Tampa Bay Taps – Center for Tap Dance

About Tampa Bay Taps – Center for Tap Dance Director Ashlyn Bolton

Tampa, Florida native Ashlyn Bolton is the Director and Owner of Tampa Bay Taps; which includes its performance companies Rhythm and Sole and the Youth Tap Crew, along with the annual Tampa Bay Tap Festival which is a week long intensive with Tap Masters. Ashlyn represents So Danca as a Tap Ambassador and she is the co-founder and co-director of the Southern Open Rhythm Collective and a Leader for its Florida Chapter. 

Instructor, Choreographer, Dancer: Ashlyn teaches Ballet, Tap, Precision, and Jazz across the Tampa area and is currently an instructor at the Patel Conservatory and All American Dance Factory. Ashlyn is part of the USA Cheerleaders and served as Captain for the MASL Florida Tropics as a Professional Cheerleader. Ashlyn is a member of Aaron Tolson’s company, Speaking In Taps. She was named Best Local Dancer and Best Local Choreographer in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay; continues to train with coaches Rhonda Malkin, Heather Osarczuk and with the Radio City Rockettes through their invited intensive program; has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; had a role in “Contest: The Movie;” danced in numerous local professional gigs; and was an intern for Chloe and Maud Arnold. More recently, Ashlyn founded a professional tap company called “Project: Rhythm.” This company made its debut at the Gasparilla Music Festival in Tampa, FL. 

Throughout Ashlyn’s time directing the Ensemble, she has produced over 100 productions including performances at Disney World, Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios, Dancing For Diabetes, the Florida Strawberry Festival, the Florida State Fair, and numerous other local shows as well as fully produced tap dance shows annually. Ashlyn strives to shed light on tap dance in her own community, as well as those surrounding while inspiring the next generation to do the same.