Tamara Dyke-Compton
photo by Mackenzie E Haensgen courtesy of UArizona School of Dance
Founder of The Mindful Dancer Movement
Professor • Choreographer • Author • Yoga Teacher • Dance Educator
Helping dancers and movers cultivate mindfulness, resilience, creativity, and lifelong well-being through movement.
My Journey
photo by Mackenzie E Haensgen courtesy of UArizona School of Dance
I believe dance is more than performance—it is a lifelong practice of self-discovery, resilience, creativity, and connection.
After earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from The Juilliard School, I began my professional performing career, appearing in the first national tours of Movin' Out and Fame: The Musical, along with concert dance, commercial, and theatrical productions. These experiences shaped not only my artistry, but also my understanding of the physical, mental, and emotional demands of a life in dance.
Inspired to mentor the next generation of artists, I returned to school to earn my Master of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Arizona. Since then, I have built a career as a professor, choreographer, researcher, author, and yoga teacher, dedicated to helping dancers prepare for healthy, successful, and sustainable careers.
Along the way, I discovered that technical excellence alone isn't enough. The healthiest and most fulfilled artists cultivate mindfulness, emotional resilience, self-awareness, and compassion alongside their technique.
That realization inspired me to create The Mindful Dancer Movement—a space where dance, yoga, mindfulness, and positive psychology come together to help dancers and movers thrive both on and off the stage.
photo by Grace Stockdale
Tammy’s Professional Biography
Tamara Dyke-Compton is a dance artist, educator, choreographer, author, and yoga teacher whose work bridges dance, higher education, positive psychology, mindfulness, and yoga. Her teaching, research, and creative practice focus on helping dancers and movers cultivate mindfulness, resilience, creativity, and lifelong well-being while developing healthy, sustainable artistic careers.
Education & University Career
Tamara earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from The Juilliard School in 2003 and her Master of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Arizona School of Dance in 2013.
She is currently the Co-Interim Director of the University of Arizona School of Dance, where she is a professor and teaches jazz and modern technique, choreography, teaching methods, dance history, careers in dance, and dance ensemble. She previously served as Graduate Director/Coordinator (2020–2025), Associate Director (2022–2025), and Interim Artistic Director and Interim Associate Director (2021–2022).
Her teaching philosophy centers on the belief that dancers flourish when rigorous technical training is balanced with mindfulness, emotional resilience, self-awareness, and whole-person wellness.
Yoga, Mindfulness & Dancer Wellness
Tamara has maintained a personal yoga practice for more than 28 years and completed her 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Flourish Yoga in Tucson, Arizona, in Spring 2026.
Her extensive experience in dance and yoga informs an integrated approach to movement that emphasizes presence, breath, injury prevention, nervous system regulation, and sustainable artistic practice. Through her teaching, workshops, and The Mindful Dancer Movement, she brings together movement, yoga, mindfulness, and positive psychology to support dancers and movers both on and off the stage.
Research & The Mindful Dancer
Tamara’s scholarship explores the intersection of mindfulness, positive psychology, dancer wellness, emotional resilience, and sustainable performance practices.
She is the co-author, with athletic trainer Kristin Miller, of the forthcoming textbook The Mindful Dancer: A Dancer's Guide to Mindfulness, Emotional Resilience, and Artistic Longevity, to be published by Cognella in January 2027. The book offers practical tools to help dancers, educators, and artists cultivate healthier habits, strengthen mental well-being, and build fulfilling, sustainable careers in dance.
Tamara has taught and presented across the United States and Canada at leading institutions and organizations, including Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, The Ailey School, Domaine Forget (Montreal), Dance Masters of America, The Dance Project, and the Red Rock Dance Festival. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of dancers, educators, and creative leaders.
Perry-Mansfield
During the summers, Tamara serves as Associate Artistic Director of Summer Programming at Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Previously, she served as Co-Director of Dance alongside her husband, Christopher Compton, for ten years (2015–2025). In that role, she helped shape nationally recognized programming and brought internationally acclaimed artists and companies to train young performers.
Professional Performance
As a professional performer, Tamara appeared in principal roles in the first national tours of Twyla Tharp'sMovin' Out and Fame: The Musical.
She has also performed in concert dance, industrials, music videos, commercials, and benefit performances, collaborating with distinguished choreographers including Michael Rooney, Marguerite Derricks, Jimmy Locust, Joe Lanteri, Robert Battle, Aszure Barton, Peter Chu, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Amy Hall Garner, and José Limón.
Choreography
Tamara’s choreography has been presented at prestigious venues including Lincoln Center's Clark Studio Theater, The Juilliard Theatre, The Joyce Theatre, The Gelsey Kirkland Theatre, and the Mark Morris Dance Center, with additional performances throughout the United States, Canada, and Japan.
Her work Dead in the Shell received Best in Fest at the Bell House Choreography Exchange.
Awards & Recognition
Tamara’s commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and creative practice has been recognized through numerous honors, including:
2026 Extraordinary Faculty Award for Arizona Arts
Charles and Irene Putnam Excellence in Teaching Award (2021)
Ralphie Spirit Award (2013)
Emerging Scholar Award, International Conference on Arts and Society, Zaragoza, Spain
Emerging Scholar Award, International Conference on Health and Wellness Society, Vancouver, Canada
University of Arizona Five Star Faculty Award Finalist (2022)
University of Arizona Five Star Faculty Award Semi-Finalist (2021)
A Lifelong Commitment to Mindful Movement
Whether teaching in the university classroom, leading workshops, choreographing new work, guiding a yoga practice, or conducting research, Tamara is passionate about helping people discover the transformative power of mindful movement. Her mission is to inspire dancers and movers of all ages to cultivate artistry, resilience, purpose, and well-being throughout every stage of life.
