Ebonie Avant, teacher, choreographer
and artistic director, expresses the same
degree of enthusiasm. “Dance can be
healing -- physically, mentally and
emotionally,” she says.
Avant opened the Dance Diamond in
Middletown in 2001 and named it after her
oldest daughter, Diamond, age 12, and
followed that in 2007 with the Dance Star
in Ellenville, named after her younger
daughter, Star, 3. She says that, although
her students go to at least one
competition a year, she, like Gutierrez,
prefers to think of her studio as “more of a
performance studio with a non-competitive
atmosphere.”
Her students, from age 3 to 50, are
offered ballet, jazz, tap, African, hip-hop,
step, modern and lyrical. They have won
a few trophies, but she says she does her
best to keep them “levelheaded
and expose them to competition so they
can have a sense of where they stand
within the dance community.”
"I teach them to be respectful to all their
fellow dancers, not just the ones they
dance with, and expose them to a wide
range of performing arts-related events
so that they have plenty of options
available to them in life.” Community
events, such as the Town of Wawayanda
annual town picnic, outweigh the
competitions.
and artistic director, expresses the same
degree of enthusiasm. “Dance can be
healing -- physically, mentally and
emotionally,” she says.
Avant opened the Dance Diamond in
Middletown in 2001 and named it after her
oldest daughter, Diamond, age 12, and
followed that in 2007 with the Dance Star
in Ellenville, named after her younger
daughter, Star, 3. She says that, although
her students go to at least one
competition a year, she, like Gutierrez,
prefers to think of her studio as “more of a
performance studio with a non-competitive
atmosphere.”
Her students, from age 3 to 50, are
offered ballet, jazz, tap, African, hip-hop,
step, modern and lyrical. They have won
a few trophies, but she says she does her
best to keep them “levelheaded
and expose them to competition so they
can have a sense of where they stand
within the dance community.”
"I teach them to be respectful to all their
fellow dancers, not just the ones they
dance with, and expose them to a wide
range of performing arts-related events
so that they have plenty of options
available to them in life.” Community
events, such as the Town of Wawayanda
annual town picnic, outweigh the
competitions.
Avant, a Port Jervis resident, has been
dancing since she was 5, was trained in
ballet, jazz, tap, African and modern, and
holds a performing arts degree in dance.
She does not dance professionally,
preferring teaching, which she has done
for more than 20 years.
“It is such a joy to teach and see the end
result,” she says. “I love to see my babies
(her students) when they finally get that
step.”
“I love the feeling I get when they finally
accomplish their goal or their dream and
to know I assisted in it.” Children and
some adults attend her classes Tuesday
through Saturday because
they want to learn how to do a dance they
have seen in the movies or on TV, but
most parents
want the children to learn how to dance for
discipline and self confidence, she says.
As Avant says on her Web site, it is her
belief
that “continued exposure through dance
and all
performing arts venues is preparation for
dealing
with life in the real world.”
dancing since she was 5, was trained in
ballet, jazz, tap, African and modern, and
holds a performing arts degree in dance.
She does not dance professionally,
preferring teaching, which she has done
for more than 20 years.
“It is such a joy to teach and see the end
result,” she says. “I love to see my babies
(her students) when they finally get that
step.”
“I love the feeling I get when they finally
accomplish their goal or their dream and
to know I assisted in it.” Children and
some adults attend her classes Tuesday
through Saturday because
they want to learn how to do a dance they
have seen in the movies or on TV, but
most parents
want the children to learn how to dance for
discipline and self confidence, she says.
As Avant says on her Web site, it is her
belief
that “continued exposure through dance
and all
performing arts venues is preparation for
dealing
with life in the real world.”
| photo, standing, from left: Brittany Washington, Alexandra Marino, Ebonie Avant, Sailah Whitehead, Victoria Pizappi, Angelica Butler, Cheyenne Henry. Kneeling, from left: Miss Trisha, Krystal Garnere, Samantha Sanders, Kassandra Garnere, Brittany Downer, Bria Parker and Gabrielle Alleyne; Tracey-Ann Lafayette, lying down. |
Visit www.artsinorange.org for the full -color version of ArtSpace |
| Shall We Dance? Shall We Dance? |
| 130 Dolson Ave. Middletown, NY 10940 845-342-6686 |
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| Shall We Dance? |
The Dance Diamond