Dancing into fall: Local dance studios offer seasonal classes
Sep. 25—If you are looking for a chance to dance on the North Coast, look no further than the popular Maddox Dance and Encore Dance studios.
Both North Coast institutions are back with fall classes, as well as a calendar of scheduled performances for the fall and winter season.
Encore Dance's studio in Warrenton is located at 737 E. Harbor Drive, Suite A (503-861-1637). Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Studio owner and dance instructor is Denele Sweet, who started Encore Dance in 1996, when she was asked if she could teach three little girls how to tap dance.
"She put down a sheet of plywood in a garage and away they went," states the studio's website, getyoudancing.com. "More and more local kids wanted to join in on the fun ... five studios and 20 years later Encore has become what it is today. Our studios are a home-away-from-home for so many kids. We love what we do here and it shows in our students."
Enrollment is now open for the 2021-22 season, with classes available for kids age 2 to 9, with instruction in tap, ballet, jazz, tumbling, hip hop and acrobatics.
Classes are also available for "tweens and teens" and adults.
Meanwhile, Maddox Dance Studio was established in 1949 by Jeanne Maddox Peterson.
Peterson is thrilled to have things back to normal this fall, with a couple of big dates already planned for her dancers.
"We are planning a Halloween thriller dance, to be done on TV with dancers from all over the world," said Peterson. "It is called 'Thrill the World.' We did it last year, and it was a ton of fun," so repeating it with even more dancers should make it an even more memorable performance.
The event will take place Oct. 30 at 3 p.m.
"We perform it outdoors," Peterson said, location to be determined.
And another old favorite is also back.
"We also plan on the Nutcracker (Dec. 4 and Dec. 5), which would be our 46th yearly performance," she said of the event, put on by the Little Ballet Theatre. "We can not say 'annual' anymore, as we had to cancel last year due to COVID. Fingers crossed for this year."
Maddox Dance (389 S. Main Street in Warrenton) also offers classes in Creative Movement (age 2 1/2 to 3, and 4 to 5), tot combo (ages 4 to 5), with instruction to dancers in ballet, jazz, contemporary-lyrical, tap (age 7 to teen), musical theater and acro dance. Also offered are adult programs in ballet, tap and jazz.
Other scheduled performances include a recital at Astoria High School, the Young Choreographers Concert, held each April; the Tap Festival, a tribute to National Dance Week, and always held the first weekend in May.
For more information, see the studio's website, maddoxdancers.com, or call 503-861-1971.
