Stephanie Urbina recently opened The Dance Gallery, a dance studio in Tuckahoe that offers dance classes for kids, including creative movement dance classes for preschoolers and five levels—separated by age—of ballet classes for kids of all ages.
Stephanie Urbina opened her first “dance studio” as a 10-year-old in her parents’ home, holding classes for the neighborhood girls. Today, her studio is much more official.
The Dance Gallery, which opened in September, shows the time and effort Urbina has put into the dance world. As a teenager, she performed at retirement homes and organized a benefit to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims. She then went on to receive her BFA in modern dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
The Dance Gallery offers a variety of classes, from creative dance for 3- and 4-year-olds, which uses a story or a theme to help teach the children the basics of movement and rhythm, to jazz, modern dance, and ballet. There are five different levels of ballet—the first level for 5- to 6-year-olds and the fifth level for dancers ages 14 and older.
All teachers have professional experience and hold degrees in dance, which are qualifications Urbina deems essential. “These qualifications make sure the teachers bring a different insight for the children. I make sure that teaching is one of their passions,” she says.
The studio features two rooms with new wood flooring and plenty of mirrors, and a large window overlooking the town’s train station.
