Tara McCrystal began as a high level gymnast and discovered dance when she was 8 years old. She received her early dance and theater education under the artistic direction of Lee Lund. She trained at The Boston Conservatory under the artistic direction of Yasuko Tokunaga, and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance Performance with a Modern Emphasis. She feels privileged to have studied with Tina Kershaw (Horton), Jennifer Scanlon (Limon), Lee Lund, Emiko Tokunaga, Yasuko Tokunaga, Marcus Schulkind (Graham), Donna Silva, Leslie Woodies (Ballet) and Olivier Besson (Improvisation and Contact Improvisation). Tara performed reconstructions of Jose Limon and Martha Graham works, and has danced professionally with Bosoma Dance Company, Contrapose Dance Company, Collage Dance Ensemble and Lorraine Chapman The Company. She has worked with numerous choreographers and guest artists throughout her performance career.
In 2011, Tara became founding member and co-Artistic Director of SPUNKandCOmpany Dance - a professional contemporary dance company in the Boston area. The non-profit collaborative company creates original works that often magnify social issues and human relationships. Tara has been a choreographic artist in residence at Green Street Studios and the Boston Center for the Arts (with SPUNKandCOmpany).
Her passion for movement and experience with her own injuries led her to physical therapy. She holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, currently practices at Boston Conservatory at Berklee/ Berklee College of Music and has an active research interest in performing arts related topics.
Tara has taught movement and dance to all levels of dancers and has worked as an expressive arts facilitator with individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities. She believes in the power of art and movement to connect and heal. Her work has been performed by professional and college aged dancers. Tara has been exploring improvisational techniques for years and is most recently focused on structured improvisation for performance.