Santa Cruz’s International Academy of Dance (IAD) offers dance classes for all ages and ability levels. If you’re in the dance scene in Santa Cruz, then you might’ve heard of our annual Nutcracker performance, or our Storybook Summer Camps. But what makes IAD such a great dance studio? Read on to find out just some of the reasons that our dancers keep coming back, year after year!
1. Atmosphere of Warmth and Growth
If you’ve ever been to our studio, you know that at IAD, we dance for joy! Students from all over the Santa Cruz mountains and surrounding area come to us for a premier dance education.
I am so happy that we can be a part of this great dance school that combines excellent technique with such a positive, nurturing attitude and philosophy! Thank you!!
– Bari Morgan Miller
At IAD, we know that dance doesn’t end when you leave the studio. Our dancers are committed, versatile, and compassionate individuals, both on and off the dance floor. We invite exploration, mistakes as part of the learning process, and a growth mindset! And not only do we offer an encouraging and welcoming atmosphere, we also have well-qualified teachers and diverse staff.
2. Dedicated & Diligent Instructors
The International Academy of Dance staffs teachers who really care, and are masters at their crafts. Some of our instructors originated as students here, since they were in our Little Tutus programs! This dance studio is like their second home. And many students say the same, as they spend so much time with us! Here at IAD, we have excellent teacher-owner-admin communication, so we’re always flowing as a team and working together to make the studio run smoothly.
With Vicki’s infinite patience and genuine encouragement, I found myself noticeably improving through the years. She was able to draw out the sheer joy of classical ballet from my soul.
– David Guzman
Our teachers want nothing but success for our students, and go above and beyond to encourage them. Miss Bee will even have a cupcake party whenever one of her students masters all 3 splits! That’s some home-baked commitment to student success right there. Each teacher uses innovation and observation to design programs that fit the dancer, encouraging personal and communal growth.
3. Well-equipped & Maintained Facility
As anyone whose been through the public school system knows, a great teacher is severely handicapped by a subpar classroom. That’s why at the International Academy of Dance, we have three state-of-the-art studios, each equipped with sprung floors, mirrors, and air conditioning/heating. Our studios are deep cleaned weekly, and maintained daily. That way, our dancers are safe and focused on dancing.
We are fans of this dance school. The owner leads the little kids classes and she’s such a nice, generous, organized person. There is a lot of fairytale stuff in my daughter’s class, and the teacher/owner is very playful with the kids and knows how to work with young children. Her helpers are very sweet too. The facilities are really nice, plenty of room to watch your child in class. The families who go here also seem really nice.
– Big M.
Instructors use the rooms for all the typical dance-class routines (warm-ups, choreographies, across-the-floors, etc), but thanks to our well-equipped studios, are also able to integrate use of tools. We use medicine balls, resistance bands, foam rollers, and many other equipment (Vibration plate machine? Yes please!) designed for improved physical strength and wellness.
4. Wide Range of Classes Offered
Even though IAD is perhaps the most well-renowned ballet school in the area, we do more than just ballet. We offer a wide range of different styles, including tap, modern, musical theater, jazz/lyrical, hip-hop, and folk. Also, we have classes for all skill levels, from basic beginner to advanced/expert levels, we’re ready to dance with you!
The summer program at IAD that my daughter participated in was a turning point for her in regard to her dancing ability. She had fun, worked hard, was exposed to different types of dance and had amazing, gifted teachers.
– Laura Sampson
We encourage our dancers to try different styles and teachers. Exposure to a wide range of movement and choreographies trains adaptable and well-rounded dancers. Also, it creates greater flexibility in the mind (and body). Sound great to you? Sign up for a trial class today!