Studio Spotlight: Three New Jersey Studio Owners Who Shine
For a dance studio to be successful, many things (and people!) have to synchronize and help it flourish. You need students, eager ones at that. You need a strong faculty of all dance disciplines. You need supportive parents and families, and a hard-working staff. You need to give your students opportunities and allow them to shine. And you need an incredibly strong backbone: a devoted studio owner.
Here is the first of a new series that highlights studios and their fearless owners. We start with three competition studios that have had great success this past competition season and will surely have an exciting year ahead.
The Dance Forum South (Smithville, New Jersey)
Owner and Director: Cori Jack
Recent Wins and Competitions:
-Top 10 in Petite, Junior, Teen and Senior Groups, Starpower Regional in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
-Miss Wild Dance (Maya Fowler), 2015 Atlantic City Regional
-Top 5 students in Wild, Backstage and Dance Xplosion Pageant in Wildwood, New Jersey
-Petite, Junior, Teen and Senior Groups in Extreme Team Challenge, Dance Xplosion Nationals Wildwood
-Seniors 7th Overall with lyrical number, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, choreographed by Sharon Festa, in Dance Xplosion Nationals Wildwood
"Success comes with hard work, dedication and commitment to the art," says Cori Jack, owner and director of The Dance Forum South. "Without these key ingredients, success will not be conquered. The staff at the studio continually encourages each and every student to meet these requirements."
Jack and her students' success will surely carry on into this year as well. The studio has already planned some upcoming competition dates, and routines will start this month.
Aside from the choreography and music, Jack makes sure her students' routines incorporate other elements to make them interesting and prize-worthy.
"I personally encourage the teachers to make use of props in their routines and to tell a story to relate to the audience, along with showing the students' techniques," she adds.
In addition, Jack stresses the importance of costuming in a winning routine.
"Costumes make a difference in competition," she says. "Is it age appropriate? Does it fit the routine? Is it appealing on the students? Several factors go into picking costumes."
Jack has used Costume Gallery as a costume and accessories provider for over 25 years, and her mother, who also ran a dance studio in central New Jersey since the late 1960s, ordered from Costume Gallery as well.
"Costume Gallery has always been accommodating to my needs, whether I forgot a costume, needed a size change, or just a friendly face at the United Dance Merchants of America shows or a friendly conversation over the phone. A company that I can count on!"
Ovations Performing Arts Academy (Waretown, New Jersey)
Owner: Linda Schugel
Recent Wins and Competitions:
-Attended: Starpower; Revolutions; Beyond the Stars; Dancers, Inc.; In10sity; True Talent; and Turn it Up
-Won many titles and Overall Highest Scoring Solo, Duo/Trio, Small Group, Large Group, Line and Production Routines
-Holds many 2015 Regional and National titles
Ovations Performing Arts Academy prides itself on being like a family. Its main core of teachers, led by studio owner Linda Schugel, has been working together for over 20 years. And the student body is not over-sized - about 75 students on the studio's competition team and an additional recreational program for those who don't wish to compete.
"We all have an emotional attachment to each other and truly look at our entire studio as a family," says Schugel, who herself has 43 years of experience working with children. "The teachers have a strong bond and work ethic that trickles down to our students. They are motivating and amazing role models for the next dance generation."
Schugel makes sure that the Ovations dancers have a strong technical base and are versatile dancers. In fact, Ovations is one of the only studios that often leaves competitions with high score awards in jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, ballet, pointe, vocal, lyrical and acrobatics.
All choreography for the Ovations' competition routines is done by Ovations staff.
"We have some spectacular new ideas and routines that are all in the making," Schugel explains. "Our teachers are very creative and work well together."
Aside from solid technique and performance quality, Schugel acknowledges that costuming can absolutely enhance a competition performance.
"We work endlessly picking out the appropriate costumes both for the age of our dancers and the fit for the music and style," Schugel adds. "We design and decorate all our costumes at the studio, along with working closely with a few costume companies to achieve just the right look and fit."
Schugel has turned to Costume Gallery for over 20 years.
"The versatility of their catalog makes it easy to costume our entire dance recital and many competitions," says Schugel. "Their customer service is top-notch, and the costumes are not only well-made but fit perfectly and look beautiful on stage."
In addition, Schugel says that Costume Gallery has "always treated us like family," which is right in line with how she likes to run her dance studio.
Ensemble Arts (Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey)
Owner: Margot Schoeffel
Recent Wins and Competitions:
-Overall Ultimate Awards in Technique, Choreography and Emotional Excellence, 2015 Beyond the Stars Nationals
-Top 5 in Large and Small Groups in Highest Level, 2015 Beyond the Stars Nationals
-Studio of Excellence Award, given by Association of Dance Competitions and Conventions
-1st Overall in Small and Large Groups, National Dance Showcase Nationals
Studio Owner Margot Schoeffel claims that the secret to Ensemble Arts’s success is simply joy.
“Our dancers enjoy coming to the studio, they want to learn, they want to progress,” Schoeffel adds. “As teachers, this inspires us. We feel lucky to work with everyone because their joy for this art is infectious! It is easy to be so successful when you are so driven to be so!”
Schoeffel and the Ensemble Arts faculty, including Agatha Becker, the studio’s competition team director, also explain to their students (and parents) that competitions are less about winning or scoring points and more about trying your best and also respecting other teams.
“Dance is subjective, and we love that,” says Schoeffel. “We love that different judges will see different things and reward different types of dancers and routines. It is for this reason we believe the girls should simply try and do their best. It might not be our day, or it might! It does not make our company any less, because we define success by how hard we worked and how far we have come.”
Ensemble Arts is excited to be back on stage this year and will attend Beyond the Stars Competition, Jump, Nationals Dance Showcase, Backstage Performing Arts and In10sity.
For these competitions and for the studio’s recital, Schoeffel and Becker take costuming very seriously.
“We want everyone to feel good,” Becker adds. “We want parents watching to feel that their children look good. Also, our families spend a lot of money, and we really respect that! While we understand that not everyone can love every costume, we want to know that their child can feel comfortable in it.”
For this reason, Schoeffel often uses Costume Gallery, as she says the company “provides costumes that fit well and can be adjusted for children. They are easy to alter and add to, which is important in a competition setting to make it ‘different’.”
Schoeffel also adds that Costume Gallery has impressive an customer service team who always efficiently resolve any issues. This, in turn, allows her to focus on, and enjoy, her job as a studio owner.
“I love being able to meet so many different kinds of people, learn about them and connect with them,” Schoeffel says. “I do just love being creative – songs, styles, costumes, different ages of kids – it is all so exciting and never gets old!”
Guest Contributor: Laura Di Orio
