Arizona Online Alumni Feature: Amanda Leyde

For Amanda Leyde, creating a positive impact is always top of mind. After leaving the commercial dance industry, she founded Summit Dance Company in Redmond, Washington, to build a more supportive environment for young dancers. While balancing motherhood, entrepreneurship, and community leadership, Amanda pursued her bachelor’s degree through Arizona Online’s B.S. in Leadership and Learning Innovation (’26) – gaining the flexibility to continue growing her business while expanding her ability to lead and inspire others. 

What s your current professional role?

I am the founder, CEO, and Director of Summit Dance Company. I taught dance and choreographed full time until I was about 25. Around then I realized that my values didn't really match the industry’s, so I started my own business in 2016. Summit Dance Company is a kids dance company – we have a 7,000 square foot facility with 4 studios, 400 students, and a variety of programs (tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, musical theatre, etc.).  

How did you start your business? 

I was teaching at several different dance studios and ultimately decided that a commercial studio environment wasn’t the right fit for me. I felt that the kids deserved so much more. Eventually, I had an “I can’t do this anymore” moment the week of one of our end of year recitals and quit. It led me to start my business just three weeks later.

How did you learn about the online option for Leadership and Learning Innovation (LLI), and why was it appealing to you? 

I learned about it from some of my friends and former students who are Arizona alumni.  

After taking their advice and looking into the LLI degree program, I realized a lot of the course topics were stuff I was already doing and trying to do, so I knew it would be helpful in my business ventures. From there I decided I wanted to explore more.  

How important was the flexibility of an Arizona Online degree? 

Flexibility was a huge factor. As a working mother, I couldn’t do it without the flexibility Arizona Online offers. Even when I’m strapped for time, I can complete my coursework when it’s convenient for me. I wish more people knew about it, it makes the whole thing totally doable! 

What are one or two courses that you’ve really learned a lot from? 

EDP 405 - Public Education in America.

This class was the most, if not one of the most impactful courses I’ve taken. I was able to apply everything I learned to my more informal setting of learning at the dance studio. The focus on reaching students from marginalized communities was incredibly meaningful to me and inspired me to explore a non-profit dance group which I’m now a board member of.  

I also took a program planning course, which helped me a lot with my business. Being self-taught on everything business, this course gave me real-life organizational skills – and my professor even helped me apply it to my existing operations at the dance studio.

What advice would you give someone who is considering the program?

Without hesitation: do it. Do it scared. This specific degree will change how you walk through life and interact with your community.  

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