Step into DanceXpressions off Route 20 in Locust Grove on any weekday and you’ll find the studio full of dancers, ranging in age from the smallest of preschoolers to teens, even adults. The studios will be full of energetic music that resonates through the doors into the hallway and waiting room.
What makes DanceXpressions unique, however, is what else is going on at the same time. In the waiting room, dancers will be gathered, but it’s to work on the day’s homework together. At the tall table in the hallway, another group of dancers are dressed and ready to practice, but their focus is on the dinner they’re eating side by side. There is laughter and conversation that mixes with the music.
It would make any newcomer think instantly of a family gathering. That’s the approach that Sharon Cooksey, owner, and founder of DanceXpressions, aimed to create in the studio. “I always felt that teaching dance was more than just that. A studio should focus on the quality of dance instruction, yet also create an environment that helps each individual mature, grow and develop through the opportunities that dance provides.”
She says of DanceXpressions that it is “a village” for the dancers and their families. Her goal is to help support these families as they raise their children in a more difficult world than the one in which she grew up. “It is about maintaining a superior instructional environment, without using negative reinforcement: this is how to get extraordinary results.”
Sharon believes in the importance of students having positive mentors: her teachers aren’t just there to teach dance, they’re also there to provide all students a warm, welcoming, and nurturing environment in which they can grow to become responsible, respectful community members. Just like a family.
It’s clear that dancers and their families believe she’s hit the mark. “Sharon and the DanceXpressions staff truly care about each and every person that walks through the doors, and it shows by the way the students perform,” says Stephanie Sipina, whose two children dance in several classes at the studio and who will be starting the adult only classes herself.
She’s not the only parent who has high praise for the studio. “I am so thankful to be a part of such a caring, faith-based dance school,” says Courtney Poling of the studio. “I know my child is receiving not only encouragement in dance but genuine care about all aspects of my little dancer’s life!”
Cheyenne Mackison, a former dancer herself, has a young daughter who takes beginning ballet and tap at the studio. “As a parent, one of my biggest hopes is to see my child as happy as she can possibly be. Having her join DanceXpressions last year has opened a door of new, fun possibilities, and there’s no doubt she’s having the time of her life in that studio.”
Loyalty to the studio has many families keeping DanceXpressions as their home away from home. Take the Quirogas – they were one of the first families to join the studio when it began in 2015. Faith Quiroga is dedicated to the studio in more than just one way: her children are both part of the studio’s Company, the competitive team that’s won platinum at national competitions, and she herself teaches vocal classes and musical theater at DanceXpressions.
“We’ve been at other studios, but I have never seen one with teachers who care so much for the students,” says Faith. “At the recital, there was meaning in the songs, there were life messages throughout, and it was clear the students and teachers loved what they were doing. I wouldn’t want my children anywhere else!”
The studio does more than just ballet, tap, hip-hop, and musical theatre: it also offers praise dance, Irish step dancing, vocal classes, and free classes for special needs children, called the Shining Stars. “There is a big hole in our local community with regards to dance classes specifically tailored to those who have special needs- whatever those needs might be. I wanted to make sure that all students felt welcomed at DXP and to offer support to families seeking such activities for their beautiful dancers,” says Sharon. “Our Shining Stars classes, taught by the amazing Jill Williams, fills that need, and I’m thrilled that these kids have a place where they know just how important they are.”
The technique and skills learned by all the students were visible during the studio’s first recital this past June, which hosted 97 of the studio’s students – only a portion of the total students that claim the studio as their second home. It’s clear that DanceXpressions has what it takes to be a top-notch dance studio that competes nationally and offers a myriad of classes to the community.
What sets DanceXpressions apart is what it offers off the dance floor: a family.
DanceXpressions is busy all year round. Summer classes are still available to join, and fall registration is now open. Auditions to join the 2017-2018 Company season are Friday, August 18. The studio is also hosting an open house Saturday, August 26, complete with food, fun, and even giveaways.
For more information or to register, call the studio at 540-395-1928, or visithttp://www.dancexpressionsva.com. You can also find DanceXpressions on Facebook.
