Our Story
The Dance House started with our family and a whole lot of time spent in dance studios.
We’re the Dowdell family—Christina and Aaron, along with our four kids, Thatcher, Kaiya, Karis, and Thia (also known as the Dancing Dowdells!). We’re a homeschooling family, and for as long as we can remember, dance has been a huge part of our lives. We’ve spent countless hours in studios, at rehearsals, competitions, conventions, intensives, performances, and everything in between. We’ve watched our kids grow up through dance, and somewhere along the way, we started dreaming about creating a studio of our own.
We wanted a place that felt different from what we had experienced in some of our years around the dance world. We wanted dancers to receive excellent training and be challenged to grow, but we also wanted them to feel loved, seen, encouraged, and at home. We wanted a place where kids could work hard, have fun, make friends, build confidence, and develop a genuine love for dance in a healthy environment surrounded by kind people.
So in 2025, we decided to take a leap and make that dream a reality. Afterall Princeton needed a dance home!!
We built The Dance House from the ground up and opened our doors in November 2025 with about 20 dancers and a whole lot of excitement! By the end of our first season (just months later), more than 70 dancers had become part of our Dance House family. We celebrated our very first recital, welcomed so many wonderful families, made new friendships, and watched this little dream become something much bigger than we imagined.
Our kids are still at the heart of it all. Thatcher, Kaiya, Karis, and Thia each have their own love for dance and have all played a part in helping shape The Dance House. They teach, assist, choreograph, perform, and help with camps and productions......and they’ve probably heard their mom say, “I have an idea…” more times than they can count.
Our family has grown and changed along the way, and so has The Dance House. Thatcher is now studying Dance and Directing at Oklahoma City University, while Kaiya, a high school junior, continues her college-level dance training and choreography. She has already earned enough college credits to be close to completing her associate degree. As our kids grow, we love that The Dance House gets to grow with them and that they can continue sharing what they love with the next generation of dancers.
We’re still a family-owned studio, and we’re still figuring things out as we go. But the heart behind The Dance House hasn’t changed. We want this to be a place where dancers can grow in their skills and confidence, where families feel welcome, and where the joy of dance gets to be just as important as the work that goes into it.
We’re incredibly grateful for every family who has trusted us with their dancers and chosen to become part of our story.
This is The Dance House. And we’re so glad you’re here!!
Our Dance Teachers
Meet Kaiya
Kaiya brings a blend of precision, creativity, and warmth to The Dance House. As the youngest dancer ever accepted into the Collin College Dance Ensemble, she has continued to grow as both a performer and choreographer, earning recognition for her technical excellence, dedication, and radiant stage presence.
Kaiya continues to perform with the Collin College Dance Ensemble, appearing in productions and performances throughout the DFW area. She has also performed at the American College Dance Association (ACDA) Conference and has toured with the ensemble to schools and festivals across the region. During her first year with the ensemble, she received the Most Devoted Member Award, recognizing her exceptional dedication and work ethic.
Her choreographic voice has grown just as quickly. Kaiya and Thatcher were previously selected to present their original choreography at the Collin College Choreography Showcase, and Kaiya recently reached another remarkable milestone when her choreography was selected for presentation at the 2026 American College Dance Association Conference. She was the youngest choreographer selected, an especially meaningful accomplishment in a setting where selected works are typically created by college-level dancers, often upperclassmen and graduate students. This opportunity reflects not only her creativity, but her ability to create meaningful movement and communicate an artistic vision through choreography.
At The Dance House, Kaiya has continued to develop her leadership and creative skills. She co-directed an entire Dance House production alongside Thatcher, helping bring the production from concept to stage. The production was a tremendous success and gave her valuable experience in choreography, directing, collaboration, and working with dancers of different ages and experience levels.
Kaiya's training spans ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, and hip hop. Her six years of competitive dance experience include award-winning routines across multiple styles, along with scholarships including the Rhythmic Souls Tap Scholarship, KAR Audition Slate Champion, and Hollywood Connection Icon Scholarship.
