The Dance School is a community funded, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the art of dance.

​In 2006 a group of committed parents and community leaders re-created the dance school in the same building that nurtured the legacies of Betty Spooner and Mike Jordan.

 

WHO WE ARE

The Dance School is a place where dancers of all ages and abilities learn to dance, sing and perform; where creativity, individuality and self-expression are encouraged. We are a community of people who share a passion for the performing arts.

Our goal is to create a positive, inspiring experience for all our students. We strive to nurture and develop skills, celebrate the achievements of all students and inspire a love and appreciation of all styles of dance and the arts. We are committed to providing a safe, positive environment where all students can feel empowered, comfortable and free to express themselves. We are committed to providing high quality instruction to dancers of all ages and abilities. Our instructors are highly trained, experienced artists in their respective disciplines.

We believe there is no greater purpose in our work than teaching our students the beauty and strength inherent in dance as an art form and the joy that comes from exploring ones own abilities and potential.

 

OUR MISSION

At The Dance School, we believe that Anyone Can Dance, and that everyone thrives in a culture rooted in inclusion, care, and the nurturing of creative energy. We provide a welcoming environment where dancers of all ages and abilities can express themselves, grow in confidence, and find joy in movement.

OUR VISION

We envision a dance community where every individual feels welcomed, wanted, celebrated, and valued, and where creativity and collaboration flourish. Through the transformative power of dance, we strengthen relationships, build community, and inspire lifelong self-discovery, while removing barriers, including financial ones, so anyone can choose dance and experience a true sense of belonging.

OUR VALUES

We value respect, acceptance, and curiosity as essential to creating a safe space where dancers can explore their full imaginative potential.

We are committed to radical inclusion: celebrating diversity, rejecting elitism and exclusivity, and honoring each dancer for the richness of their experiences, their environment, and the body that carries their story.

We teach with the goals of personal and communal growth, emphasizing creativity, empathy, and connection over judgment or comparison.

Betty Spooner decided to teach dance when she was only 14 years old. Her first lessons were given in the back room of a candy store on Bond Street. By age 16, she would have enough students to move to a better studio – which sat above the Sport Center Tavern on Hewitt. In this school she taught ballroom, theatrical jazz, character, hula and even Tahitian dancing. She taught her students to perform in shows at the Fox Theater, now known as the Historic Everett Theater on Colby.

Betty’s husband passed away in the middle of the Great Depression, leaving Betty devastated, desperate and low on cash. She ended up moving herself, her mother, her son Mike and daughter Judy into her dance studio. They lived there for several years until Betty managed to save enough money to buy a new studio – it was then that Betty Spooner’s School of the Dance was opened at 2821 Rockefeller Ave.