Laurel Arts Dance

Recital Tickets go on sale April 21st

Our Mission:
At Laurel Arts Dance, it is our goal to provide your dancer with the best dance
experience possible.
All of our teachers have dance degrees and/or many years of experience. They also have clearances from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Our History:
Laurel Arts established its dance program in the late 1980’s with one studio located in a building on West Main Street.  The instructor was Sue Richards, who also had a dance studio in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.  Continued growth of the dance program prompted a move to 118 West Main Street in 1996, where the studios remained until the opening of Laurel Arts Education
& Dance Center in the fall of 2009.  Today, Laurel Arts has three studios and over 200 students who enjoy instruction in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, hip hop,
lyrical, rhythm tap, contemporary and theatre dance.

About Us:
Laurel Arts Dance offers two dance programs: Recreational and Structured.

The Recreational Dance Program offers short courses for those who want to take dance for fun and exercise or who want to just give dance a try. These classes are offered at various times throughout the year. Information on current class offerings can be found under Classes & Camps/Wellness.

The Structured Dance Program is designed for students who love to dance and who want to develop their dance skills. This program runs for 36 weeks from mid-August through mid-May. It culminates with our annual recital.

All students enrolled in our structured program must take a minimum of one half hour of ballet each week. Students may be exempt from the ballet requirement if they are enrolled only in Hip Hop, Rhythm Tap, and/or Theatre Dance.

Preschoolers in our structured program are enrolled in Combo Classes which include an introduction to ballet, tap, and tumbling. Primary grade students receive instruction in ballet, tap and jazz. As students progress, they are enrolled in hour-long classes. Students who are interested in ballet may enroll in a Pre-Pointe (non-recital) class at the age of 12. If the student has developed appropriately, she may go en pointe the following year.

Also included in our structured program is a class for students with special needs. This is an hour-long class emphasizing movement and rhythm. Students in this class will learn a dance and participate in the annual recital.

In addition to ballet, pointe, jazz, and tap, Laurel Arts Dance offers 36-week classes in hip hop, lyrical, rhythm tap, contemporary, and theatre dance.

The Laurel Arts Performance Company was formed over ten years ago.  Students who have reached the level of hour-long classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop and contemporary are eligible to audition for the Performance Company.  The mission of the company is toprovide community outreach through performances and to take part in regional dance competitions.