Former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader brings dance center and ‘The Polar Express’ to Sandpoint

Amber Laiche, owner and director of Laiche Dance Center, always knew she would open her own dance studio. She just wasn’t sure when that would be.

The plan was set into motion, as plans so often are, after a few ups and downs.

Having grown up dancing in Slidell, Louisiana, Laiche didn’t find the same competitive dance scene in Sandpoint after her family moved there when she was 12.

“At least from my Southern experience growing up young to then come here, I felt like there was not an outstanding, competitive, inspiring studio that was giving me all the opportunities that I had in a different place,” she said. “That’s not to say anything bad about the other local studios that were here when I came, but I wanted the experience that I came from, and Sandpoint wasn’t quite ready for that or knew of that. What I mean is the level of passion and dedication and bringing in master teachers from outside places and the level of growth, wanting to grow in dance.”

Laiche took a break from competing after moving to Idaho, but as a freshman, she discovered the Sandpoint High School dance team and put her passion into the team for the next four years. During her senior year, she took a few studio dance classes to help her prepare to audition for dance major programs and teams in college.

After graduating from the University of Montana with a degree in dance, Laiche began dancing professionally as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

But after just one season with the team, Laiche tore her ACL and meniscus and made the decision to move home to Sandpoint. After she had healed, Laiche moved to San Diego, where she worked the front desk and as a substitute instructor at a successful dance studio.

It was during her time in San Diego that Laiche remembered her dream of opening her own studio.

Laiche moved back to Sandpoint and began laying the groundwork of what would be Laiche Dance Center.

The studio, which opened in August 2024, offers classes for dancers of all ages and experience levels in such styles as ballet, jazz, hip-hop and high school dance team pom. Laiche is also planning a Pro Prep class for dancers looking to train for professional dance teams.

The Sandpoint dance community showed up for Laiche and her dance center, so much so that the studio’s performance of “The Polar Express,” scheduled for Saturday at the Panida Theater, is already sold out.

During the performance, dancers ages 4 to 17 will bring “The Polar Express” – a story in which children journey to the North Pole via a magical train – to life scene by scene in a performance that features a variety of styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop.

“The Polar Express” was directed by Robert Zemeckis with a screenplay by Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr. The film is based on the book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg.

The performance grew out of a movie night from last year during which Laiche invited her dancers to watch “The Polar Express,” do crafts, play games and enjoy hot chocolate and other holiday treats.

She had a dance teacher host a similar event when she was a young dancer. She saw hosting her own “Polar Express” movie night as a chance for a full-circle moment.

In her first year as a studio owner, Laiche was primarily focused on getting the business up and running and didn’t add too many extras, like a competition team or a winter performance, to the schedule. In her second year, Laiche said she felt ready to take on more.

“I’m meeting people and getting more ideas and more ways that I can make my dream studio the best it can be,” she said.

One of those ideas was the winter “Polar Express” performance, which she has been working on since October. Laiche said there are five main dancers that represent characters from the movie. Other than that, she said audiences can expect lots of red and green and a lot of holiday spirit.

After “The Polar Express,” Laiche’s focus will turn to the Next Step Prep dance intensive she’s hosting Jan. 24-25 at her dance center. Laiche, two fellow former NFL cheerleaders and a dance major at Marymount Manhattan College will teach classes in ballet, contemporary, conditioning, pom, modern, jazz, technique and hip-hop.

She will then focus on the center’s summer recital. Laiche is a big believer that hard work always pays off, a lesson instilled in her by her parents.

There’s a pat on the back that comes with a sold-out show, but Laiche is perhaps most proud of the fact that she has become a trusted voice in the Sandpoint dance community.

“It feels really good that my community trusts me to not only teach their children dance, but help raise them to be great people in our community,” she said. “That’s almost more important to me. Parents, that’s their pride and joy, those are their babies, and I feel very grateful that they trust me for those hours to instill good, healthy habits and a great mindset into their kids.”