Taylor Made Dance & Theatre: Difference between revisions
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* [[Luanda de Hilster]] trained at the studio from 2020 to 2023. She became Head Studio Captain and a Dot Taylor Scholar, and went on to the University of Central Oklahoma.<ref name="dot" /><ref name="uco" /> | * [[Luanda de Hilster]] trained at the studio from 2020 to 2023. She became Head Studio Captain and a Dot Taylor Scholar, and went on to the University of Central Oklahoma.<ref name="dot" /><ref name="uco" /> | ||
* [[Summer Severin]]: Elon University graduate (2025), swing and dance captain of the ''Water for Elephants'' North American tour.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.playhousesquare.org/assets/doc/WFE_Cast_Bios-8691c39173.pdf |title=Water for Elephants – Cast Bios |website=Playhouse Square}}</ref> | * [[Summer Severin]]: Elon University graduate (2025), swing and dance captain of the ''Water for Elephants'' North American tour.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.playhousesquare.org/assets/doc/WFE_Cast_Bios-8691c39173.pdf |title=Water for Elephants – Cast Bios |website=Playhouse Square}}</ref> | ||
* [[Elliana Herr]]: College Audition Project student; went on to the University of Central Oklahoma, where she played Roxie Hart in ''Chicago'' (2026).<ref name="uco" /> | |||
* [[Sarah Lash]]: senior studio captain (2022), later Alyssa Greene in Slow Burn Theatre's ''The Prom''.<ref name="dot" /> | * [[Sarah Lash]]: senior studio captain (2022), later Alyssa Greene in Slow Burn Theatre's ''The Prom''.<ref name="dot" /> | ||
Revision as of 01:47, 7 November 2026
| Taylor Made Dance & Theatre also "Taylor Made Studios", "TMDT"
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|---|---|
 The studio's logo
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| Dance and theatre training studio · College-prep conservatory | |
| Location | |
| Address | 2910 N. Federal Highway, Suite B, Boca Raton (Florida studio) 314 2nd Ave., 2nd floor, Warren (Pennsylvania studio) |
| Location | Boca Raton, Florida (c. 2018–2023) Warren, Pennsylvania (2023–present) |
| History | |
| Founded / opened | c. 2018 (Boca Raton) 2023 (Warren; downtown studio September 2025) |
| Founder | Angela Morando-Taylor |
| Owner | Angela Morando-Taylor and Michael Taylor |
| Venue | |
| Artistic director | Angela Morando-Taylor |
| Art forms | Dance, musical theatre, acting, film, voice, piano |
| Programs | Dance (ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, partnering, salsa); acting and film; voice and piano; College Prep Conservatory; College Audition Project (CAP) satellite; June Intensives; Dance Alliance Company; adult classes |
| Links | |
| Website | taylormadedanceandtheatre.com |
Taylor Made Dance & Theatre (TMDT, also called Taylor Made Studios) is a dance and theatre training studio founded by the choreographer and educator Angela Morando-Taylor. It was based in Boca Raton, Florida, until 2023, when Morando-Taylor and her husband, Michael Taylor, moved it to Warren, Pennsylvania. The studio trains young performers in dance, acting, voice and film. Its best-known program prepared high school students for college musical theatre auditions.[1][2]
Philosophy
The studio's name is a play on its approach: training "tailored" to each student, summed up in its slogan, "Are you Taylor Made?" Its stated belief is that "the most important ingredients in shaping a young performer are training, guidance and support."[1] Morando-Taylor describes her mission this way: "I do not believe in back rows or a center spot on stage. I believe in my students, all my students, each one of them has a talent that is uniquely theirs."[1] The studio now describes itself as more than a school: "We're not simply offering classes — we're building a theatre company."[3]
Boca Raton (c. 2018–2023)
In Boca Raton the studio occupied Suite B at 2910 N. Federal Highway.[4] It offered dance, acting and voice classes for children and adults, and many of its students also performed in Boca Raton Community High School's musicals, which Morando-Taylor choreographed.[5] In December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the studio staged A Taylor Made Christmas Spectacular as a live broadcast from BrandStar television studios in Pompano Beach.[6][5]
College preparation
Taylor Made's College Prep Conservatory (CPC) trained serious students in set programs of dance, voice and acting, and helped them through college musical theatre auditions.[2] Entry was by audition. The studio hosted a satellite of the College Audition Project (CAP), the national program founded by Broadway performer Dave Clemmons. Through it, seniors could audition for as many as 60 to 70 universities "all under one roof". According to the family of one student, Taylor Made was the only studio in Florida linked with CAP.[7][2] Students also took a June Intensive each summer, and the studio handled headshots and video audition screenings.[7][8]
