Taylor Anderson
Arts Manager
About Me
Taylor Anderson is an Arts Manager from Palm City, Florida. Dance is her passion and she appreciates all the technical elements of productions, hence the reasoning for becoming an Arts Manager. She just graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Dance Management from Oklahoma City University. She plans to use this degree to work on the management side of the performing arts industry. She has always had a passion for helping others. In high school, she founded multiple benefit concerts for her community advocating for various not-for-profit organizations. She loves to hang out with friends, read, and travel!
Values
Kindness
Honesty
Family
Accountability
Taylor's Life
Early Life
Taylor is a born and raised Floridian. Taylor's family has been her biggest supporters throughout her life. Her parents allowed her and her younger brother to pursue their dreams, and Taylor is extremely grateful for all of their love and support. Taylor's parents introduced her to dance at the age of two when she enrolled in her first dance class. Taylor did not want to wear anything else besides her leotard and tutu. From then on, Taylor continued her training at the Dance Academy of Stuart in Stuart Florida. She trained there for eight years. She was a part of the Junior and Senior Company, took all the dance classes she could, and performed in the annual recitals. In addition to her love for dance, Taylor enrolled in the summer camp, "Broadway Babies", with Annie Schwartz. Every summer she was apart of the camp and developed a passion for musical theatre. Annie brought in Taylor for the high school musicals to be Chip in Beauty and the Beast and Baby Louise in Gypsy. Taylor is extremely grateful that Annie gave her these opportunities at such a young age.
In middle school, Taylor enrolled at the StarStruck Performing Arts Center in Stuart, Florida. At this studio, Taylor perfected her craft in dance, voice, acting, and musical theatre. Taylor was able to be a part of the musicals twice a year. Taylor had the opportunity to assist Jennifer Jones in teaching the musical theatre classes for the younger children. In addition, she was the Assistant Stage Manager alongside Missy Weigel for StarStruck's production of Wizard of Oz.
Taylor is extremely grateful for the incredible role models at such a young age. She gives so much gratitude to Annie Schwartz, Amy Reffie, Rebecca Beery, and Jennifer Jones.
High School
Taylor was involved in every club available at South Fork High School. She was Vice President for the National Honor Society, a member of the Spanish National Honor Society, and President for Artists for a Cause. Taylor was the Choreographer for two years for the South Fork High School's Show Choir. She recieved Superiors for her choreography. Artists for a Cause, now known as Community of Developing Artists, held benefit concerts in Stuart, Florida. Hope for Freedom was one of the biggest benefit concerts of the year where awareness and funds were raised for human trafficking. In 2018 there was a human trafficking operation that affected countless families in the West Palm Beach area. Taylor was extremely grateful for the opportunity to speak up for those who have been silenced.
In her junior year of high school, Taylor founded the Anti-Bullying Event at South Fork High School. She received the support from her classmates along with the Assistant Principal, Charles Moody. Her senior year she made the event even bigger. There was an assembly during the last period and she was able to get the Varsity Football Captain, Camp Gobler, to address how bullying is prevalent at our school and it is important to stop it if you witness it in the halls. Taylor touched the hearts of many students who were dealing with bullying, and they came up to her thanking her for addressing this issue and how they were contemplating taking their own life because they thought they were suffering alone.
Taylor has always been an advocate for those who feel like no one is listening, and that is something that is truly important to her. She is an avid helper in the community and works to unite others in a positive manner.
Oklahoma City University
Taylor knew that she wanted to commit to Oklahoma City University for their prestigious dance program her junior year of high school. She trained vigorously to maintain her technique to get into the program. She auditioned for the program in January in her senior year, and got accepted in February. She knew that she wanted to receive the Dance Management degree with all of the technical aspects she would learn to be a successful arts manager after graduating.
Taylor joined Alpha Phi Fraternity where she continued to hold leadership positions. Taylor was one of the Rho Gammas her senior year, and she helped the incoming students find their home away from home. This was a pivotal moment in her time at Oklahoma City University because she wanted to have the incoming students feel at home when their families are so far away.
Taylor was eager to begin volunteering, and did so in the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment's Costume Shop. She found a new passion in working on the costumes for a production. She received the Volunteer of the Year Award and Most Outstanding Dance Universal Year 1 Award her first year at Oklahoma City University. Taylor was then brought on as a Costume Shop Assistant for her sophomore year. Taylor worked on countless costumes for each of the semester's shows. Taylor was the head for creating and updating the Online Database for the Costume Shop. She created Photo Books for each of the shows along with Photo Books for each of the costume pieces. Taylor was chosen to be the Student Professional of the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment's Costume Shop her senior year. Taylor furthered the creation of the Photo Books by making Photo Books for each of the choreographers.
Throughout her time in the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment, Taylor worked on several management positions for the show. Her freshman fall consisted of being on Wardrobe Crew. Taylor worked on quick changes and handled the mascots for the production of Home for the Holidays. Taylor worked on the film and editing team for the fall and spring shows her sophomore year. Taylor was chosen to be one of the Sound Assistants for the junior spring show. Taylor found a new passion for sound and was eager to run the sound for every dance. Taylor worked on sound for every audition her senior year. Her senior fall semester, Taylor was chosen to be one of the Assistant Company Managers for the Holiday Spectacular. Taylor fell in love with the company management side of productions. She worked with the Artistic Director, Tiffany van der Merwe, and Company Manager/Stage Manager, Evelyn Wasson, to make sure everything was taken care of for the performers. Taylor was on standby for any urgent hospital runs to ensure the safety of every performer. For her last show at Oklahoma City University, Taylor was the Assistant to the Costume Designer, Jessica Telfer. Taylor worked on builds for the show along with making sure that all costume pieces were available to performers.
Taylor is extremely grateful for the education that she received from the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment at Oklahoma City University. She knows that with the education she has received, she is prepared for any future endeavors in the entertainment industry. She wants to give an immense amount of thanks to Jessica Telfer, Dean Susan Cosby, Dean Melanie Shelley, and Dean Bedford for providing a safe and informative education throughout her time at Oklahoma City University.