours elsewhere. That means we have to be incredibly intentional with our teaching and put a lot of weight on solo practice at home, so dancers still grow and improve without needing endless hours in the studio.
I’m most proud of the culture we’ve built around our four core values, Leadership, Teamwork, Respect, and Dedication, and around caring for the whole child, not just the dancer. A parent once told me that what sets us apart is how intentional we are about placing dancers where they’ll truly shine and grow, and making sure every dancer feels seen and cared for. We also run a Special Olympics dance team within the studio, offering dance to our special needs community, separate from our nonprofit work, and it’s been one of the most meaningful parts of what we do.
I’m also deeply proud of how we’ve extended our mission beyond the studio walls, through our nonprofit, Simply Youth Ballroom, which brings ballroom dance specifically into local schools at little to no cost, and through opportunities we’ve been able to give dancers, including performing internationally in China.
What I want readers to know most is that Premier isn’t just about producing good dancers. It’s about building confidence, teaching mindset, and creating a real sense of community and belonging for every age and every stage of life. We’re proud to have helped more than 25 dancers go on to dance at BYU, UVU, and other colleges, several with scholarships, and we’re just getting started. As we move into a brand new facility in 2027, alongside our new events venue, Elysian Hall, that mission of connection and belonging is only going to grow.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are a lot of ways people can get involved with us. Families can enroll their dancers in either our Performance or Competitive tracks, join our adult program, or come dance with us at one of our weekly social nights, including our Friday night Country Swing social, which has become a great gathering spot for older youth dancers and college students alike.
We also love opening our doors to the broader community, not just our enrolled dancers. We host events like our Daddy Daughter dance and a special Valentine’s dance for couples, both designed to help people build connection with each other, whether that’s a dad and his daughter or a couple celebrating each other. We’re always happy to host special events in our space too.
We also love giving our dancers performance opportunities beyond the studio. If anyone is planning a special event and would love our dancers to perform, or if you need choreography for something unique, we’d love to help bring that vision to life.
For those wanting to support our broader mission, our nonprofit, Simply Youth Ballroom, is always looking for support, whether that’s through donations, volunteering to TA for our school programs, or attending our fundraiser, the Synergy DanceSport Festival. Community members and business owners are also welcome to get involved with the festival as sponsors.
I also love connecting with other studio owners and creatives who want to collaborate, whether that’s through guest teaching, community events, or simply sharing ideas. And with our newest space coming together, we’re especially excited to expand what we can offer through Elysian Hall, our new events venue opening in spring 2027, which will host weddings, corporate events, and other special celebrations, along with our commissary kitchen available to local food trucks and caterers.
Anyone interested in learning more can follow along on our social pages, or reach out directly. I love hearing from our community, whether it’s a question, an idea, or just someone wanting to connect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Premierdanceandballroom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/premierdanceballroomacademy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/premierballroomanddancers/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-derington-4a2056425/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCafNL4mQOXiXOEePu2RUI7g
