“DANCE IS FUN! It lifts the spirit,
strengthens the body,
and stimulates the mind…”
-Wayne Sleep, professional dancer*
If you are feeling sad, depressed, or lonely, the place to visit is our dancing school, Dance Arts of Bowling Green. Your spirits begin to lift the minute you open your car door and step into the parking lot. The best time to visit is about 5 p.m. on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. This is when we host open registration so you will experience not only the joy of children coming and going to class but also the excitement of children who have convinced their parents to enroll them in a class.
Keep in mind that we are now beginning the spring semester of the 2019-2020 school term.
Unlike most dance schools, we have an open studio, which is just to the left of the front door. In this area we schedule the advanced and pre-professional levels. You will want to observe the intent concentration of the younger dancers observing this class level. They see themselves in a class like this when they are older. This is truly a moment of joy that you will want to feel!
You will be greeted by a lost and found table, perhaps stuffing coming out of some of the throw pillows on the couch in the waiting area, and maybe even gum stuck to the carpet (“little ones” will discarded the gum immediately where ever they can because gum is not allowed in class). Little ones hardly ever walk in the door; they usually skip down the hallways or run to hug their friends and teachers.
You may experience a teacher comforting the child who is crying because he or she forgot a dance bag and has no shoes for class. We have tissues on hand for the occasion. We then explain that dancers forget things all the time. It is just who we are!!
As the co-director of Dance Arts, I describe our lobby as walking into a home with 10 children in the family. If the home is quiet with everything in place, then the kids are not as happy as they could be. Children in numbers must have smiles, hugs, and mess.
The break room is awesome! In this area you will hear preteen and teen conversations. They talk about the “teen stuff” that every generation of teens converse about, but at dance school they also share tips on how to execute a movement correctly or ask to borrow tights from a classmate because they forgot to bring a pair.
There is “good dancing” in all the studios! Our teachers are amazing, talented, and love to share their passion for the art form of dance!
So…our door is open, and we are looking forward to meeting you and sharing our love for the art form of dance with you!!
*Wayne Sleep was born in 1948 and began ballet lessons in Hartlepool, England, in 1955 with Muriel Carr. He earned a Leverhulme Scholarship to the Royal Ballet School in 1961 and joined the Royal Ballet in 1966 becoming a senior principal dancer performing globally. He is also an actor, known for Elizabeth (1998) and The Virgin Soldiers (1969), and he directed the choreography of the tango scene in the 1978 film Death on the Nile.
-by Martha Madison
About the Author: Martha Madison is currently owner and co-director of Dance Arts of Bowling Green. She received her dance education through Dance Educators of America, Western Kentucky University, and the University of South Florida.
