In some senses, a good business is like a good family. They need to be flexible, responsive, and adaptable to one another’s needs. They face adversity, they change, and they grow, but ultimately, they pull together and make the decisions that need to be made to better the whole. Dance Magic has been no exception in this regard.
We started small, tucked away in our little Eastview School cafeteria, focusing on what we do best – teaching dance and spreading love. Miss Val had the good business sense to not bite of more than she could chew and she began with just one, very foundational discipline. Jazz was Miss Val’s forte and she taught it so well that it seemed like a natural place for the studio to start. Fast forward 9 years. The studio inevitably grew in size and became eager for something more. So, not surprisingly, Miss Val took on the challenge to respond. We had jumped from our Eastview location to our Parkland location and once more to our Central Middle School location and we welcomed our very first staff members. Miss Jody and Miss Amanda introduced tap as Dance Magic’s second discipline. Unfortunately, tap shoes were not allowed on the gym floors so it was a somewhat “soft” intro until we could find a location to permit our expanding needs. Additionally, as part of an expanding program we offered all children enrolled in Dance Magic the opportunity to take part in one Rhythmic Gymnastics or Tumbling class every month. This gave the children something new and exciting to look forward to and gave families a taste of what a more broad offering might one day look like.
We “danced” around to a few more locations including Moose Hall, the Collicut (which we still operate out of for 8.5 months out for the year), our first “North” location in Heritage Plaza, and finally our forever home which we fondly refer to as the “North”. As our homebase changed, as did our program offerings. We slowly found the “right fit” staff to offer a variety of classes. After tap came ballet in 2010 with Miss Vanessa and by our 18th year our roster had exploded. A family could choose from any (or all!) of the following: Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Tumbling, Hip Hop and Lyrical.
Not all change is easy, we know that. In fact, change can be downright difficult. But when we celebrate our past and lean on each other for support, it can also be downright beautiful. The time past and eventually our beloved Miss Val saw an opportunity for the studio grow in a new way. She had dedicated SO much of herself to growing and nurturing her little studio that could and she felt it was time to pass all her wisdom and knowledge to a new generation of leadership. Enter Miss Christine. To say that the studio has flourished under Miss Christine’s guidance would be a gross understatement. Today, 30 years after the dream of a non-competitive, all-inclusive, educational, fun-loving studio became a reality, we greet over 1600 students every year and in addition to the aforementioned disciplines we have also expanded to offer Breakdance, Pointe, Contemporary, Ballet Tech, Acro, Aerial Theatre, Aerial Hoop, Hula Hooping, Adult Fitness, Salsa, Cheer Dance, Music Lessons, Voice Lessons, a Performing Arts Preschool and MORE! How’s that for adapting to change? Pretty good if I do say so myself!
As a side note on all these locations we have chassed our way through over the years – If you want to touch a piece of Dance Magic history, the mirrors and the ballet bars at the Collicut are the originals, lovingly crafted and installed for us by one of our favorite dance dad, Lyle Rehn. So next time you are tenduing at the bar and checking your alignment in the mirrors reflection, reflect on the time you have spent with us and let yourself daydream for a moment about all the eager and proud faces that have smiled in those very mirrors. If you look just right, you might see 1000’s of dancers smiling back at you and supporting you along your journey because after all, that is what any good family does.
