About Us

Voted BEST DANCE STUDIO, BEST WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS, and BEST YOUTH SPORTS COACH - STEPHANIE LEDWIG.

Ledwig Dance Academy was established in 2013. In addition to using a curriculum created by the studio owner and a degreed education specialist, LDA uses other dance curriculum resources in their classes - Discover Dance, United Taps, Acrobatic Arts, Alixa Flexibility, Progressing Ballet Technique and more! The staff are always learning by obtaining certifications, taking online dance education courses, and attending conventions/classes. We strive to create a family-friendly atmosphere where dancers can learn and have fun while doing so!

How We Teach

Dance Curriculum personally designed with focus on dance technique, classical instruction, and contemporary art.
Dance Curriculum created through LDA's collaboration with a degreed and licensed education specialist with over 18 years' experience in curriculum development.
Multiple curriculum resources - United Taps, Discover Dance LLC, Acrobatic Arts, CLI Studios.
Teaching with emphasis on positive reinforcement, attention to detail, & developing observation skills.
Teaching for artistic development across various dance forms.
Personal attention to each dancer and their development.
Positive staff who are driven to see success in every dancer.

Dance Training as a Tool for Developing Academic Skills

According to Dance Teacher Now Magazine (Vicki Blake) dance training integrates body, art, and intellect and it provides students with one of life's most valuable tools for survival: discipline.

Skills developed in dance training which are highly valued in academic circles:

strong concentration skills
observational/analytical abilities
attention to detail
ability to rapidly perceive patterns and whole units of information, knowledge of the instrument (body), and how it most efficiently functions, and
the understanding of the musical, theatrical, and aesthetic elements.

The dancer is required to "know", to understand, to assimilate on 2 levels. The intellectual knowledge usually precedes the kinetic knowledge. The mind is much nimbler than the body. The discipline of the art form is working unceasingly until the body "knows" what the intellect has perceived, analyzed, and memorized. The mastery of this technique is just the beginning. All of these abilities must become second nature- the unnatural must become the natural.

In a rehearsal situation, mastery of technique is assumed. There is little time for working on skills as the dancer must now assimilate and memorize movement much more rapidly. Phrase upon phrase are taught in succession. Intellectual and analytical skills are pushed to their limits. Dancers develop even more quickness in memorization/assimilation skills as a result and the material must be memorized with conciseness and much attention to detail.

Next, on stage, they must transcend the movement. The movement must have become so much a natural part of the dancer than energy can be spent in becoming a character, in taking on a certain quality, in evoking an attitude, or enjoying and relishing in the movement for it's own sake. The dancers conscious effort must be directed toward the aesthetic, artistic, spiritual, and/or emotional qualities of the movement. A dancer who cannot transcend the movement is sterile and lifeless on stage. Dance as an art form has the potential for developing the whole person- artistically, physically, and academically.

At Ledwig Dance Academy, we have created our own standards backed by research from the American Psychological Association , Youth Protection Advocates in Dance (Y.P.A.D), the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Internet Safety. Our standards were formed with the best interest of young dancers in mind.

We believe we must be mindful of trends in culture and media and how they influence performing arts. We encourage education and awareness that leads to the healthy self-esteem, safety, and the healthy psychological development of our LDA dancers.

Our primary areas of health and safety focus are:

preventing inappropriate physical exertion that leads to unnecessary injuries
careful music selections that contain appropriate content (ex. no explicit lyrics, no references to abuse, etc)
age appropriate costume selections
discouraging body movements that are sexually suggestive (ex. twerking, booty pops, etc)
positive interactions with staff that reflect a healthy body image and appropriate self-care
positive interactions with other dancers (no gossiping, bullying, etc)
staff training sessions focusing on social media interactions and above content
staff background verification and screening
CPR and First Aid Trained Staff