Blog Profile - Natalie Cooper

                          

           

 

                                               Selinsgrove Dance Studio

 

  Dance is a creative way of expression. Whether dancing in celebration or just as a fun activity with friends, you are showing people around an emotional part of yourself. As a big fan of the popular game, Just Dance, I can say with confidence that the students at Selinsgrove Dance Studio put their hearts and souls into every movement they make. “To me, dancing is more than just an activity. Dance gives me the freedom to express myself and my emotions. Sometimes words can be difficult, but dance has never failed to tell my story," proclaimed Miss. Melanie, a student who attends Selinsgrove Dance Studio. Selinsgrove Dance Studio (SDS) strives to build self-esteem and confidence in its dancers while creating a family that has self-respect, work ethic, and discipline.  

Side Entrances of SDS 

   Walking through the heart of downtown Selinsgrove, PA, an abundance of businesses line the streets. Among these businesses, a two-story building stands out with a rustic brick exterior accompanied by two giant windows inviting passersby to take a peek. Standing proud above the front door, a sign with bright purple lettering and two light grey dancer silhouettes welcomes all. This entrance, mostly abandoned, leads straight to the vinyl dancefloor. A majority of professional dance establishments forbid street shoes on the dancefloor to keep the floor's integrity intact. Turning down the side street, two additional entrances comes into view. Similar to the rest of the buildings and homes on this street, the light blue paint peels off the concrete brick-like exterior. Small televisions located in small windows that aligned extremely close to the bottom of the building became a memorable feature. Each television displays important announcements for parents, students’ birthdays, and other important information. A wooden white door leads downstairs to a large dancefloor used for costume storage, instead of dancing.  Alongside the white door, a set of old, worn-down wooden stairs leads to a heavy metal door covered by a linen SDS poster. This thick, heavy metal door opens into a cute little area filled with racks of dance attire and merchandise for sale. Tucked in the corner, a small table paired with a comfy chair serves as a desk for the owner. Along the far wall, students fill cubbies with their belongings, rest on a fluffy carpet, and occasionally peruse the competition awards, pictures, student art, and posters tacked up everywhere. 

Student Art Work 

 Miss. Traci, a woman with determination, opened the studio in 1993 and continues to run the business with an iron fist. She is the main instructor and choreographer of the studio. Even with her slightly short stature and average build, she teaches with confidence in her stride and authority in her voice. Students admire Miss. Traci for kind, but fierce personality. "I have always loved children and dancing. And growing up as a dancer myself made me realize that this is what I wanted to do with my life," exclaimed Miss. Traci. Her success as a business owner allows the studio to showcase two annual performances a year, a holiday performance in December, and a performance in June. The studio also performs for the community annually at Selinsgrove Market Street Festival, the Selinsgrove Christmas Tree Lighting, Breakfast with Santa at the Susquehanna Valley Country Club, and participates in the Selinsgrove Halloween Parade. The students of SDS travel to Orlando, Florida, every four years to perform original SDS Choreography on a stage in Disney Springs and attend a workshop with Disney choreographers. "Being invited to show my choreography at Disney is one of the biggest achievements of my career," stated Miss. Traci, with happy tears in her blue eyes. Throughout the years, the studio has continued to grow by share its achievements and dance with the community. 

      The Selinsgrove Dance offers many classes for various age groups. A thirty-minute session exists for infants who can walk, up to three years old, to take with their parents. The children slowly learn to move their bodies with the music. As the children's ages increase, the class sessions become longer and more structured. Children in preschool will participate in a class known as creative movement, where they will learn the basics of ballet and tap. The next level is kinder dance, where they will continue to work on slightly more advanced ballet and tap basics. Each level progresses to more advanced choreography and offers more genres to learn. 

    The studio specializes in the genres of ballet, tap, and jazz. Ballet, the base for all other forms of dance, perfects dancers' technique and trains their muscles. Ballet portrays dancers moving effortlessly with grace and elegance in soft, but powerful movements. Tap dancing involves making music with your feet. Dancing with the rhythm of the music while moving to translate a story. Jazz presents itself as a a form hip-hop with more fluidity and character. Dance not only builds strength but also assists in gaining flexibility and agility. Some athletes, from various sports, enroll in dance classes to enhance their flexibility, form, and gain strength in their muscles. As a result of being a physically demanding activity, the majority of dancers retire by their mid-thirties. Professional dancers spend long hours in the studio participating in grueling rehearsals and classes. Some dancers can burn up to 1,000 calories an hour, depending on the dance lesson.

Upper Studio Dancefloor 

    Miss Melanie, a student at Selinsgrove Dance Studio with a bubbly personality, dreams of becoming a professional dancer after graduating. Miss. Melanie, known for her tall and lean physique, attends classes 5 days a week, giving her an active appearance. She also participates in the Selinsgrove Dance Studio competition team. Judges often compliment her for the passion and emotion she shows in her blue eyes and on her face. In her free time, she volunteers to student-teach younger students at the studio. A student teacher’s tasks consist of demonstrating the routines/combinations the dance instructor has provided for the dancer to either execute at the bar or on the center floor. 

  One evening, when teaching tap choreography, Miss Traci told the girls to get in a line. "Please do eight flaps to the front of the room," Miss. Traci says as she starts the music for the dancers. 

    All the dancers proceed to flap with alternating feet to the front of the room, while Miss. Melanie stays in place. She then proceeded to flap her one foot like crazy. Everyone freezes, causing the room to go silent. In shock, they stared at her, slack-jawed. Miss. Melanie looks up, finding the other dancers staring at her. "What?" Melanie asks, genuinely confused by the awkward silence. 

    Everyone laughed hysterically and desperately tried explain the misunderstanding of the directions to Miss. Melanie. "No wonder I thought I looked ridiculous!" Miss. Melanie shouted in embarrassment. 

2024 SDS Competition Team 

   The Selinsgrove Dance Studio recently re-entered the world of competitive dancing. Miss. Traci hand-selected each dancer to join the team for their bravery, technique, emotion, determination, and dedication. Each dancer participates in at least one group number made with challenging, advanced choreography that they spend months perfecting. Last year's competition team received recognition and was awarded for the amount of emotion conveyed throughout the performance. The team continues to grow and push themselves harder every single rehearsal to improve and become better dancers. 

   Selinsgrove Dance Studio continues to grow with every new student who enters the classroom. The students live out their dreams through dance and help those around them feel emotion. In order to continue their individual journey of growth, many dancers are accepted and attend major dance companies' summer programs every year. Selinsgrove Dance Studio makes dreams come true through the world of dance and ensures a remarkable journey for each student.