Meet The Teachers
Beatrice Stirland
Studio Owner and Director, Teacher
Beatrice has danced most of her life and has taught dance for over 30 years. During her high school and college years Bea won many awards and talent shows for her jazz dance performances. She was President of the Idaho State University Dance Company and taught tap at the University for 2 years. She operated her own studio, Starland Dancers, in Hurricane for 8 years, then closed the studio to raise her family. Bea wanted to teach her own daughters, so she started teaching again. As her daughters grew and joined her in teaching, Stirland Dance Studio was born and has been growing ever since. To Bea dancing is life and she loves sharing it with everyone! Stirland Dance Studio is a dream fulfilled for Bea and she loves fulfilling students' dreams by giving them the opportunity to dance!
Sarah Hunsaker
Teacher
While performing is something that Sarah loves, teaching dance may take the cake. She has over 17 years of teaching experience and loves helping students learn and progress in dance. Sarah has been trained in multiple genres including tap, ballroom, musical theatre, ballet, jazz, and clogging. Attending college on a dance scholarship, Sarah performed with the Brigham Young University Ballroom Dance Company. She continues to keep up her dance education by attending dance workshops, classes, and can be found tapping in her kitchen with her little princesses most days. Sarah is excited to be teaching at SDS because of the positive environment found there where every dancer is valued and encouraged to be the best they can be!
Holly DeMille
Teacher
Holly DeMille grew up in Cedar City, Utah where she danced for four years with the Canyon View Talons, leading them to a state championship. After graduating, Holly joined the Southern Utah University Waukeenyans, where she continued to dance and teach studio for three years. She is also a proud mother of four, including two daughters who have competed in dance for five years. Holly’s blend of professional dance experience and her entrepreneurial spirit make her a dedicated and inspiring dance teacher.
Aubree Esplin
Teacher
Aubree Esplin is a St. George native with over 24 years of dance training and 17 years of teaching and choreography experience. She has trained in a wide variety of dance styles and danced with the University of Utah Blaze Dance Team, where she served as co-president. Aubree is an All-American Collegiate Dancer, All-State Drill Team member, and multiple-time state and national champion. She currently coaches the Utah Tech Blaze Dance Team and is passionate about helping dancers of all ages build strong technique, confidence, and artistry.
Megan Wilson
Teacher
Megan grew up in Salt Lake where she performed and taught at private studios, and was involved with high school drill team and dance company. Megan graduated from the University of Utah with a BFA in Modern Dance and an emphasis on arts in education. She's also a personal trainer and coaches Crossfit. Megan enjoys teaching dancers and athletes and loves to see the progress and growth that come with hard work. When not coaching you'll find Megan and her family outdoors dirt biking, snowboarding, and boating.
Krista Taylor
Teacher
Krista began her dancing career at the age of 5 and has been trained in tap, jazz, ballet, folk, and clogging. While attending BYU-Idaho she continued her dance training through various classes, was a member of the Women's Clog team and performed with the Folk dance team. Through several opportunities throughout college Krista developed a love for teaching dance. She co-taught the Women's Clog team, several beginning dance classes through the college, private lessons to fellow college students, as well as teaching young children through a private studio in the area. Krista spent a year after college dancing with Clog America and teaching dance to kids at a local rec center in the area. She took some time off after getting married to start a family and raise her kids with her sweetheart. Her passion for dance never diminished and she's excited to be teaching with Stirland Dance Studio!
Bekah Leavitt
Teacher
Bekah has grown up in Southern Utah and recently graduated from Hurricane High School. She has always had a love for dancing and music. Ballet has been her primary focus, and something she is still studying, but she has also done contemporary and ballroom dance. Taking both Ballet 3 and Ballroom dance with Stirland Dance Studio was the highlight of her senior year.
Not only does Bekah love dancing, she also has a passion for music and the arts. She performed in the school play, including acting and singing. Bekah has been in the school choir performing with the advanced groups for the past 4 years. The most advanced group of these was the Hurricane High Chamber Choir. Learning music for Bekah started in the 6th grade when she took violin classes. Performing in various locations with the high school orchestra over the past 7 years has grown her understanding and appreciation for music.
Over the next few years she plans to study music and dance at Utah Tech University. Becoming a dance or music teacher full time is a future dream of Bekah’s as she continues to grow in dance herself.
Briallen Hare
Teacher
Briallen grew up in Southern Utah where she started dancing at the age of 5. She started with Stirland Dance Studio and has continued to dance with them. She is trained in many genres of dance such as tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, and ballroom. She danced with the SDS Performance Company and had the opportunity to perform at Disneyland, and was part of the opening number for David Archuleta. She is currently on the HHS Ballroom team. Briallen has loved dance for as Iong as she can remember and is very excited to be teaching at Stirland Dance Studio!
Laura Snow
Teacher
Laura grew up in southern Utah in a loving family who shares her passion of dance. Starting clog dance at age 4, she’s learned to love all forms of movement. Some of her accomplishments include taking 1st place All-Around in USA State Gymnastics, receiving multiple dance scholarships, and being a finalist in several National Ballroom Dancesport events including cabaret, smooth, and standard ballroom.
Laura graduated with her associates degree from DSU with high honors, and transferred to BYU to continue her education in dance. She will soon graduate with her BA in dance and is currently a member of the BYU Touring Ballroom company. When Laura isn’t dancing she’s enjoying time with her family or is out in nature.
Natalie Hare
Teacher
Natalie grew up in Southern Utah and has been dancing at Stirland Dance Studio since she was 5 years old. Dance has always been her favorite thing, and she has loved every opportunity to learn, perform, and grow through it. She has trained in many styles including tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and ballroom.
As a member of the SDS Performance Company, Natalie had the chance to perform at Disneyland and was part of the opening number for David Archuleta. Those experiences made her love dance even more and helped inspire her dream of becoming a dance teacher.
Teaching dance has been something Natalie has dreamed about for as long as she can remember, and she is so excited to be back in the studio after recently returning from serving an LDS mission. She loves helping dancers grow, gain confidence, and have fun while doing what they love. She can’t wait to share her passion for dance with her students and is so happy to be teaching at Stirland Dance Studio!
Jessica Foster
Teacher
Jess started dance when she was 3 years old with a private studio, Dance Attitude. First with Ballet, Jazz, and Tap. Later adding Hip Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, Pointe, Gymnastics, and Cheer. In high school, along with continuing with the private studio, was on the Drill Team, and Musical theater singing and dancing in musicals. She then went to SUU and got a Bachelor Degree in Interior Design and Dance Perfomance. There she was part of American Character Ballet, and Orchesis Dance Company. She taught gymnastics with Southern Utah Gymnastics Academy during this time. After graduation took some time off to start her family, and when her first child was 3 years old, started her own dance studio, Dance Atti2ude. Teaching all genres mentioned above. She then began choreographing the opening dance for “Ms. Garfield County” Pageant. She loved doing this for 11 years until life changes moved her to Hurricane, where Jess was SO EXCITED to find adults tapping at Peach Days! This is her 4th year tapping with Stirland Dance Studio, and sweet Bea talked her into coming back to the teaching world!