About Us

Teacher Bios

*Robert L. Reed*

Robert L. Reed is a much sought after tap teacher, producer,
choreographer, and performer. He's taught and performed all
over the world. He received rave reviews for his teaching at
Broadway Dance Center in NYC. For several years he served as
Professor and Artist-In -Residence at a performing arts
university. Mr. Reed is proficient at teaching many styles of tap
and is the protégé of Maceo Anderson, a founding member of the
Four Step Brothers dance act. Three of his young students, the
St. Louis Hoofers reached the semi-finals on Star Search. He was
with Riverdance as dance captain and toured as a principle. with
Incognito in Europe. Reed was a featured artist at the Peg Leg
Bates Resort and has toured with Cab Calloway. Mr. Reed has
opened for such Luminaries as Sammy Davis Jr., Jerry Lewis,
Redd Foxx, Cher, the Smothers Brothers and David Hasselhoff,
just to name a very few. He is the founder and
executive/artistic director of the internationally renowned St.
Louis Tap Festival, which is now in it's 16th year. Reed is also
the founder of the Robert L. Reed Tap Heritage Institute, Inc., a
non-profit organization. He appears in the critically acclaimed
Peg Leg Pates documentary Dancing with the Peg. He performs
and travels worldwide. As two of the Six Feet of Rhythm he
performed with his daughter Robin and his son Robert L. Reed
III, who toured with Savion Glover in the international tour of
"Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk". Robert hosted his own
television show in Japan named for him Robert Hall, which
recently featured Quentin Tarantino and Brittany Spears as
guests. The Mayor of St. Louis, The Honorable Francis Slay
declared, July 30, 2005 as Robert L. Reed Tap Heritage Day.

*John Kloss*

John Kloss was inspired to tap by early performances of tap on
film, and gained his first training in Chicago with many of tap’s
masters. John has appeared in the short film Tap Heat, as an
ensemble member and soloist with Jazz Tap Ensemble and
Especially Tap Chicago, as a founding member of the tap duo
The Swift Brothers, and in festival productions such as the St.
Louis Tap Festival, the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and the
Maui Tap Experience. John’s versatility has led to a performing
resume that includes a notable list of tap artists and work in a
wide range of settings. He has performed in concert ensemble
choreography of Gregory Hines and Jimmy Slyde, in film
choreography by Danny Daniels and Jason Samuels-Smith, with
Samuels-Smith in early incarnations of the group ACGI (“Anyone
Can Get It”), as “the Guide” in the Universal Arts production of
the Beat in San Francisco (a role originated by Baakari Wilder),
and in numerous events with Mark Mendonca. John has also
appeared in festival and other events honoring such luminaries
as the Nicholas Brothers, Four Step Brothers Maceo Anderson
and Prince Spencer, Peg Leg Bates, Arthur Duncan, and Michael
Jackson. John currently serves as director for the Bay Area Tap
Festival, and draws continued inspiration from the many
incredibly gifted performing artists in the tap community.

*Layla Amis*

Layla Amis, a native of Florida, attended New World College of
The Arts in Miami on full scholarship where she performed
works by Mark Haim, Mia Micheals and Gerry Ebitz. Layla
continued her education in Chicago, training with Biruite
Barodicaite, Anna Czaun, Jonathan Levy, Elana Anderson, Kevin
Iega Jeff, Hubbard Street Chicago and on full scholarship at Gus
Giordano Jazz Dance Center. Layla has danced professionally
with New World Modern Dance Company, the corps de ballet of
the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and as a principal dancer with
Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, the Gail Gilbert Dance Ensemble
and Moving People Dance Theatre. She has performed works by
Kevin Iega Jeff, Gary Abbott, Tomi Paasonen, Gail Gilbert,
Robert Moses, Nora Daniel, Raoul Trujillio, Rulan Tangen, Kevin
Wynn, Ronn Stewart and Sam Watson.

In 1998 Layla moved to Santa Fe, NM and became the artistic
director of Dance Arts Los Alamos. There, she taught ballet and
modern dance technique, choreographed numerous works, and
staged The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. In 1999 Layla co-
founded and became the co-artistic director of Moving People
Dance Theatre, a non-profit professional contemporary dance
company. Layla has been the school director for the Moving
People Dance Space for the past four years, teaching ballet,
modern dance technique and repertoire, as well as directing and
choreographing for over 20 pre-professional and professional
productions.

In 2005 Layla accepted the position of Director of LINES Ballet
School. Layla’s goal as a dance educator is to create and develop
a functional and universal technique that trains the mind and
body simultaneously and encourages fluency of expression and
trust in the intuitive intelligence of the body.

Colorado Dance Coalition