Behind The Scenes

Founded in 1991, the Northern West Virginia Dance Council, now doing business as Morgantown Dance, was established as a non-profit organization to provide oversight and to organize development opportunities in support of the Morgantown Dance School and Community Production projects. It also works to create relationships with other arts organizations and regional businesses to promote dance in the communities supported by those enterprises.

Classes at Morgantown Dance are designed both for those who may wish to pursue a career in dance, and for students of all ages who simply wish to enjoy the many benefits of dance. Instructors place students at appropriate levels according to mastery of dance technique, rather than age. For young children in our Foundations program, social and physical development, in addition to age, determines placement.

Morgantown Dance offers performance opportunities for our students through two yearly community productions held at the downtown Morgantown Metropolitan Theater for which we encourage all of our students to audition. Although we do not offer “recitals” for our students, we host an annual Open House at the end of the Dance Season to give families an opportunity to observe student progress and students an opportunity to showcase their talents.

Each Summer we offer Master Classes, Summer Intensives and Workshops with accomplished professionals and teachers and choreographers in the dance field, as well as short sessions of technique classes for the serious dance students. For our younger students, we offer Dance Camps.

Volunteerism and cooperation are vital to the well-being of our studio and all participants are asked to volunteer in some capacity during the year. Perhaps you could be a representative for your child’s class, help with chaperoning a festival, help with a school clean-up, assist with costumes or dressing room management for a production, or make a new student or visiting guest artist feel welcome. Whatever you can do to help, large or small, is always welcome.

Mission

Morgantown Dance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting education in dance and to providing performance opportunities for greater Morgantown and surrounding communities.

Non-Discrimination

Morgantown Dance admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin in administration of its education policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs or any other programs.

Inclusivity

Individuality: We work with students as individuals and encourage each dancer’s own creativity and uniqueness.

Race: We celebrate and promote an anti-racist approach to dance. In teaching western art forms such as ballet, it is especially important to understand how ballet can be exclusionary and oppressive when approached incorrectly. We make particular efforts to redirect these stereotypes while also promoting non-western dance forms.

Financial: We are strongly committed to making dance opportunities available to all students. Need-based and merit-based scholarships may be available each semester. Applications are due prior to the start of each semester.

Gender: We welcome dancers of all genders.

Ability: We encourage dancers of all abilities, typical and atypical, to give our classes a try. We do our best to accommodate each dancer’s unique needs within the limits of our resources, studio features, staff expertise, student:teacher ratio, and other factors. If your child’s needs are atypical, please talk with the Morgantown Dance Manager before registering to determine whether a particular class will be appropriate, and, if necessary, what accommodations are possible.

Accessibility: Our studio entrance opens into the Mountaineer Mall. We have an ADA compliant bathroom within the school. Please contact us with questions.