faculty spotlight

A tap dance performer and educator, began his tap training at Debbie Allen Dance Academy with Chloe Arnold and Jason Samuels Smith; The Colburn School with Alfred Desio, and with the legendary Arlene Kennedy at Universal Dance Designs, all in Los Angeles, California.

Dante is a very popular teacher and guest performer at tap festivals, intensives and residencies around the world, including Tap Dance Festival UK, IALS Rome, Sao Paulo Master Tap Fest (Brazil), Rio Tap (Brazil), Utah Tap Festival (residency), Wing It Tap Challenge (Phoenix, Orlando, Cleveland, Pittsburgh), DC Tap Fest, LA Tap Fest, RIFF Dallas, Steel City Tap Fest, Colorado Mesa University (residency), Las Vegas Tap Festival, Tap Fest California, Anaheim Ballet Company and Rhapsody In Taps National Dance Day, just to name a few! 

Besides his festival performances, Dante has been a solo tap artist in countless venues such as the !W” Hotel, Hollywood; The Grand Americana in Salt Lake City; Casa Romantica Cultural Center in San Clemente; the Los Angeles Pan African Festival; with the LA Follies all over the U.S., and in jazz clubs across Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York. 

Dante earned his SAG card at age seven, when he began his acting career, and can be seen tap dancing in the movie musical, “Spirited” (’22), starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Farrell. Other TV appearances include Holey Moley (ABC), World of Dance (NBC), The Talk (CBS), Dance Revolution (CBS) and more. 

Dante’s also performed with many professional tap dance companies, including Steve Zee"s LA Ironworks and Chloe Arnold"s NY-based company, Apartment 33. 

Dante is a proud O"Mara Sprung Floors Dance Artist, www.omarasprungfloors.com   Follow Dante on IG, @dantelara https://www.instagram.com/dantelara On TikTok @dantelarataps On YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/DanteLara

www.dantelara.net