Morando-Taylor reports a 100% college placement rate for her students. Alumni have gone on to Point Park University, Elon University and the Berklee College of Music, and to work on Broadway, national tours, cruise ships, at Disney and in film and television.[2][1]
Dot Taylor Scholarship
Each year the studio awarded the Dot Taylor Scholarship, named after Michael Taylor's mother. It recognised both talent and "kindness" to others. The studio also named a "Head Studio Captain", its highest title for a high school student. In 2022 both honours went to Luanda de Hilster.[9]
Warren, Pennsylvania (2023–present)
In 2023 the Taylors moved back to Warren County, Pennsylvania, where Morando-Taylor grew up. "We felt it was time to leave and bring our talents where they were more needed," she said. TMDT reopened in Warren that year, at first holding classes at the local YMCA.[2] In September 2025 the studio moved to its own space in downtown Warren, on the second floor of a historic building above Allegheny Antiques at 314 Second Avenue. The space has high ceilings and tall windows, and two studios: a main studio with a custom professional dance floor, a wall of mirrors and barres, and a smaller studio for small classes and workshops. The 2025–26 season opened with a free open house, and added new instructors and classes. These included The Actor's Studio, a musical theatre program for middle and high school students, and tap, hip hop and classical ballet at all levels.[10][3]
In its first Warren season the studio formed the Dance Alliance Company, a four-dancer competition team. The team performed as "dancing ice sculptures" in a live window display at the Sugar Grove Christmas Walk, and all of its numbers placed in the top ten at competitions in Pittsburgh and Youngstown, Ohio. The studio also ran a partnering class in classic dance styles for adult couples.[2] Morando-Taylor's long-term plan is a permanent home with a black box theatre for student performances and community events such as open mic nights.[2]
Staff
- Angela Morando-Taylor: owner, creator and artistic director
- Michael Taylor: film, Shakespeare, creative writing, acting and academic advising
- Michelle Petrucci (Boca Raton)
- Shelley Keelor: vocal coach (Boca Raton)
- Summer Severin: dance (later dance captain of the Water for Elephants national tour)
- Crystal Russell: instructor (Warren, from 2025)[10][11][12]
Notable students
- Luanda de Hilster trained at the studio from 2020 to 2023. She became Head Studio Captain and a Dot Taylor Scholar, and went on to the University of Central Oklahoma.[9][7]
- Summer Severin: Elon University graduate (2025), swing and dance captain of the Water for Elephants North American tour.[13]
- Elliana Herr: College Audition Project student; went on to the University of Central Oklahoma, where she played Roxie Hart in Chicago (2026).[7]
- Sarah Lash: senior studio captain (2022), later Alyssa Greene in Slow Burn Theatre's The Prom.[9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "About Us". Taylor Made Dance and Theatre.Retrieved 2026-11-07.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Professional performance educator brings connections and expertise home". Times Observer (Warren, Pennsylvania)(2024-07).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Taylor Made Dance and Theatre".Retrieved 2026-11-07.
- ↑ "Taylor Made Dance & Theatre". MapQuest.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 David de Hilster."Tenacity, Talent, & Teamwork Turn Covid Lemons into Jekyll Lemonade". luanda.dehilster.com(2021-03-27).
- ↑ "Taylor Made Dance Theatre presents A TAYLOR MADE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR". BroadwayWorld(2020-12-08).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 David de Hilster."Luanda To Study Musical Theatre at the University of Central Oklahoma". luanda.dehilster.com(2023-05-25).
- ↑ "Bio". luanda.dehilster.com.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 David de Hilster."Luanda Wins Taylor Made Scholarship & Named Head Studio Captain". luanda.dehilster.com(2022-05-30).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "City dance, theatre studio moves downtown". Times Observer (Warren, Pennsylvania)(2025-09).
- ↑ "The Who's Who & Staff Bios". Taylor Made Dance and Theatre.Retrieved 2026-11-07.
- ↑ "Bio". luanda.dehilster.com.
- ↑ "Water for Elephants – Cast Bios". Playhouse Square.
External links
- Taylor Made Dance and Theatre: official website
- @taylormadedanceandtheatre on Instagram