Meet Ryland Early of Uproar Dance Competition

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryland Early.

Ryland, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in competition dance, starting when I was 8, switching to studying ballet seriously until getting my first job at 17. During my 14-year career as a professional ballet dancer, I was lucky enough to perform with Nevada Ballet, Ballet West, and Ballet Arizona.

I started teaching competitive dancers to supplement my income and was amazed to see the events looked almost identical to when I competed over 20 years ago. I decided I could improve the status quo and make a better event for the dancers, their families, and the teachers so I started planning Uproar.

We’re now in our third season and are so excited to be expanding to new cities every year.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like anything in life, we have gone through our ups and downs. We were supposed to launch in-person events in the spring of 2021, but once Covid-19 became a widespread issue, we pivoted to online events only for that season.

We made the best of it and enjoyed the opportunity to find a wider audience through the virtual events. Uproar virtual competitions hosted studios from Canada, Hawaii, and all over the rest of the United States.

It was incredibly heartwarming to hear stories from teachers and studio owners about kids being able to see each other for the first time when rehearsing and filming for our events.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about the Uproar Dance Competition?
We are a touring dance competition, offering opportunities for competition and professional adjudication for youth dancers ages 5-18.

Uproar brings exciting production value and a high level of care to competitive dance, and we offer a free “Teacher Oasis” at each event that allows Teachers and Studio owners a getaway with essential oils, snacks, and drinks, as well as a charger station.

We want each weekend to be an amazing experience for everybody involved; teachers, parents, and dancers alike.

What do you think about luck?
I have been both lucky and unlucky in life and business, I always have subscribed to the belief that if you put your nose down and work hard, the rest will even itself out.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.danceuproar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danceuproar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danceuproar

Image Credits
Headshot by Caleb Alvarado and Sameday Productions