Freshman Taryne Steinman has been dancing for as long as she can remember. Starting at the young age of three, she began combo classes that her mom enrolled her in.

Steinman knew when she was ten years old that dance was something she wanted to take seriously. It was no longer just a hobby her mom enrolled her in. Since then, she has taken her skills all the way to national competitions  five times. Last year, her team, Elevate Dance Academy, placed third overall at nationals. 

Her inspiration comes from her dance teacher. After Steinman heard that she used to dance at Disney, she immediately was fond of her. “[She] made me want to keep going,” she said. 

Steinman has been a member of a few different studios, dancing at her current studio for two years. Her most difficult obstacle was being the new member of the team. “I didn’t really know anyone and it was a whole different teaching style that I had to adapt to,” said Steinman. Despite facing some challenges, Steinman describes her team as very friendly and “easy to bond with.”

Steinman has become very comfortable and familiar with multiple styles of dance, her favorite being jazz and least favorite being tap dance. “I pretty much do all styles,” she said. 

Her season runs from September through June, causing the weeks of the school year to quickly fill up with dance. Steinman practices Monday through Thursday, though the times of her practices differ depending on the day of the week. Dance takes up a significant amount of Steinman’s time. For instance, on Mondays, she practices from 4:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. “I have a forty five minute break where I do [homework],” she said. She also partakes in summer classes and helps assist with the younger students’ lessons. 

Steinman’s main competition season occurs in the spring — from March through May — when the biggest competitions take place. Some of them happen out of state in cities such as Seattle, Tacoma, and Anaheim. 

As she continues to get older, Steinman is witnessing the level of skill and seriousness go up within her teammates and competitors. “People are a lot more mature,” she said. 

Her hopes for the upcoming year are performing well at competitions and getting to know people better — including those who aren’t part of her team.