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Dancing with our future stars
Introducing Joanne Watt, the owner of BDC Dance, whose energy and passion for teaching dance is contagious. BDC Dance is located in Melbourne's East and provides family friendly dance classes and other creative and physical pursuits to children and adults alike.
Tell us a little about BDC Dance
BDC Dance is a family focussed and friendly dance studio where dance is for everyone and everyone can dance. BDC dance has 5 main services on offer:
- Skill and enjoyment focussed lessons for school aged children through to young advanced dancers in dance and related theatrical areas. Our disciplines currently include ballet, jazz, tap, funk, contemporary, lyrical jazz, musical theatre, creative drama and singing. Dependent on teachers skills we have previously offered Break Dance, and Boys only Introductory program.
- Fitness, recreation and enjoyment focussed adult lessons in ballet, jazz, tap and Pilates body conditioning – with no performance expectations. (Flamenco, Yoga and Middle Eastern Dance have also been offered previously).
- Specialist-lead early childhood sessions for under 3 years olds with their carers, and more independently for 3 and 4 year old kinder children. A great primer for dance, music, co-operative group skills and self expression, where we respect social and developmental needs in a fun and stimulating small group setting.
- Creative Kids Integrated Arts for young people with additional education needs who attend specialist schools.
- Links to community theatre through The Hartwell Players Inc, Players Theatre Co, Camberwell Youth Theatre, Boroondara Theatre Company and their umbrella organisation The Victorian Drama League Inc
What's BDC Dance's history?
BDC Dance started as Ballet Rose in 1981, and became Boroondara Dance Centre in 1994 when I took over the management. When we relocated to our own customised home-base in Ashwood (City of Monash) we altered our named to BDC Dance. I had originally managed a studio in the late 1980s in Burwood and it continued when I went interstate to do my BA in Dance in Adelaide.
Creating learning and performing opportunities for young people makes my day! I love to see it all come together.
What makes BDC Dance unique, in your opinion?
BDC Dance is unique in its family focus. I am a sole trader employing other excellent dance teachers with a love of dance and performing arts and children. At BDC Dance we do everything in our power to make it easy for parents to say yes to dance classes! We offer an obligation-free trial period of 2 weeks. Creative focussed and song focussed classes have relaxed in-studio mini performances. Creative classes have no uniform, for dance we have a simple uniform. We have child-friendly day time concerts for the younger children, in October, and the teachers understand that the children's challenge is often in the performing so we work to keep things calm, friendly and relaxed. We arrange all costumes for the dancers so no parent needs to sew, and at our performances the teachers are working so the parents do not need to be backstage, but rather they get to enjoy watching their child in performance.
What are some of the most satisfying and rewarding aspects of what you do?
I enjoy seeing the students literally growing up and developing their own style. I also enjoy seeing them exploring the arts as they find the style that suits them best. It delights me to see a child who has found the process of putting together a dance or improvising, blossom and glow about how they performed. I also love it when a student has ceased classes for any reason and comes back in.
Do you have a philosophy in how you approach your business, and your students?
The well-being of the students is our prime concern. We care about them and want them to be in a class group and with a teacher who can bring out their best as a person and as a student of dance. They all need to feel noticed, cared for and nurtured. We want to know that the child is happy and developing well, and if there are ways we can improve what we do, we want to hear about it.
Many thanks to the Discount Room for producing this interview.
For more information, visit www.thediscountroom.com.au/business/bdcdance
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