As a teacher, Kaiya brings patience, positivity, and a genuine love for helping dancers discover what they are capable of. Whether she is teaching technique, creating choreography, she strives to help each student grow in confidence, creativity, and love for the art of dance.
Meet Ms. Tamra
Tamra brings a rich blend of experience, heart, and nurturing energy to The Dance House. With many years of teaching in both dance studios across Collin County (including teaching all the Dancing Dowdells!) and in private schools with preschool through elementary ages, she has a unique ability to connect with children at every stage of development.
She has trained and taught in a variety of dance styles including Cecchetti where she has also been invited to teach at the Cecchetti Council Conference, reflecting her dedication to quality dance education.
In addition to her teaching, Tamra is an award-winning choreographer, known for creating engaging routines that highlight each dancer’s individuality while building strong foundational skills.
Tamra is especially well known for her summer camps, where her creativity and enthusiasm truly shine. She has a special gift for making learning fun, creating an environment where dancers feel excited, confident, and eager to come back each day.
Tamra has a natural gift with young dancers, Tamra creates a positive, joyful, and structured classroom where children feel safe, seen, and supported. Her patience, kindness, and genuine love for each child make her an incredible mentor and teacher.
Her passion for both dance and children shines in everything she does, and she is dedicated to helping dancers grow not only in skill, but in confidence, creativity, and a lifelong love for dance.
Meet Karis
Karis brings enthusiasm, creativity, and a genuine love for dance to The Dance House. A dedicated competitive dancer and performer, she has trained for years and loves sharing her passion for dance with younger dancers.
Karis has been part of the competitive dance world for several years and has performed with Rhythmic Souls Tap Company (RSTC). Her competitive dance experience has earned her numerous awards and recognition across multiple styles. She continues to challenge herself as a dancer and expand her training through opportunities both inside and outside the studio.
Now a freshman in high school, Karis is already pursuing college-level dance training through Collin College, where she is taking courses including Ballet and Modern. Her continued education gives her the opportunity to learn from experienced instructors while developing her own technique, artistry, and understanding of dance.
Karis especially loves working with children and has a natural ability to connect with younger dancers. She brings patience, encouragement, and a fun energy into the classroom, helping students feel comfortable while encouraging them to try new things and build confidence.
As a teacher, Karis hopes to inspire her students to work hard, have fun, and discover the same joy that dance has brought to her. She loves watching dancers learn something new, gain confidence, and realize what they are capable of.
Meet Thatcher
Thatcher brings a blend of artistry, dedication, and leadership to The Dance House. A standout performer, choreographer, and teacher, he has continued to grow as an artist while pursuing his passion for dance at the collegiate level.
Although Thatcher is currently attending Oklahoma City University, where he is majoring in Dance and minoring in Directing, he remains a big part of the The Dance House family. He makes appearances at as many studio events as his schedule allows and hopes to offer workshops, camps, and special classes when he is home during school breaks. We love that our dancers get to learn from someone who is actively pursuing dance at the collegiate level while still being a familiar and much-loved part of our Dance House community.
Thatcher has performed extensively throughout the DFW area and beyond, with training and performance experience in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, hip hop, musical theatre, and more. He was the second youngest on the Collin Dance Ensemble for his Hight school junior and senior year where he performed with the Collin College Dance Ensemble and at the American College Dance Association (ACDA) Conference, including performing a duet selected for Gala at the 2026 ACDA Conference. His years of competitive dance have earned him numerous awards, scholarships, and recognition as a standout performer.
His passion for choreography and creative direction has grown alongside his performance career. Alongside Kaiya, he was selected to present original choreography at the Collin College Choreography Showcase and has created award-winning choreography of his own. At The Dance House, Thatcher and Kaiya also co-directed the studio's first large-scale production, bringing their creative vision from concept to stage in a tremendous success.
As a teacher, Thatcher brings extreme energy, encouragement, and a genuine passion for helping dancers discover their own artistry. His experience as a performer, choreographer, director, and college dance student gives him a unique perspective, and he loves challenging dancers to grow while making sure they enjoy the journey along the way.
