Step It Up Dance

Step It Up Dance was founded in 2007 by Juakila McConnell in an effort to ensure every child can express their creativity and learn discipline.

What is Step It Up? Along with health and fitness, students ages 3-18 will build confidence, social skills, and violence prevention through dance, gymnastics, theater arts, and creative movement. The overall goal is in this program is for students to learn rhythm, coordination, social awareness, self esteem, professional and competitive development, strengthening and toning of the body and mind. Students will be able to express their thoughts and feelings in a comfortable, free, open space.

How does Step It Up differ from the others? Students will learn Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Modern, Funk, Lyrical ,Movement, West African, Gymnastics, Step-Drill, Afro Haitian, and Salsa. In addition to dance, they will learn the origin of each dance, its meaning and symbolism, and how that dance is integrated into today’s culture. In each class, there will also be an emphasis on choosing healthy lifestyles. Students learn that they need a healthy mind and body – and to ultimately have the confidence to refrain from making risky choices.

Goals of this class differ than most traditional dance classes. In Step It Up, we strive to not only teach students about dance, but to build a community around dance. Students will perform for their families every 8 weeks in a program called “Do What I Do Day”. Families will see first-hand how this class is building confidence and skills. All of this will culminate in our recital every 8-10 weeks where the students will share with friends and family the efforts of their hard work. It is a day to celebrate their growth and development.