Welcome to Dance Excitement!
At Dance Excitement, we strive to develop well-trained dancers through a happy, progressive atmosphere. Our goal is to teach each dancer to his or her full potential in a supportive environment in which our dancers can feel confident and comfortable.
Classes
Dance Excitement offers several levels of dance education.
Mom and Me
The Mom and Me program is for dancers who are 2 years old and their moms. 2-year-olds do not participate in the recital.
Littlest Dancers
Our Littlest Dancers program is designed to teach children ages 3 through 5 the basics of dance with ballet and tap lessons.
Recreational
The Recreational program is designed for children ages 6 to 18. Dancers can choose to take ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, Irish step (must be at least 7 years old), and tumbling. More experienced dancers at least 11 years old can also participate in lyric, pointe, and musical theater classes. A common combination is ballet, tap and jazz, and this combination is recommended for dancers who want to move to the competitive team.
Boys Only
Boys age 6 and older can take Boys Only classes in tap and jazz.
Special Needs
Children with special needs can take classes in ballet, tap, and jazz. These classes participate in a smaller recital in late April.
Pre-competitive
Dancers of all ages can join the pre-competitive program, but the average age range is 8 through 13. Dancers must be evaluated by the staff before they can join this group. Pre-competitive students are expected to participate in the New England Dance Festival competition in June.
Competitive
Dancers at least 7 years old are invited to join the competitive dance team when they have achieved proficiency in dance, or a dancer can ask to be evaluated by the staff. Competitive dancers must take weekly lessons in ballet and tap technique, and weekly lessons in ballet, tap, and jazz. The advanced teams must also participate in the Production number. In addition, advanced competitive dancers can join the Modern dance team, and after evaluation (and at least age 11), the pointe and lyric teams. Unlike many studios, any competitive student (at least age 9) who wishes can compete in a solo, duo, trio, or small group. Competitive students are expected to participate in two competitions: the Eastern Dance Awards and the New England Dance Festival.
Adult
Dance Excitement offers many classes for adults of all levels, including beginner. Adults can take classes in tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop. We have over 50 adults currently taking lessons at all levels—come join the fun!
Ballroom Dancing
Ballroom dance lessons for couples are offered in six-week sessions. Learn the basics of the foxtrot, the waltz, swing/jitterbug, and the cha-cha, and then continue with lessons to learn the rhumba and the tango.
Schedule
Lessons are offered on a weekly basis from the second week of September through the end of May, Mondays through Saturday. (Competitive students dance an additional week or two in June.)
In addition, students on the Competitive teams must attend at least one of two week-long workshops in the summer.
We do not offer lessons during Massachusetts school vacation weeks in February and April, and we are closed on the following holidays: Columbus Day; Halloween; Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sat of Thanksgiving week; two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s (varies depending on the day of the week on which Christmas and New Year’s Day falls); and the Friday before Memorial Day and Memorial Day. (Missed classes may be made up.)
Registration
We hold an Open House at the studio the first Saturday after Labor Day from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm. New students can register then. A limited number of registrations are accepted through the end of October. We offer a Mini Session for new students from February through the end of the school year. Students in the Mini Session do not participate in the recital.
Recital
The recital is usually held the first weekend after Memorial Day. There are four performances: Saturday afternoon and evening and Sunday afternoon and evening. Competitive students dance in all four shows, pre-competitive and adult students dance in two shows, and all other students dance in one show. Participation in the recital is not mandatory for non-competitive students.
Tuition
Dance Excitement offers extremely competitive monthly tuition rates which are calculated based on the number of hours of lessons per week. If more than one member of a family dances, the hours are combined so that the family receives a family rate.
NOTE: Tuition is calculated by multiplying the number of hours per class by the total number of classes for the year. This takes into account holidays and school vacation weeks. That amount is then divided by nine to calculate equal monthly payments for your convenience. Because the tuition is an annual payment, the monthly payment does not change whether the dancer gets an “extra” day of dance because there are five Mondays in a month or the dancer dances only three weeks in a month because of school vacation. If you choose to pay the full amount of the annual tuition before September 15, you receive a 7% discount.
Registration Fee: There is a one-time per family registration fee of $25 for new students.
Dance Excitement
1270 Warren Street
North Andover, MA 01845
(978) 555-9390
Email:
Web site:
Faculty
All instructors at Dance Excitement are fully certified educators. They have studied extensively with the finest teachers, both nationally and abroad. Instructors maintain their skills by attending special classes, conventions, and seminars throughout the year.
Kim Parker, Director: Miss Kim, the Director of Dance Excitement, has been dancing since the age of 5 and teaching dance for over 25 years. She trained at the New Broadway Dance Centre in New York City and is a recipient of the Julie Smith-West award for excellence in teaching. Miss Kim is also a certified personal trainer and incorporates this training in her classes. She founded Dance Excitement in 1995 and her students have excelled in dance at conventions and competitions.
Lucy Friedman: Miss Lucy has been teaching dance for over 30 years. In 1985, she was selected to participate in the prestigious Outstanding Dance Artist competition in New York City. She has become a sought-after choreographer, and her work has been seen on stages in Boston, New York, Chicago, Miami, and San Francisco. She has been with Dance Excitement for only five years, but during that time, has brought an infusion of new ideas and styles to the studio.
MichelleOrtiz: Miss Michelle has an MFA in Dance from The National Conservatory. She was a member of the National Corps de Ballet for over 10 years, and she performed with them for several years at the International Festival of Dance. She has taught Master Classes all over the country.
JenniferSolomon: Miss Jenny trained and certified with Dance Teachers of America and has been teaching dance for five years. She was a member of the Jorge Almeida Company of Dance for four years, and performed all over the country. She won several dance titles as a student, including Miss Dance Year, 2014.
HelenSutherby: A former Miss Dance East Coast, Miss Helen graduated with a BFA from Cincinnati College. She performed in the musical Ain’tNobody Home in New York and toured with the company around the US and Europe. A frequent guest choreographer at studios all over the state, she also judges at more than 10 dance competitions per year. She also is a certified Pilates instructor.