A vibrant learning atmosphere designed to inspire students...

For more than 34 years, the Academy for the Performing Arts has been a Quad City area leader in dance education. Our dance studio’s reputation for inspiring young people to be the best dancers they can be is one of the primary reasons for our success. When we say “the best dancers they can be,” we speak inclusively of every student, whether at the recreational or competitive level.

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”

― Martha Graham 

Dear parents, 

We’re in this together!

We believe that children’s success depends on the support of their parents or guardians. Because your commitment to the process makes an enormous difference, we encourage you to be a part of your child’s dance education.

Our program relies on a positive atmosphere for our faculty, participants, and their parents; it promotes a positive learning experience for all involved. Cooperation between all parents is expected. Showing respect for the other parents, along with the students and faculty, makes an important impression on the children. You are a role model for your child in how to interact with others in a professional setting.

Your child’s presence at all classes, rehearsals, and performances is imperative. The spirit of teamwork and the lesson of dedication are a big part of our school’s educational process.

Parents and teachers may look at a child’s learning from different perspectives. However, they share a common goal: to assure that every child receives the best possible training, both physically and mentally. Mutual respect between our faculty and our dancers’ parents provides the children with the ultimate care and education.

Understanding Dance Education

As a parent, the financial support of your student is important, but of equal-perhaps even greater-value is your emotional support. Encourage your child to be the best that he or she can be without regard to what others may achieve. Dance is an individual art form; each child needs to achieve at a pace that’s comfortable for him or her. No two students will progress at the same rate, even if they experience the exact same training. It’s important to encourage the children to focus on themselves, give their all, and be satisfied with their own accomplishments.

Dance education encompasses far more than technique or the steps your children will learn. We believe the discipline of dance training gives young people a better understanding of commitment by offering them the chance to learn, experience the spirit of teamwork, and understand what hard work can accomplish. Our goal is to educate the minds, bodies, and souls of our students, to teach them the skills needed for a successful life, whether or not they stay involved in dance.

Your child’s success or lack of success in dance does not indicate what kind of parent you are…But having a dancer that is coachable, respectful, a great teammate, resilient and who gives their all is a direct reflection of your parenting.

—Unknown