Rising Stars: Meet Leah Silva of Orange County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Silva.

Leah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I began dancing when I was only two years old, and I quickly fell in love with the art form of tap dance.

I trained at a wonderful studio, Kindorf Dancers, run by the incomparable Nancy Kindorf. Nancy, who has always had an indomitable spirit, was an incredible studio owner and tap dance teacher who nurtured every student who walked through her doors. Because of her encouragement and generous spirit, I was introduced to Christy Hernandez. Christy, who would eventually become my mentor both in life and in dance, was instrumental in nurturing my continued love and passion for tap dance.

From first dancing her choreography at the Long Beach Terrace Theater when I was only 11 years old to eventually becoming a member of her youth tap dance ensemble, Sound Effects, I was exposed to a broader dance community, a new level of training, and professional-level projects and opportunities.

As I continued training and performing, so did my hope for a future in the arts. However, the reality was much more winding than the straight path I had envisioned. I chose dance every step of the way, though. No matter how difficult the reality became, or how far I found myself from my original plan, tap dance was always there. Along the way, I began to learn how to forge new paths—ones that allowed me to embrace my current reality while continuing to pursue my passion for the dance.

Over the last 22 years, I have been a professional educator, choreographer, performer, adjudicator, mentor, producer, and artistic director. And for the past 36 years, I have been a tap dancer.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not.

I came from a working-class family where college was simply not an option that was on the table at that time. My parents worked incredibly hard to support my passion for dance, but after high school, my plans for the future were hopeful but uncertain at best. I had to find my own way forward without a clear roadmap for what a career in dance could look like.

I also started a family very young, becoming a mother at just 20 years old. As a young family, we truly worked from the bottom up. There were times when my husband held two jobs. There were times when we were juggling a toddler, multiple jobs, and my full-time dancing career while sharing one vehicle. It wasn’t always glamorous, but we made it work.

After having my son at 26, I faced another significant challenge when a serious injury required a full ankle reconstruction. At the time, I was caring for a newborn while also running a dance company, producing a weekly dance event, and teaching regularly. My daughter was now in elementary school and filled to the brim with her own passion for tap dance, so life certainly didn’t slow down while I recovered.

And now, with the realities of the current economy, we face the ongoing challenge of keeping our community event, the Orange County Tap Festival, afloat. This event serves not only our local community in Southern California, but dancers from around the world. Over the years, we have welcomed dancers from across the United States, as well as Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Guatemala, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, England, and Costa Rica. Keeping an event of this scale accessible and sustainable is a challenge in itself, but its impact makes the work incredibly meaningful.

Beyond these specific challenges, there have been countless obstacles every time I have ventured into a new idea or space- challenges I could never have planned for and struggles I could never have understood without actually stepping into those new roles, creating new works, or producing new events.

Being a creative means learning to lean into the unknown and embrace the uncomfortable. I’ve had to continually redefine what success looks like, adapt to the circumstances in front of me, and create a new path when the original one was no longer possible. The road has certainly not been smooth, but every challenge has shaped the artist, educator, and leader I am today.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Although I am a trained dancer in multiple styles, I specialize in tap dance as an educator, dancer, choreographer, creative director, producer, adjudicator, and artistic director. At the heart of everything I do is a deep commitment to tap dance- not only as a performer, but as an art form to be taught, preserved, expanded, and shared.

I am the Founder and Artistic Director of Reverb Tap Company, a youth and young adult pre-professional tap dance company. As we approach our 12th season as a pre-professional company, following approximately three additional years as an adult professional company, I am incredibly proud of how far we have come. Some of our milestones include being featured entertainment for the Emmy Awards Governors Balls, having one of our films selected as an official Newport Beach Film Festival selection, and performing on television live from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. We have also been fortunate to collaborate with organizations including the American Cancer Society and American Dance Movement, as well as engagements with McCoy Rigby Entertainment, Sing for Hope, and Get Empowered.

I am also the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Orange County Tap Festival, an annual tap dance festival held in Southern California. Our festival provides dancers of all ages and levels with opportunities to learn from world-renowned and leading tap dance artists, connect with fellow tap dance enthusiasts from near and far, and experience the art form through master classes, student performances, Tap Talk lectures, and performances. Each year culminates in a festival concert featuring world-class tap dance artists, renowned musicians, and special guests. Our mission is to share the joy and artistry of tap dance with dancers from around the world while building an inclusive community, providing exceptional dance education, and honoring the rich heritage of this original American art form. I am incredibly proud of the community we have built and the reach the festival has developed over the years.

As an educator, I teach tap dance at studios throughout Southern California and privately from my home studio in Irvine. I am also a Dance Lecturer at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Beyond Southern California, I regularly teach throughout the United States as an invited guest teacher and internationally at tap dance festivals and dance events.

As a choreographer, I create work for stage, television, film, video, and commercial campaigns. As an adjudicator, I have the privilege of providing feedback and mentorship to dancers across the United States and abroad, helping shape the next generation of artists. I also perform regularly throughout the United States and internationally.

In addition, I run Reverb Production Company with my husband, producing dance events and media projects throughout Southern California, including our main event, the Orange County Tap Festival.

What sets me apart is that I have never wanted to be confined to a single identity or ability. I have always wanted to do it all. I don’t see being an educator, performer, choreographer, producer, adjudicator, and artistic director as separate identities; I see them as different ways of contributing to the same art form that I love.

If something brings me excitement, joy, and passion, my goal is to pursue it with excellence. I have never wanted to choose between the different ways I can contribute to tap dance, or fulfill my lifelong passion to dance and create. Instead, I have chosen to embrace all of them- and to continually find new ways to create, teach, perform, produce, and build community through this art form.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I truly have so many childhood memories that helped shape and define the person I am today.

One that stands out to me happened at a summer dance convention. Like many young girls, I had begun to lose confidence in myself and dim my proverbial light. I remember standing towards the back of the room in an effort to make myself smaller and less visible.

My dance teacher, Ms. Nancy Kindorf, saw me standing there and directed me toward the front of the room. She gave me permission to be unapologetically me. She encouraged me to shine as brightly as I could and reminded me that I had no reason to dim my light for anyone. More importantly, she taught me to redirect my attention away from what anyone else might think and toward simply being present, doing my best, and allowing myself to shine.

It was a seemingly small moment, but it stayed with me. I still carry that lesson with me today, both as an artist and as an educator. Sometimes, the greatest impact a teacher can have is simply giving a young person permission to believe in themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.leahrsilva.com
• Instagram: @leahrsilva
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leahrsilva
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/leahrosesilva

Image Credits
James Horvath
Amy Arey
Lee Howard
Timothy Norris for The Music Center
Lee Gumbs