- April 23, 2024
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Dancing regularly is an effective way to improve flexibility, balance and overall fitness. Some studies have shown that it can also boost memory power and reduce stress.
For students who enroll in dance classes as children and stay committed, there are even more long-term benefits, such as college scholarships or job opportunities. Some adults who danced as children reflect on the lifelong friendships they formed with other dancers.
The dance season has already started at some local studios, but there is still time to register. Here are a few companies that offer unique opportunities for children and youth.
FRESH FEIS
Watters School of Irish Dance
ADDRESS: 415 N. Clarke Road, Ocoee
WEBSITE: wattersschool.com
Irish dance can be a great way for children to become interested and involved with other cultures. It is an energetic and aerobic form of movement.
“Irish dance is famous for the intricate rhythms that dancers beat out with their feet,” said Myra Watters, owner of Watters School of Irish Dance in Ocoee. “A good analogy is that Irish dancing is like sprinting; other forms of dance more closely resemble long-distance running.”
A unique aspect is keeping arms and upper body still, which requires a great deal of core strength and stamina.
Watters is originally from Dublin but decided to move to Florida after she performed at Walt Disney World with her dance company in the late 1990s.
Students at Watters School are between 5 and 16 years old. They do not have to be of Irish heritage. They are able to compete but are not required to do so. Many students dance for fitness or pure enjoyment.
“The teachers involved in Irish dancing have a stronger sense of purpose and passion, because they are working to not only preserve a dance form, but one that represents their heritage,” Watters said.
Anna Lazzaro, 16, has been an Irish dancer for 11 years. She was drawn to Irish dance because of the high-energy performances. But the benefits for her have exceeded her early expectations.
“My favorite part about being an Irish dancer is belonging to such a supportive community and being able to push myself to become the best dancer I can be,” Lazzaro said.
Lazzaro competes in the Southeast throughout the year, and has also competed in regional, national and global championships. She said her proudest moments as a dancer were winning three world championships with her team.
“Irish dancing takes hard work and dedication, but the competitions and performances are well worth it,” she said.
LASTING LEGACY
Centre for Dance & the Performing Arts
ADDRESS: 301 S. Tubb St., Oakland
WEBSITE: dancecdpa.com
CDPA has been present in the community for 26 years and has been the only dance studio in Oakland since it moved there five years ago. Dancers at CDPA can study ballet, jazz, tap, modern, Scottish, hip-hop and cheer dance, as well as acrobatics.
“My vision for CDPA was to use dance as the primary medium for supporting healthy child development markers through age-appropriate curriculum and a whole-child approach to teaching, leading and mentoring in a family-style setting,” Director Kathryn Austin said. “I believe we do that, and I am happy with the outcome.”
Austin’s students refer to her as “Dr. K” — she said she might be the only dance studio owner in Florida who has a doctoral degree.
Austin has seen many of her students grow up from toddlers to adults. Some of her students’ children are now taking classes at CDPA.
“To me, a new, 3-year-old ‘Creative Mover’ is a life commitment from day one,” she said.
CDPA offers classes in two less common genres: Scottish Highland and hip-hop dance.
Highland dance steps give reference to ballet, step and country dancing and are intensely athletic. CDPA’s Highland dancers compete regionally and nationally and have placed at the national level.
CDPA offers a junior hip-hop class, primarily because experience in this genre is helpful for students who want to eventually join dance or cheer teams at their schools.
There is currently a number of CDPA alumni who are living and working in New York to continue pursuing dance as a career or hobby.
“Of course, my students are just a few of the Winter Garden talent pool that have made it to the city,” Austin said. “Isn’t it great how we — our own little Florida village — raise such amazing young people?”
BIG-APPLE INSPIRATION
N.Y.C. Dance Company
ADDRESS: 328 Moore Road, Ocoee
WEBSITE: nycdancecompany.com
Kristin Kehley opened N.Y.C. Dance Company in 2005 at age 20, three years after she moved to Florida from New York.
