Dance Arts Academy helps students be their best. Located in a converted barn in Sunapee, New Hampshire, the Dance Arts Academy (DAA) is a passion project for Ashlee Rowley, whose background is in recreational and competitive dance training. Started in 2016 with just three teachers and two studio spaces, the DAA is not only an opportunity for Ashlee to share her love of dance but also teach onstage confidence and presence skills that can help the students in all aspects of their lives. “For many of the kids and families, the Dance Arts Academy is not only a place to learn routines and build self-confidence,” says Ashlee, “it’s a second home. Having a welcoming and nurturing space is the goal.”

She continues, “What we provide is different than other dance schools. Training can be focused on excelling at dance, but that isn’t the ultimate goal. There are so many lessons they are learning that they take with them in whatever path they choose to do with their futures.

“Kids can be vulnerable when it comes to academic or social situations, such as applying for schools or having a good relationship with others. We create a place where they can be supported and be themselves. They feel that they can talk to each other and talk to us to provide an extra sounding board. I’m honored to be able to be part of this, especially when they say ‘Miss Ash, this is where I really want to be, so can you have regular school here not just dance?’”

 

Making Magic

Most classes follow the school year calendar beginning in September and running through June, with two performances each season. About 75 students participate in the Winter Extravaganza in December, where a traditional holiday story is interpreted in dance. The end-of-the-year recital in June involves all 125 of the DAA’s students.

In previous Decembers, DAA has brought variations of classic holiday shows to the stage, like Rudolph, The Winter Express, Night of the Nutcracker, and so many more. The 2024 Winter Extravaganza will be an interpretation of The Grinch. Dance steps are learned but the students also take part in creating the props and stage for the show.

Around Thanksgiving, the DAA holds a Pizza, Props, and Paint night where students come to the studio for an evening (sometimes in their pajamas) to eat pizza, paint, and put together the props for their performance. “The event engages students of all ages, even as young as three or four. Getting the behind-the-scenes view of what goes into creating a performance allows them to switch hats and see something a little different than being on stage. There’s also a pride in knowing they had a hand in making the magic happen.”

 

Focusing on Fun

The DAA has a competitive team, the Performance Company. The group attends around five competitions a season. The group, which had 26 participants last year and now has 31, is growing as more dancers want to share their love of performing.

“Winning a trophy is not the goal of this group,” says Ashlee. “Trophies are just an item; it is about what they are learning about working hard, accountability, responsibility, being part of a team, and presenting your best to the audience. The first performance of the season is Move for the Movement, a benefit for the American Cancer Society. It has nothing to do with trophies or placements, just a way to show the audience what you can do as a team. All proceeds go to ACS.

“I feel getting caught up in winning takes away from the natural enjoyment of it for the kids. I am happy when they accept the award graciously but then ask if they can get frozen yogurt! Success for me is knowing at the end of the day they had fun.”

 

More Opportunities for Growth

The DAA also has summer programming. SUNsational Camp is an all-day experience for kids ages seven to twelve and Dance Discovery Days for ages three to six are half-day camps. While the adult instructors run the programs, Counselors in Training are high school–aged students interested in working with kids, often in education, as their careers. In the DAA summer programs they see firsthand what they would need to do in a classroom and get real life experience before they begin their undergraduate studies. DAA also has Night Moves Workshops for dancers ages ten and up focusing on specific styles of dance like the Back to the Barre program in August.

Camp classes are small so that every student gets one-on-one attention. They participate in a performance at the end of the week of their camp. While they all are on stage, they also take part in choosing the music, creating the set, setting the stage, and making accessories, working as a team to put on a production.

DAA’s growth over the last eight years has come from word of mouth. Students come from as far away as Lebanon and Concord for the classes. Past students who have gone off to college and beyond return to take classes or teach.

Ashlee says, “That means we are doing something right. It has been a very fun and natural eight years of having a small business. This is my home; I live here and love the Lake Sunapee community. Our students have roots here, they can come back after they move because this is their home, too. I am so proud to be part of not just the moments where they shine on stage and share their confidence with the audience but how they take their experience at DAA and use it to grow as individuals.”