Tenley Taylor, a native of Boise, Idaho, began her professional career with the nationally respected ballet company, Ballet West under the direction of American ballet pioneer, Willam F. Christensen after four years as a scholarship student with the Joffrey Ballet in their Pacific Northwest Residency.

Following a successful career where she danced soloist roles in a repertoire which included Christensen full-length classics such as Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Giselle, La Fille Mal Gardee and Firebird as well as Balanchine’s Serenade, Square Dance, Four Temperaments, Symphony in C, Pas De Dix and Concerto Barocco.

She also worked with choreographers Michael Smuin, Bill Evans, John Butler, Robert Gladstein, Tomm Ruud, Bruce Marks and Lew Christensen.

She retired from performing to assume the role of Ballet Mistress for Ballet West under the artistic direction of Bruce Marks and began her teaching career at the Ballet West School as well as the University of Utah.  During this time she served as the children’s coordinator for Ballet West’s production of Nutcracker which toured to four major cities a year as well Ballet Mistress for Ballet West II.

Her major influences as a teacher are Willam F. Christensen, Violette Verdy, Denise Schultz, Bruce Marks and Toni Lander.

 After becoming Director of the Ballet West Summer Intensive in Colorado in 1984, she subsequently became General Manager and then Director of the Dance Aspen Festival in 1993. Ms. Taylor was appointed Director of the Kansas City Ballet School in 2004. She brings a rare combination of artistic, pedagogical and administrative experience to her role as School Director, as well as a deep commitment to dance education for all students, regardless of their career direction.