During part 1 of Tara Wilson’s story, we dug deep into her dance origins. From a strict East Indian household to a voice in her head revealing her destiny in dance, Tara shared parts of her past she had never shared before. If you haven’t checked that article out yet, go back and give it a read!
In part 2, we’ll get into her rise as a Hip Hop figurehead in Calgary, starting with Tara’s first dance crew, Full Flava, to how her dance convention, Get Down, brought some of Hip Hop’s pioneers and legends to share their wisdom with the Calgary community. Finally, we peel back the curtain to learn who started PULSE and what Tara’s vision is for Calgary’s dance scene. So, sit back and enjoy this exclusive access to one of Calgary’s most prominent dance leaders in Hip Hop and Streetdance!
Making my mark in the Calgary dance scene
Let’s go back to the early 2000s. Tara is on the verge of earning her dance degree at the University of Calgary while teaching regular 'Funk' classes at DJD and Free House (before classes were called Hip Hop). She goes to the Bates Festival every summer to learn authentic Hip Hop. Despite her teachers telling her that she would never become a professional dancer, Tara defies the odds...
I was getting lots of work around the city. At the same time, Breaking fascinated me. It felt like that original spark from when I first discovered dance. To be honest, I was kind of obsessed and wanted to learn everything about it. By learning Hip Hop through Rennie and my connection with Raul, I started to build a name for myself.
I eventually inherited a teen class at DJD from the amazing Niki Delicia. She had these amazing students, up for anything, and when she left, they stuck around for me. It was my chance to explore my Hip Hop choreography. Those Friday night classes were such a vibe!
This is where Tara had the idea to form a group of girls to train with. Cue: Tara’s first dance crew, Full Flava.
I wanted to vibe with other women. So, I thought of women already in my circle. I approach one of my teen class students, Miko, and a B-Girl, Michelle Lozada. To round out the crew, I thought of two girls from my adult class, Esther and Sarah. I invited them to get together and train.
Tara with Full Flava - Sarah (in white), Michelle (black & blue), Miko (blue) and Esther (red)
Each of these women brought something different to the crew and matched Tara’s drive. They were Breaking, Popping, creating choreography, and yes, even Battling!
Michelle was really into Breaking. Miko had Popping training from Vancouver. I had Popping training from Poppin’ Pete and the other OGs. And Esther was funky with her Top Rocks. So, we were collaborating and making dances at the Treehouse Dance Studio late at night. Creating little routines. That's mostly what we were doing – and getting ready to do battles.
For Tara, it wasn't enough to just dance, teach, and perform. It was around this time that she also had a website where she wrote about Hip Hop. This website would spark a chain of events that connected her with a Hip Hop legend to form Get Down.
Back in the day, I had this website where I could showcase my choreography, but it was also a way to share Hip Hop knowledge and history. I devoted one page to the pioneer of Locking, Don Campbell, and everything I learned from him. Word travels fast because an original member of the Lockers, Leo “Fluky Luke” Williamson, caught wind of my page and wanted to meet me.
We eventually got to talking about him teaching a workshop in Calgary. An original Locker teach in my city?! It was a no-brainer for me and got right to work setting it up. Having Fluky Luke teach my students was my way of sharing history through them and host panel discussions as part of the event. It was a chance for people to ask questions and hear stories from the pioneers of these dances. Originally, we called the dance workshop “Get Down to the Funky Sound,” but eventually we shortened it to just “Get Down.”
Throughout the years, many well-respected teachers, from Hip Hop pioneers to local legends, would teach at Get Down. Even Don Campbell himself made an appearance. Tara was not only part of the Calgary dance scene at this point; she was shaping it.
I knew this was the only way for my community to access these people. No one else had done anything like this since Wayne Headley and Hard Lino. Once the Booglaloos caught wind that Don and Fluky Luke were at my event, they wanted to take part too. It was like they were being rediscovered after so many years.
Tara Wilson with Hip Hop Legends - Forest Getem Gump, Don Campbell, and Flukey Luke - at Calgary's First Get Down Event (2002)
Giving birth to PULSE
With Get Down and other dance workshops on Tara’s plate, finding adequate space was becoming an issue. Long and behold a few passionate, business-minded people were on a collision course to create PULSE Studios.
I had to move Get Down to different venues several times due to studio unavailability and increasing rental costs. I was exhausted from raising two new babies, forcing me to pause my regular teaching for a while.
Cut to – an entrepreneurial couple, Vince Truong and Gill Co. They were making plans to start a new dance studio – PULSE. They had approached Caroline (Lady C) and me to rent space from them once it was up and running. We happily agreed and did our thing in the meantime.
