Arianna received an academic and a talent scholarship from Brigham Young University-Idaho. She was a member of the BYU-Idaho Collegiate Contemporary Team for four seasons; dancing principle roles. She was also a member of the university’s traveling tour team; Dance Alliance. She had contemporary and ballet solos in the 2012 tour to New York City and New England.
Arianna graduated with honors in her dance minor and business major from Brigham Young University-Idaho where she received education in all forms of dance such as jazz and world dance with a heavy emphasis in modern and ballet.
Arianna was a company member of the modern dance company Aspire for one season before moving to Salt Lake. She has over 9 years of teaching experience in creative dance, ballet, contemporary, jazz, and modern in children and advanced adult classes and works as a guest choreographer and teacher; most recently guest teaching in the Bay Area.
Arianna Mevs recently concluded her time as a member of the professional contemporary company Oquirrh West & honored as Holladay Artist for the city of Holladay.
Arianna constantly immerses and engages herself in the professional and academic dance community as a student, performer, and observer, to aid in keeping the art and instruction within The Dance Box fresh, informed, and relevant.
Arianna Mevs
Owner & Director
As a child, Arianna was introduced to movement through creative dance with the Virginia Tanner Program. She then began her training in classical ballet with Jacqueline's School of Ballet (Utah Metropolitan Ballet) and Wasatch Ballet in Utah County; dancing solos en pointe for full-length ballets. She has over 18 years of classical ballet training.
Arianna was the captain of her high school dance team and a member of BYU Youth Ballroom’s esteemed competitive traveling tour team; earning the highest titles at the National DanceSport Competition.
a note from Miss Arianna
We are humbled to help our students know their bodies & minds are very, very special.
I have observed a shift in dance education as it has pulled away from a focus on dance as a meaningful art form. We are committed within The Dance Box to remain firmly rooted in educating & practicing the purity of the art & facilitating the encouragement & positivity it can provide our community & its children.
She is the 2018 recipient of the L. Scott Marsh Mentorship Award at the University of Utah, and has taught dance workshops in New York, Texas, Utah, Idaho, and the New England area.
Louisa has performed with U of U Performing Dance Company, BYU - Idaho Dance Alliance, The Dance Collaborative, and Aspire Modern Dance Company, and has worked with Stephen Koester, Shannon Vance Mckechnie, Wendy Bone, Ashley Hoopes, and Gary Larsen.
Louisa Killian
Faculty Member
Louisa Killian is a dance advocate, educator, and choreographer. She received an M.F.A. in Modern Dance from the University of Utah and has served as a faculty member of the Brigham Young University and Snow College Dance Department.
She advocates for dance as a significant academic pursuit and is a strong proponent of dance education for all ages. Louisa has over 10 years of experience teaching dance to children in genres of ballet, creative movement, improvisation, jazz, and modern.
Her interests began as a drummer and creative writer and accumulated in the study of dance. Louisa is inspired by diverse rhythmic patterns, sound design, and movement generated through improvisation.
Samantha Tagge
Faculty Member & Assistant Teacher
Miss Samantha trained under the direction of Ms. Janet Gray in ballet, modern, and jazz for 15 years. She has performed in Ballet West’s “The Nutcracker” and studied at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Broadway Dance Center in New York City.
Samantha has her Bachelor's degree in Dance Education from Utah Valley University where she was a member of the Synergy Dance Company. Sam is thrilled to continue her teaching career at The Dance Box Studio.
Miss Sam was awarded Holladay Artist of the Month in the City Journal and recognized at Holladay's annual Reflections in Dance event in 2019.
Miss Sam choreographs for student companies, most recently setting a piece for Olympus Jr High's performing company.
Shelley Swapp
Faculty Member
Shelley grew up dancing in the Salt Lake Valley, studying ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance with the Jolene Kennedy School of Dance.
Shelley studied and competed at the University of Utah.
For the past 20+ years Shelley has had the opportunity to teach in studios in Massachusetts, Virginia, Florida, California, and Utah and is thrilled to be back in her home state sharing her love of dance with the students at The Dance Box.
Miss Shelley teaches Kindergarten and Pre-K dance classes within The Dance Box and nurtures an undeniable spirit of creativity and kindness in her classes.
Alex Seager
Ballet Technique & Assistant Teacher
Alex Seager is a performer, choreographer, teacher, and movement artist based in Salt Lake City, UT. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Performance and Choreography and a minor in Film, Animation, & New Genres from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. During undergrad, she collaborated with and performed in the works of artists such as Dani Kuepper, Emma Draves, Maria Gillespie, and Daniel Burkholder. From the summer of 2019 through her graduation, she also worked as a research student under the direction of Simone Ferro, conducting movement practices and artistic outreach throughout Milwaukee. For four years, she performed as a main company member of Water Street Dance Milwaukee, having traveled to showcase repertoire in cities such as San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, St. Louis, MO, Madison, WI, Milwaukee, WI, and Chicago, IL. She has also performed as a member of the Gina Laurenzi Dance Project.
In 2022 she performed with SALT2 and currently works with FLEET as a freelancer in Salt Lake. Her drive for artistic exploration has also taken her beyond the United States. In June of 2019, she lived in Brazil for a month while studying African influence in Brazilian art and culture. More recently, Alex traveled to Moncalvo, Italy to work with Juliano Nunes and duo FLOCK for their 2022 summer creation program at Orsolina28, and this past summer traveled to Berlin, Germany to perform at b12 Research Festival. She has shared her love for dance as an instructor at numerous studios in Wisconsin and Utah and adores the ever-changing journey dance has provided and continues to allow.