“I decided that I just needed to open up mine because there was nothing like a New York studio here,” Kehley said. “We have more of a jazz, funk, hip-hop kind of style here. We also do contemporary, which is the hottest thing that everybody wants to do, but we give variety here.”
All of the instructors at N.Y.C. Dance are young and up-to-date with current techniques and styles. Dancers can start as young as 18 months, when they get accustomed to the flow of a dance class and learn how to use their muscles.
One of N.Y.C. Dance’s unique offerings is a boys-only class in hip-hop and acrobatics. Kehley remembers street performers in New York who dance in groups on cardboard boxes, and that culture is incorporated into this class. There is also a male instructor.
The competition group from N.Y.C. Dance, comprising dancers from ages 4 to 17, recently won a national championship in Branson, Missouri. The win required up to 20 hours of extra weekly practice in the weeks leading up to the event.
“It was a big family effort,” Kehley said. “We like to call each other one big family. … We spend more time together than we do with our own blood families.”
Contact Catherine Sinclair at [email protected].
FEATURED TEACHERS
ADDRESS: 13796 Bridgewater Crossings Blvd., Windermere
WEBSITE: csdancefl.com
BACKGROUND: Studied and performed in New York City for many years, various lead roles for Walt Disney Company and Walt Disney World, appearances on NBC shows.
FAVORITE GENRE: “Jazz is my favorite because of its high energy, and there is so much history to the genre, where is continues to evolve,” Mico said. “It is constantly changing, which keeps it interesting.”
REWARDS OF TEACHING: “We teach life lessons that the students carry with them for a lifetime, and that is rewarding,” she said. “To watch your student grow from the moment they step foot in the studio at age 3, clinging to their parent’s leg with their pink tutu on, and to the time they walk the aisle to graduate high school, becoming a beautiful young adult, makes every minute of being a dance teacher worthwhile.”
ADDRESS: 2220 Hempel Ave., Gotha
WEBSITE: readysetdance.com
BACKGROUND: Instructor for more than 30 years, danced for theme parks such as Six Flags at age 16, studied in New York City and attended NYU School of the Arts, founded a nonprofit dance company and served as consultant to another.
FAVORITE GENRE: Ballet
REWARDS OF TEACHING: “I love watching my dancers grow up to be not only awesome dancers but (also) well-balanced, disciplined and independent young people,” Matheny said. “We try to provide a positive, loving and giving environment, along with good dance technique, so that our students will excel in life.”
ADDRESS: 116 W. Sixth Ave., Windermere
WEBSITE: elizabethparsons schoolofdance.com
BACKGROUND: Performed and taught around the country for many years, master’s degree in dance from University of Houston, choreographer for UCF Theatre, founded DPHS’s dance program.
FAVORITE GENRE: Ballet. “At age 13, I began studying at The American School of Ballet in New York City,” Parsons said. “I knew that someday I would want to teach and bring to all my students the many things I had learned and share with them my passion and love for dance.”
REWARDS OF TEACHING: “To see the progress that is made with our students over the years and the smile on their face when they successfully do one pirouette after they have been working hard to get a single, and then do a double next,” she said. “When the dancers figure out what they need to do to stay present and committed, it is the best reward ever to watch them grow with dance.”
WANT MORE?
West Orange is full of places to get your groove on. Below are some additional studios in the area.
Footworks Dance Studio
ADDRESS: 1201 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Winter Garden
WEBSITE: footworksdancestudio.com
The Right Combination
ADDRESS: 15497 Stoneybrook West Parkway, Winter Garden
WEBSITE: therightcombinationdance.com
Shooting Stars
ADDRESS: 16207 State Road 50, Clermont
WEBSITE: shootingstarsdanceschool.com
Central Florida Dance Center
ADDRESS: 220 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Winter Garden
WEBSITE: cfldance.com
Orlando Ballet School, South Campus
ADDRESS: 7988 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando (Dr. Phillips)
WEBSITE: orlandoballetschool.org