Get Down that year was a total disaster. We had to break up the workshop at different venues. Some classes took place at DJD, while others took place at a community center. It was confusing; people were showing up to the wrong classes, registration was low, and it was an all-around nightmare. Everybody was upset. But by a twist of fate, Vince and Gill attended the final class of the workshop. I couldn’t have been happier to talk to them about their studio plans again…
Vince and Gill informed Tara that their financing fell through, which was a bummer all around. After a couple of weeks of marinating in her thoughts, Tara saw an opportunity to breathe new life into Get Down and future dance events. With Vince and Gill’s business plan, Pete’s (Tara’s ex-husband) access to financing, and Tara’s experience and connections, the four officially signed the papers to co-own PULSE Studios.
They already had the logo and colours we still use today. Vince and Gill had a classier vision for the dance studio, which I liked. I loved their ideas and they were easy to work with.
We asked Tara to share what those early days were like and the challenges she faced in the beginning.
The biggest challenge is we didn't have any students *laughs*. We were running classes with only 2 to 3 kids and had to trust the process and keep going. I didn't take a paycheck for like 18 months and worked 30 hours a week. We were just trying to make ends meet to get this thing off the ground.
Tara's naivety led to some mismanaged business deals and trust in the wrong people. They jeopardized PULSE's ability to stay open. Meanwhile, it was becoming clear that PULSE wasn’t thriving with four different owners.
After Pete and I divorced, he didn't want to have anything to do with the business anymore. Vince and Gill moved on to other projects, leaving me to deal with PULSE at its worst. In the 6 years we were running, I didn’t bother to learn about the business. I focused on making dance programs, Beast Machine, and choreographing. I didn’t even know where the bank for the studio was, where we were getting office supplies, or how we were managing our staff. I knew nothing.
It was at a point where I was looking to sell the studio. I offered it to Dawn (current PULSE Studios Operations Manager and former Beast Machine Parent Liaison). Although she didn’t buy it, it got Dawn and me talking about ways to help each other. She initially offered to email the Beast Machine parents about important info, which gradually evolved into studio-wide tasks like scheduling, communication, and fundraising. She was a total lifesaver.
Dawn and Tara have tackled the business together ever since. From checking every receipt to travelling to MindBody's HQ in California to learn about its management services, Tara had found her go-to person in Dawn.
Tara & Operations Manager, Dawn Starr
Dreaming a brighter future for Calgary dancers
Fast forward to today. PULSE is flourishing with knowledgeable home-grown teachers and hungry students. Tara continues to bring globally recognized teachers and artists for workshops all year round. Tara's latest event, the Calgary Hip Hop and Streetdance Festival, is in November. It will celebrate Hip Hop and dance with workshops, performances, dance films, and battles. With all these community-building initiatives on the go, we asked what her vision for the Calgary Hip Hop dance scene is.
I always thought it was a shame that Calgary dancers had to move somewhere else to pursue their dreams. A big focus for me has been creating opportunities for dancers and artists to stay in Calgary. One of my biggest goals with PULSE is to provide Hip Hop dancers a place where they can do meaningful work and get paid well for doing so. I want to help my community feed their artistic souls right here in Calgary.
To close our interview, we asked Tara for her advice for aspiring dancers in the Calgary community.
I would definitely encourage them to love the journey they’re trying to pursue, despite what anybody tells them. There were so many times when I felt I could have quit and done something way easier, but those things didn’t fill my heart with passion and joy.
PULSE Studios is Calgary's premiere Hip Hop and Streetdance studio
There are so many takeaways from Tara’s interview that we can learn from. For one, never let other people tell you what you can and cannot do. Tara’s dance journey started with teachers telling her she would never be a professional dancer. But, the voice in her head was too strong for the naysayers. It led her to a destiny. She overcame hard times to become a prominent dance leader in Calgary today. Let that be a lesson that your passion can prevail if you listen to the voice in your head (even if you’re an aspiring dancer who can’t do a pas de bourree).
Tara also taught us that dreams are never built in a day. PULSE wasn’t always the dance studio you see today. She barely had students to keep the lights on and was working for free early on. Things were so bad, that she considered selling the studio. But thanks to her perseverance and an amazing support team behind her, she was able to turn a sinking ship into a thriving enterprise where young dancers discover their passion through Hip Hop and Streetdance.
Lastly, hearing Tara's story showed us kindness above all. Despite being one of the worst dancers in her class, she continued to progress and move up with hard work and a positive energy that made her a delight to be around. That same energy attracted Hip Hop’s founders and pioneers to spread their knowledge to the Calgary dance community (a la Get Down). And when PULSE was at its lowest, it was the kindness between Tara and Dawn that morphed PULSE into a haven of learning and growth for young dancers.
We want to thank Tara for being so candid with us and for continuing to bring authentic Hip Hop education to the Calgary dance community. To see what Tara has in store in the coming months, join our mailing list and find the classes and events that speak to you!
