Academy of Dance Arts

☀️Summer Fun for Everyone☀️
💃🕺Check out our Adult Dance offerings for June and July!
📱Register online rcdancearts.com
Or call 605.719.5678 (see what we did there with our phone number? 😉iykyk)

It is Thank a Dance Teacher Day with National Dance Education Organization - NDEO💕
We are beyond fortunate to have a fabulous team of teachers who care for each of our students and encourage them to strive for their best! Quality dance education and artistry is what we’re all about and our faculty make it possible! We love our Academy teachers! Thank you for everything you do 🫶

✨May Graduate Spotlight!✨ Henry might not be a senior, but he will be graduating from the Academy of Dance Arts this May. After a rigorous audition process, he will be attending Interlochen Arts Academy boarding school to complete his last two years of high school. Since Henry has been dancing with us since he was a toddler, we couldn't let his last dance season pass us by without recognizing this outstanding dancer and student.

Henry is very active in the performing arts community, dancing at the studio and performing with community and local theatre organizations. Among the many productions he has enjoyed participating in, Henry’s had the opportunity to take the stage as Peter in Peter in the Wolf, Pinocchio in Shrek, Zack Mooneyham in School of Rock, Pugsley in The Addams Family, the Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures, and most recently as the Nutcracker Prince in Black Hills Dance Theatre’s Nutcracker.

Henry shares: "Academy of Dance Arts is where I first discovered my love for the performing arts. Over the years, I’ve been able to meet and work with many amazing and diverse people on different projects. In my eyes, the performing arts is an all-encompassing form of human art. Theatre has led me down paths I never would have expected to follow. The interdisciplinary artist I am now came from my love of the performing arts, which I first found at the Academy. I've always loved the environment at the studio. The teachers are some of the most loving, kind, and nurturing people that I know, and I appreciate the Academy's message and motto of uplifting others! My time dancing at the studio has not only taught me technique and movement qualities, but showed me the importance of kindness, generosity, art, collaboration, and the ability to grow and change.”

Henry’s mom (who some of our students know as Ms. Sara) brought him to dance classes when he was three. He quickly became hooked on using his imagination to play and become different characters, and the theatre became his happy place. However, that doesn’t mean it’s always been easy. Henry shares: “If I could give advice to my younger dancing self, I would tell him to not worry about what others think. In middle school, I used to be very self-conscious and would get discouraged when I compared myself to others. It didn’t help that kids made fun of me and other male dancers, quick to assume and stereotype the art form as too feminine for boys. I had moments when I thought of quitting. But over the years, I have learned that no matter what you do, there will always be someone rooting for you and another person criticizing you, so why listen to the bad when you can surround yourself with the good? What made me stick it out and persevere was the support of my teachers, parents, and close friends, as well as the joy and love I found in dancing and creating art for myself.”

We are so glad you kept following your dreams and dancing Henry! And we are especially proud of you for using your talents to help others! Henry volunteers as a backstage mentor to our younger students and for our Tappy Toes class. Beyond the studio, he is a frequent volunteer at Flutter Productions, assisting with all-ability dance classes and behind-the-scenes for their productions; winning a volunteer of the year award from Black Hills Works and Help Line. He also helps out with choreography for Stevens High School productions, and won a State Drama Superior Performer Award for his role as Oliver in their production of Between the Lines this year.

Henry is also a member of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, an organization that honors both artistic and academic merit of high schoolers, and a member of our student dance company, performing and sharing his own original dances. When he’s not dancing, Henry does a hybrid of homeschooling and public school. He enjoys singing in the Stevens choir, going to local metal shows with friends, reading, rocking out on his guitar and drums, and climbing actual rocks 🙂

Henry will be appearing as Hercules for our epic productions this May and has been working hard on this heroic character. We couldn’t think of a better role for him to play in his last performance with us: a young man who bravely tackles every challenge that comes his way and is unafraid to follow his own path. We wish you all the best on your next exciting adventure Henry!

💪🏔️🎟️Join us for Hercules and The Dance of Destiny Saturday May 2 at 4pm at The Monument!

Our Student Company dancers have created their own original spin on some Greek Myths! Their choreographic debuts will be part of our 11am Little Heroes show this Saturday and we couldn’t be more proud of these young artists and as they share their creative ideas and talent! ✨

Our youngest dancers had their turn in the theatre rehearsing their Little Heroes: Journey to Mt. Olympus show! It is always so fun to watch their first experiences both on and backstage as well as seeing our mentors kindly help us guide them though the process 🥰 We cannot wait to share the joy with you this Saturday at 11am at 🏔️✨🩰🤩

We have officially moved into The Monument! And we are transforming the stage to Ancient Greece for our Little Heroes Journey to Olympus and Hercules and the Dance of Destiny! Get your tickets at themonument.live 🎟️✨

✨💪🩰🏔️Our students are rehearsing away for their Hercules dance production this Saturday!
🎟️Get your tickets now directly from themonument.live 🤩

🎟️Do you have your tickets for this Epic Adventure yet?💪🩰🏔️✨

Introducing our Understudy for Hercules!😉😆
📸Wrapping up our class photos with today and excited to see all the fantastic shots of our amazing dancers! Do you have your tickets for Hercules and Little Heroes yet? 🎟️💫💪🩰