How Tristan Edpao Is Building TEMP Collective with Werk
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The program that turns hungry dancers into artists – with purpose
Tristan Edpao will be the first to tell you he didn't start TEMP Collective with a grand vision. He started it because it was 2020, the world had shut down, and he needed to make money. He put together a small group of about 15 dancers and started mentoring.
"It doesn't have to be perfect in the beginning. Those first years were the building blocks that set me up for what it is now."
– Tristan Edpao, Founder, TEMP Collective
What started as a tight-knit Zoom program during a pandemic has grown, over five cohorts and five years – into a full mentorship academy that brings in guest choreographers, has a real team behind it, running on a real platform.
The Founders Journey
Tristan started dancing in 2005 and found his way into the community scene around 2012, joining GRV. For years, that was his world, and he poured everything into it. But somewhere along the way, he looked up and realized he was putting in full-time hours and not seeing a dollar. "I was like – what am I doing with my life?" He dropped out of school, committed fully to dance, and started making his way into the industry.
The transition wasn't seamless. Coming from community, the industry felt cut-throat. But he found mentors who shaped him and started learning not just how to be a better dancer, but how to be a professional, a business person, an entrepreneur. And even as he built his industry career, the pull toward community never went away.
Part of the reason I wanted to step into the industry was because I wanted to bring it back to my community in the OC area, to offer something there.
What is TEMP Collective?
TEMP Collective is a mentorship program – but calling it just that undersells what Tristan has built. It's an academy in the truest sense: a curated curriculum, a cohort of committed dancers, and a space that's as focused on the mental and human side of artistry as it is on the physical.
Each cohort is intentionally small and deeply customized. The curriculum forms in real time, shaped by what Tristan observes in the students themselves.
I genuinely want to customize the experience for them. It's not just what I thought was necessary – it's what I saw in the students was necessary.
The current cohort is his most diverse yet: working professionals, medical practitioners, signed dancers, people still holding down full-time jobs while training. All of them hungry to learn and choosing to be there.
What makes this season different from the early days is the team. Tristan used to run everything himself. Now he brings in guest choreographers, trusted mentors, and people he genuinely looks up to – so his students get perspectives and relationships he alone couldn't provide.
I value my peers, the people I've learned from. This cohort, I was able to bring in a lot of my friends – to give back to my students.
His assistant Aubrey, a former TEMP mentee who insisted on helping out after getting injured mid-program, is now his second brain. Two other former mentees handle filming and social media. The team he's building isn't just operational it's personal.
As long as you have a sense of purpose and why, you can make anything happen. And if you also serve others, that will take you far beyond everything else.
Running It on Werk: From Venmo to a Real Platform
Before Werk, TEMP Collective ran on whatever Tristan could cobble together. Venmo, then Zelle, then manually customized emails – CC'ing every student individually, writing each one by name. "It felt sketchy," he says, laughing. "Like you're just sending me money directly." The backend was a patchwork of spreadsheets and good intentions, and it was taking up mental space that should have been going toward his students.
Werk changed that. Email marketing (the thing he dreaded most) is now handled through Werk's automated email templates.
Payments go through a real platform, which immediately changes how the program is perceived.
It looks more professional. You're going through a platform. It's a safe thing.
His landing page, built out with Werk's support, gives TEMP Collective a home online that actually reflects what it is. And most importantly, the logistics no longer live in his head.
"I can just go on the platform and check whatever I need to check. Everything's all in one place. I don't have to think about building it myself or using Google Sheets for all of it."
The result is focus.
I wanted to do more of the mentoring – and not have to think about all the logistics and tracking.
With Werk handling the infrastructure, Tristan can watch his dancers instead of managing spreadsheets. And that, he says, is what's made it possible to dream bigger.
Now I'm not alone. I have my assistants, I'm building my team – and then having Werk support me on the back end. I feel a lot more comfortable dreaming bigger and wanting to grow.
Fall 2026: Applications Are Open
Five seasons in, 500+ dancers mentored, and a 4.9 average program rating. This sixth season is the most developed version of the program Tristan has built, with a full team behind it, a refined curriculum across three tracks, and a roster of guest mentors and choreographers he's been curating since day one.
The program runs across three tracks, each built for a different stage of the journey.
TEMP Essentials is for beginner to intermediate dancers building their foundation.
Twelve weeks, three hours every Sunday, covering hip-hop, house, and afro foundations. The starting point for dancers who want to train with real structure and leave with tools that last.
From $250/month or $635 one-time.
TEMP Rising is for intermediate to advanced dancers focused on artist discovery and development.
Twelve weeks, three hours every Tuesday, focused on versatility, artistry, and performance. For the dancer who is past the basics and ready to find their voice.
From $275/month or $700 one-time.
TEMP Intensive is for advanced and pro-level dancers ready to become working dancers.
Twelve weeks, six hours every week across Thursday and Sunday, covering mindset, physical mastery, and career development. Available in Core, Plus, and Elite tiers depending on the level of mentorship and personal direction you are looking for.
From $325/month or $825 one-time.
Alumni from past cohorts have gone on to work with BLOCC, Clear Talent Agency, HYBE, F1.88 Rising, Google, Stray Kids, BTS, KATSEYE, and MSA. The program does not just build better dancers. It builds working professionals.
I told him I wanted to dance at a higher professional level. He helped me break my mentality and I got there.
– Deion Williams, TEMP Intensive Alumni.
Applications for Fall 2026 are open now. Spots are limited and filled on a rolling basis.
Run Your Dance Program on Werk
If you have your own dance programs, you can also use Werk to run it.
Werk handles everything from your marketing landing page to applications, automated email flows, student registration, payment plans, curriculum planning, and more – so you can focus your time and energy on actually connecting with your students.
Programs is a Werk Pro feature, available for $49/month.
