History of Diamond Talent

Since 1998, Diamond Talent has inspired young talent to reach high and achieve their dreams.

Before Diamond Talent, Brian and Melinda Larson worked as professionals in the entertainment business. Brian worked in Stage Management and Melinda as a singer, dancer, and performer. After finishing a few years at the Opryland USA Country Music Theme Park in Nashville, TN, they moved with their three young kids (ages 2, 4 and 6) to St. George just before the summer of 1997. Brian had been hired to be the Equity Stage Manager and Melinda was hired to play the female lead in Utah! The Peacemaker Saga, a summer production at Tuacahn Amphitheatre. They continued working at Tuacahn for 3 seasons, with Melinda being the first "Narrator" in Tuacahn's first production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as well as playing Marion in The Music Man, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof and she choreographed Seven Brides For Seven Brothers while understudying the female lead of Millie.

After the summer of 1997 was over, Tuacahn asked Brian and Melinda to build a dance program at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts. They started with only 2 students and over the next year built the program to perform their first dance recital at the Tuacahn Hafen Theatre with 100 students. After the tremendous success of that night, they announced to their students backstage that they would be staying in St. George and opening their own studio.

Diamond Talent Productions was born in May of 1998. Diamond Talent grew from 100 to close to 750 students in less than a year and a half! As overwhelming as this new studio was to the young performing couple, they forged ahead and developed Diamond Talent over the next few years inspiring young talent to reach high and achieve their dreams.

It wasn’t without a struggle. At the time, Brian and Melinda’s way of teaching their students to dream big even if they weren’t going to go into dance as a career was a new idea to the area. But the results held up. With some influence through programs like their Triple Threat Workshop (which they created in 1998) or through performing for their community at shows like the Huntsman World Senior Games Opening Ceremonies, they taught their students not only to be good performers on stage but also exceptional human beings backstage and in life.

Current students have made prestigious summer intensive programs all over the country and have studied with top dancers and some of the best master teachers in the performing world. Many Diamond Alumni have been accepted to some of the best dance, musical theatre, and acting programs in the country which also include two Juilliard Dance Graduates. Alumni can currently be seen performing on Broadway and Broadway Regional Tours earning a total of 12 Broadway credits. Many Alumni have performed in numerous Equity and Regional theatres all over the country, on worldwide cruise ships, and on theme park stages. We have also encouraged filmmakers, actors, artists, doctors, professional trainers, journalists, school teachers, entrepreneurs, and parents.

Over the years, the Diamond Family has grown. We continue to encourage our students to be good human beings alongside being great performers, and we continue to hear great feedback from professionals who have met our students out in the world. So many children who grew up at Diamond Talent under the training of Melinda and Brian have gone on to capture their dreams in the performing arts. Diamond Alumni continue to be mentors and friends to current students. Several Alumni have also been guest teachers to our students in between their performing jobs.

Once a part of the Diamond Family, always.

Melinda and Little Girl at Huntsman Games

Brian Larson with son Zach backstage at Opryland 1996

Diamond Talent Children's Ballet Students 2010

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