New Jersey Dance Schools: From Ballet to Hip-Hop, it's Here!

Whether your child’s a tough guy, a tomboy or a tiny princess, there may come a day when they wanna’ cut footloose and dance. While “dance class” used to strictly mean “ballet,” the vast range of New Jersey dance studios now expands that definition to include everything from hip-hop and tap, to ballet and break-dancing classes. So, if you’re dreaming of your child as principal dancer at The Joffrey Ballet, or if you just want to see your little star on stage in a cute costume, there’s a school to fit the bill. Check out the wide array of options sure to please every type of tiny dancer out there, and let your little one bust-a-move!

Seeking the tops in training? Check out the NJ School of Ballet in Livingston (with branches in Somerville and Cedar Knolls) They offer more than 50 years of experience, luminaries like Edward Villella (frequently cited as America's most celebrated male dancer) teaching classes, and a pianist providing live music. Their annual Nutcracker continues to amaze audiences at the Paper Mil Playhouse year after year. If you’re looking for a big end of the year recital show, you’ll have to look elsewhere. However, if you can wait a few years, older children have a chance to audition for parts in the performances. Not a bad trade off!

Also bringing 50 years of experience to its students and providing live music in their classes is The American Repertory Ballet’s Princeton Ballet School located in Princeton, Cranbury and New Brunswick. They boast the additional honor of JerseyArts.com naming them “People’s Choice” for Favorite Dance Company in 2008. Performances consist of two shows, one end of the year show (last year’s was The Sleeping Beauty) for the whole school and another, The Nutcracker, for their professional dance company (students from the main school can audition for the show.) If you’re closer to Hunterdon County and seeking the same 50-year level of experience (and an annual Nutcracker performance), go to the Eleanor Connell School of Dance.

Seeking superior ballet training but feel your child would do better at a smaller school? Check out Kozlov Dance,  Irine Fokine School of Ballet and Petrov Ballet in North Jersey. Kozlov and Irine Fokine have respected productions of The Nutcracker every year with ample parts for members of the school. In South Jersey, The Academy of Dance Arts in Red Bank offers classical ballet training. And (bonus) their guide for parents on what to seek in a ballet school is worth checking out.

If you’re out in Northwest Jersey, then Perfect Pointe Studio  in Sparta does a superb job of combining the small studio experience with competitive opportunities. Owner Jessica Szucs brings great energy and patience to her classes, and arranges trips into Manhattan for the more advanced students to meet teachers, attend shows, and train in workshops.

The Ballet Barre in Andover also gets high marks from parents praising great faculty that see a child’s potential and nurture it, building confidence.

Hoboken offers two great options: Hoboken Dance Academy, known for a stricter, more traditional approach with Broadway dancers teaching many classes; and Hudson Dance and Movement, which offers laid-back movement classes for the littlest ones, but progresses to intensive, audition-only programs that teach students to respect the art of dance, and which prepare them for futures as professional dancers. In fact, many students transfer to this studio when ready to train seriously.

If you see Broadway in your tyke’s future, then check out two schools in North Jersey: In the Spotlight  and Robin Horneff’s School of Dance.  Horneff’s has a three-track system—recreational, intermediate and dance company. This allows flexibility for your child to grow into more competitive dancing at their own pace. A recent Rockette received her training at In the Spotlight, while dancers from So You Think You Can Dance make appearances at Robin Horneff’s. In the Spotlight allows parents to view classes through a window while Horneff’s does not (they offer a monitor in the lounge). Important to consider if your younger child performs better with you in line-of-sight or not.

Beyond Dance in Englewood is affiliated with BergenPac and reaps the rewards in great teachers straight from Broadway and performance opportunities literally next door to the studio.

If you’re the type that would prefer a night at Webster Hall than the Met, then maybe your child—and don’t forget about the boys!--will want to explore other forms of dance, like tap, hip hop, break dancing, cheer dance or ballroom.  Dance Designs in Fair Lawn provides a top-notch faculty from an impressively diverse dance background and offerings in all of the above. They also have a performance dance group, Synergy, so your tyke will have an opportunity to shine onstage, too!

Bring out the confidence and star performer in your child at Morristown’s Worth-Tyrell Studios.  Voted The Daily Record’ s Best Dance Studio for 2009, they specialize in Musical Theater and Musical Comedy dance classes.

If you’re down the Shore, you can’t miss Icon Dance Complex  in Englishtown or the little hip hopper in your family. Their dance group, Iconic, placed in the finals on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew.

Seeking a nurturing, communal dance experience for your child? Check out DanceArt  in Teaneck, described as “like family.”

With 6,000 square feet of studio space, Mariann’s School of Dance in Paramus boasts one of the largest facilities around, and has both a performing group and a competition group.

Are you unsure of the type of program in which your child will thrive? Check out summer schedules when many offer one-week dance camps--a great way to get a first hand experience of the teachers and school without a long-term commitment.

As for price, many of these schools will make you commit half of the year up-front and the remainder in January. The 3-4 year-old level is typically one class a week, and around $500./year. However, if your child participates in the company or competitive dance group, expect prices to increase as your child progresses due to the cost of additional weekly classes and performance costumes.

Now, off to the studio! And as Lady Gaga implores us, “Just Dance!”