The Dance Center

Our mission is to provide disciplined technique, artistic awareness, self-confidence, poise, and the joy of achievement for all students.

We have been the leader in dance education in Northern Michigan over 45 years. Our faculty are all professional dance instructors with extensive training and performance experience. Each of our faculty members are uniquely gifted educators — caring, creative and dedicated to your student, whether they are recreational dancers or pre-professionals, all students are encouraged to reach their highest potential.

We have a wide array of genres, including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, ballroom, Latin, Celtic, contemporary, lyrical and preschool dance as young as 18 months. We encourage all styles, all levels, and all ages.We offer various performance opportunities, including our Pre-Pro Intensive Dancer program fo the serious student, Fresh Fusion Competition Dance Team, home of The Dance Center Youth Ensemble, Studio Company, and Ballet Virtuoso.

The Dance Center began classes over 45 years ago at the home of Betty Kuhn, the center’s founder. Miss Betty had a studio in the basement of her home where students began their dance training in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe and acrobatics. As the studio grew, classes were moved to The Old Town Playhouse building. Classes were held in the “green room" above the stage which is now the costume room. The Dance Center students held their annual dance concerts at the Old Town Playhouse stage for many years. In 1983, the studio relocated and expanded to two dance floors on Woodmere Avenue which also housed the GT Gymnastics Club (now the Fitness Focus) with a connecting door so that dancers and gymnasts could take their dance classes and gym practices and never leave the building! In 2003, with the studio continuing to grow and add students, the owners purchased the building on 14th Street where the Center is now located. Taking an old building that had not been used for many years, and renovating the space, the owners invested in the community allowing for expanded dance studios (4 in total) with boutique space, dressing rooms, rest rooms and a kitchen area. In 2005, we began holding classes in Kalkaska at the Kaliseum under the direction of Jennifer Howard. Our Kalkaska programs have now expanded to our own Dance Studio Space with dance floors, mirror, barres and sound system — with a faculty of four instructors. Over the years, we have invested in our student opportunities through performance groups including The Traverse City Youth Ballet Company, The Dance Center Youth Ensemble, Fresh Fusion Competition Teams and Ballet Virtuoso. Many DC students have gone on to professional dance careers as performers, choreographers, instructors and dance enthusiasts.