Taura Appleton
4/5
First: The only reason I'm giving The Dance Annex four stars instead of five is that there's not a ton of class styles available for the upper levels. This is not a downside for me, but it may be to anyone coming from a bigger studio who is used to a wide variety of teachers and a wide variety of classes.
The Dance Annex is a small studio- both in studio size and in people. This being said, the quality of the teaching is easily rival to that which you find in other bigger studios around the Seacoast area. I have danced at the Dance Annex since it opened a few years ago, and I am mainly going to be talking about the studio from a teen, advanced level perspective. However, lots of this info is still relevant to anyone thinking about checking it out.
The Dance Annex is a great place if you are looking for an atmosphere that has strong ballet and modern training, or for a good and friendly place to take your young child. It is also a good fit for adult dancers. The studio offers kids' classes in many styles, and teen/advanced classes in modern, ballet, pointe/variations, and other classes such as tap or yoga that may come and go depending on enrollment numbers. There is one informal show at Christmastime, a big end-of-year show, and various opportunities for teen dancers to perform at other regional events or guest with the studio's affiliated adult company. There are usually classes and intensives at the studio during the summer that attract dancers from nearby studios.
The best things about The Dance Annex are its small classes. (Teen/advanced classes have an average of five people in them!) The amount of personal attention you get and the chance to bond with your teachers and classmates is a definite plus. I came from a bigger studio, and while it was great, I needed something different. I've enjoyed the fact that I can round out my life in other areas while not sacrificing the quality of dance training that I had had at my previous studio.
The teachers are professional and talented, but they are also just great people who want to know about your life inside and outside the studio. The founder and main ballet teacher there, Julie Hebb, is awesome. She is like a hardcore coach and a mom at the same time. She works hard and is always willing to help you out or lend an ear.
This studio would be the best fit for someone who wants good dance training but does not want to be in the studio all day, every day. (i.e. if you aspire to dance with NYCB within the next few years, maybe look elsewhere.) Something to keep in mind here is that this studio is also a good fit if you are dancing intensively and want to supplement your other classes with classes here. Studio hopping is not frowned upon the way it can be at other places, so just be sure to be present and willing to work when you are here. The dancers here are mature, focused, and kind. There is literally zero drama. Newcomers should know what they want out of their dance training, and it helps to know who you are as a person as well as a dancer. There is a lot of freedom here that not all teen dancers are used to. There is an opportunity to be self driven and to have a voice. The dancers are here to dance, not to be social. As a result, they're kind of quiet, but they're all great people with unique backgrounds and interests. You just have to put in a little effort to get to know them.
In conclusion, I agree that the atmosphere of this studio is not for everyone. If you want to compete or you want a lot of dance friends to hang out with in your free time, this studio may not be the best. But I think that it is open enough that no matter where you are going with dance or who you are, you could be accepted here. The best thing you can do is come for a visit and see what your impressions are. Be open minded, and good luck on your studio search!
