727: Taryn Tigges is an Engineer & Dancer [podcast]

Taryn Tigges shares her lifelong passion for dance, which began at age four and carried her through years of ballet, tap, and competitive performances, including annual roles in The Nutcracker. She explains how dance was the only childhood activity she truly loved, drawn by its strong connection to music. Taryn describes the challenges of continuing with dance as an adult and her rediscovery of it through Impulse Dance and Fitness in her city, a studio for adults where she found a supportive community and rekindled her love for movement. She contrasts the childhood era of dance with the personal fulfillment and intentionality of dancing as an adult. Taryn reflects on the flow state and focus that dance offers, highlighting how it complements her professional life as an engineer. She encourages others not to suppress their passions, noting that sharing outside interests at work fosters connection and shows that everyone is more than their job title. Episode Highlights · There are two eras of Taryn's dance life: as a child/adolescent and as an adult, returning to dance through an adult studio after a long gap. · Dance provides her with confidence and a sense of flow state/focus that she didn't experience in other activities or even in her engineering work. · Sharing her dance passion at work creates connection and relatability with colleagues, showing she's more than just her job title. · Dance has positively influenced Taryn's professional life, making her more adventurous and comfortable in presentations by drawing on performance experience.