Tara Orstad

Dance

Tara was born and raised south of Kansas City, Missouri. She began taking dance lessons at the age of 3 and continued to dance, play sports and do musical theatre productions all throughout her senior year in high school. She has studied under the direction of Dolly Arden, Judy and Kara Houseman, Monica Renwick, Jennifer Machluen, Todd and Pam Schnak,e and Charissa Orstad Fuchs.

From Ray Pec High School she was accepted into The Conservatory of Music at UMKC where she earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in dance with a major in modern dance and a minor in classical ballet.  She had the privilege of studying under Mary Pat Henry, DeAnna Hirt, Rodney Williams and Jennifer Medina.  In her last year of her four year program, she began to teach for Charissa Orstad Fuchs at In the Light in Raymore, Missouri.  She also started performing and choreographing for her Senior Dance Production company Unleashed.

Tara has been teaching dance and musical theater choreography to ages 2-20 in most forms for 11 years.  She mostly teaches ages 2-6 in tap, jazz, and ballet.  More recently she has had the privilege and honor of choreographing and teaching dance technique to the junior dance company Monophonic. Tara has been married to her high school sweet heart Chase Orstad for 11 years, and together they have 5 children, 8 years old and younger. Tara looks forward to starting her 12th year with In The Light Performing Arts Center.