For Tayela Brown, dance has never simply been an extracurricular activity. It has been a constant thread woven throughout nearly every stage of her life — from a young child stepping into her first dance classes in Pahrump to now preparing to join the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Scarlet Dance Line.
After years of dedication, performances, practices and balancing both competitive dance and high school dance, Brown will continue her dance career at the collegiate level this fall while studying elementary education at UNLV. The achievement marks the culmination of more than a decade of work, passion and personal growth through dance.
Brown spent a total of 10 years at Nevada Dance Center, including eight years as a competitive dancer. Alongside her studio experience, she was also a four-year member of the Pahrump Valley High School dance team, where she performed throughout all four years of high school while representing the Trojans at games, performances and school events.
Her journey into dance began long before competitive teams and college tryouts entered the picture.
“I danced when I was three,” Brown said. “I also danced when I was eight and nine, just not as frequently.”
Before Nevada Dance Center opened in Pahrump, Brown briefly attended classes at Donna’s Studio of Dance, giving her some of her earliest exposure to dance. Even at a young age, she found herself drawn to performing and expressing herself through movement.
Over time, dance evolved from a childhood activity into something much more meaningful.
Brown said lyrical dance eventually became her favorite style because it allowed her to combine technical ability with emotional storytelling.
“I was very excited do a lyrical solo my senior year because it’s my favorite,” she said. “I get to show off my flexibility and my passion for dance.”
At the same time, jazz dance became another important creative outlet for her, though for very different reasons.
“I also love jazz because I get to show more of my personality that most people don’t get to see unless they truly know me,” Brown explained. “And it’s just fun getting to perform in front of a lot of people.”
That balance between emotional expression and energetic performance helped shape Brown into a versatile dancer capable of adapting to multiple performance environments — something that ultimately prepared her for the next level.
Her years at Pahrump Valley High School also played a major role in that development. Performing as part of the Trojans dance team, the Trojanettes, gave her additional opportunities to dance in front of large crowds regularly while balancing the demands of school, practices and performances throughout the year. Those experiences helped prepare her for the atmosphere she will now encounter at the collegiate level performing during UNLV athletic events.
Originally, Brown had considered continuing her education and dance journey at Utah Tech University. She attended several clinics there and enjoyed the environment, but as the recruiting and tryout process unfolded, something about UNLV continued to pull her in another direction.
“I just really wanted to be on a college dance team,” she said. “So I tried out for UNLV, and I just fell in love with the team and coaches. It just felt like that was where I was meant to be.”
Unlike many collegiate athletes who experience lengthy recruiting processes, Brown’s path to UNLV was driven primarily by her own initiative and determination. She was not recruited directly by the program. Instead, she attended tryouts herself and earned her place through performance and preparation.
“I just went to their tryouts,” she said.
The moment she connected with the program, she knew it felt right.
While Utah Tech had also appealed to her, several factors helped solidify her decision to stay closer to home and join the Rebels.
“I really liked it there too,” Brown said of Utah Tech. “But it’s closer to home at UNLV, and I just loved it.”
Brown will join the Scarlet Dance Line, one of UNLV’s performance teams that appears at major university athletic events throughout the year. Her role will include performing during football and basketball halftimes, dancing on the sidelines, and participating in tailgates and other game-day experiences.
“I’m on the Scarlet Dance Line,” she said. “I will be performing at halftimes at football games and basketball games, and I’ll also be dancing at tailgates and on the sidelines.”
Although the Scarlet Dance Line is not the university’s competitive dance team, Brown said there are opportunities to potentially pursue that route in the future through separate tryouts.
For now, however, she is simply excited to continue dancing at the collegiate level in any capacity possible.
“I just can’t imagine not dancing,” Brown said.
Her answer carried the kind of honesty that reflected just how deeply dance has become part of her identity over the years. Then, with a laugh that revealed her personality off the dance floor as well, she added another reason UNLV felt perfect.
“I love the color red on me,” she said. “It was just perfect.”
Brown’s humor and confidence have become part of what makes her stand out both on and off stage. Friends, teammates and coaches have watched her grow not only as a dancer, but also as a young woman comfortable embracing her individuality.
Academically, Brown plans to pursue a degree in elementary education, with the goal of eventually becoming a second-grade teacher. Teaching has long been something she envisioned for herself, but watching her mother recently become a first-grade teacher gave her even more motivation to continue pursuing that dream.
As she prepares for the transition to college life, Brown said she will live on campus during her first year to help ease the adjustment into university life and give herself opportunities to meet new people.
“I don’t have to, but I am going to,” she said. “Just so I’m closer, get to meet new people and go to classes easier for my first year.”
Although the Scarlet Dance Line does not officially report until closer to the school year, Brown already has responsibilities ahead of her. She explained that dancers are expected to begin learning choreography independently before arriving on campus, allowing the team to move quickly once practices officially begin.
In addition to a week-long practice before school starts, Brown will spend part of her summer preparing routines on her own so she arrives ready to contribute immediately.
Throughout her dance career, Brown credits several instructors and family members for helping shape both her technical foundation and her mindset.
One of the biggest influences on her collegiate aspirations came from Nevada Dance Center instructor Miss Paris.
“My dance teacher at Nevada Dance Center, Miss Paris, was on the UNLV dance competition team,” Brown said. “It really inspired me to go there because she’s such an amazing dancer and always tells us to chase our dreams and not to give up even if things get in our way.”
Having a mentor with firsthand experience at UNLV made the possibility of dancing there feel real and attainable. Brown said Miss Paris continually encouraged dancers to push through obstacles and pursue goals even when the journey became difficult.
Brown also credited Miss Juliette and Miss Kelly for helping build the technical skills that carried her through years of dance training.
“They are the foundation of my technique and all my skills I’ve learned in dance from the very start,” she said.
Beyond the studio, Brown emphasized the unwavering support she has received from her family over the years. From competitions and performances to football games and school events, her parents consistently showed up to support her pursuits.
“My parents, because they have always supported me through everything I wanted to do and have been there at every event,” Brown said.
She also became emotional discussing her older sister, Sienna, who has remained one of her biggest supporters throughout high school.
“My sister, Sienna, she’s always at every game supporting me as well,” Brown said. “And it’s just crazy we’re not dancing together anymore, but she’s doing great in cosmetology school.”
Now, as Brown prepares to leave Pahrump for the next chapter of her life, she does so carrying years of memories from Nevada Dance Center, high school performances, competitions and the community that helped shape her.
Her story reflects more than simply earning a place on a collegiate dance team. It represents years of commitment to an art form that became part of who she is — and a young woman willing to chase opportunities that once may have seemed far away.
Soon, Brown will trade local stages and high school sidelines for packed college arenas and Division I game days. But even as the setting changes, the passion that brought her there remains exactly the same.
