STAFF-OUR MISSION

To inspire young dancers to develop a lifetime of confidence, discipline and creativity through quality education in a nurturing environment. 

Our staff has been carefully chosen, not only for their teaching abilities, but for those qualities that make an excellent teacher... patience, a caring attitude, and the gift of inspiring students by the example of their enthusiasm.

SVAD both encourages and assists it's staff in the pursuit of continued education, inspiration and motivation in their teaching techniques.

It all started when…

Since purchasing the school from Susan Cooper in 1984, SVAD has built a reputation for providing consistently high-level dance instruction. We take great pride in the talents and qualities of our faculty, choreographers, and students. Leading by example, our dance teachers model the dance skills and life skills that develop our students into excellent dancers and well-rounded human beings. Together, we learn patience, respect, and compassion. We foster positive attitudes and inspired mindsets. Many students pursue careers as professional dancers, choreographers, and dance teachers, and all students leave with a love of artful movement, cultivated by a school that prioritizes the joy that can be found through dance.

SVAD proudly maintains affiliation and certification through the nationally-renowned Dance Educators of America (DEA), and Shelly Whan holds the position of DEA’s Director at Large.

Dansations, our performance and competitive team, receives national recognition from DEA, as well as other dance companies and organizations.

We now enter our 2024-2025 season with a staff of 15 strong;

2 directors/instructors, 3 instructors, 5 associate instructors, and 5 student instructors

Read through the following tabs to meet our team!