WE LIVE DANCE.
To us, dance is simply a way of life. How we learn, how we grow, how we interact with the world. It’s our passion to help each one of our students achieve their goals in dance which in turn can help them achieve their goals in life.
The bonds and friendships made here are enduring. Many of our students who began here at the age of 3 have grown into adulthood and maintained connections with the studio and each other. Some have continued classes. Two, in fact, are current teachers here.
About The Dancing Corner…
Under the direction of Cathy Bernard and an experienced faculty of qualified, enthusiastic instructors, our goal is to provide Southern New Hampshire with the finest dance instruction in the greatest variety of styles in the area. We offer a full schedule of classes in Classical Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap and Modern Dance for the serious student. In addition, we offer introductory dance classes for young children and recreational dance classes for adults.
The Dancing Corner is unique among other dance studios in the area in that we are a non-competitive studio that provides our dancers additional performance opportunities through community service. We want to develop the potential of each individual while enhancing their love of dance. We discourage competition between students, but encourage each individual to challenge their personal abilities and growth. We also inspire to teach our dancers the importance of being part of a larger community, and that by participating in community service, they gain a sense of compassion, which is a key to helping them become caring adults.
The Dancing Corner opened its doors and began teaching dance in the Nashua area in 1978. We are proud of the many fine dancers we have trained over the years. Current and former students have gone on to careers in dance, dancing with the Boston Conservatory, the Boston Ballet Company, Dance Prism, UNH Dance Company, Ballet Arts Dance Ensemble, Philadelphia University of the Arts the Granite State Ballet Company and to principle roles on Broadway. Some have grown into fine teachers themselves. We congratulate our alumni!
And we welcome you to The Dancing Corner!
OUR TEACHERSWE ARE DANCERS.
We are teachers. We are guides to the impact on the human spirit that a lifelong relationship with dance can bring.
Dance is empowering, an art form unlike any other. It joins the beauty of physical movement with the determination of spirit, the drive of self-improvement, the expression of emotion, the sheer joy of interpreting music with movement. Our goal as teachers is to instill in every student a simple love of dance, a sense of friendship and community with fellow dancers.
Above all, our focus is on our students. To help them excel, appreciate dance, have confidence in their abilities and, above all, to have fun.
CATHY BERNARD, THE DIRECTOR
Cathy Bernard has danced since early childhood both locally and throughout the East Coast. Her training includes intensive study of Jazz and Tap as well as classical training in Ballet. She has studied with Gus Giordano, Frank Hatchett, Danny Sloan, Phil Black, Carol Tierney, June Taylor, Gregory Hines, Sue Ronson, Gay Nardone and Diane Walker. Ms. Bernard has choreographed works for and performed with the Northeastern University Jazz Workshop. She has taught many master classes in the New England area. She has taught in Southern New Hampshire since 1974. Ms. Bernard has been studying Pilates since September 2000 and has successfully completed the instructor training for mat and reformer. She is a Certified Stott Pilates Instructor.
JEN ODIERNA POST
Ms. Odierna Post has been studying dance at The Dancing Corner for over 22 years. She is trained in tap, jazz, ballet, modern, lyrical, hip hop, ballroom, and swing, and has had experience teaching all levels of dance. While attending Wheaton College, she co-founded the Norton Youth Theater, for which she choreographed musicals for 5th-8th graders. Also, while at Wheaton, she studied dance and participated in workshops with Savion Glover and the Alvin Ailey II Dance Company. She has worked for the Boston Ballet Summer Programs Office and assisted in the Boston Ballet’s adaptive dance program for children with Down syndrome. In 2008, Ms. Odierna Post received her Masters in Dance Therapy from Lesley University. Because of her dedication to the art of dance, Ms. Odierna Post is excited to be a part of this elite team of teachers.
ERIN ODEN
Miss Erin began dancing at The Dancing Corner at the age of 5 and has been with us ever since. Over the years, she has trained extensively in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, theatrical, hip hop and lyrical. Erin has also danced at Southern NH Dance Theater and Ithica College in New York where she studied Spanish, French and Theater Arts. She is a proud alumna of The Dancing Corner Dance Company, of which she was a member for many years. After spending the last decade substitute teaching, Erin is delighted to be taking on her own classes at The Dancing Corner and we are equally excited to officially welcome her to our Dancing Corner faculty!
MEGHAN QUADROS
Miss Meghan began her training in classical ballet at the age of 12. She continued training at Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater under the direction of Patricia Lavoie, where she also performed with the Southern NH Youth Ballet Company. Ms. Quadros later trained at Central PA Youth Ballet, as well as the American Academy of Ballet. She also trained with Doreen Caferella of the former Granite State Ballet in Nashua, NH. Ms. Quadros then attended both Shenandoah University and later Pointe Park College, both as a dance major with a ballet concentration. When asked to teach at “Discover Dance”, a grant program in Nashua, she realized that teaching dance was what filled her soul with absolute joy! Ms. Quadros’ calling in life is teaching ballet to anyone who wants to learn. She believes in teaching correct proper ballet technique to every dancer, from students studying to be professional ballet dancers, to the dancer who enjoys ballet recreationally. Ms. Quadros is so excited to share her love of dance with her students and we are excited to welcome her to our dance family!
ROCHELLE HEBERT
Miss Rochelle has been dancing at The Dancing Corner for over 20 years and is well versed in hip hop, musical theatre, tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical. She started as a dance teacher’s assistant in 2010, then subsequently became a substitute teacher. Now Rochelle teaches her own classes. She is also taking college classes at NCC to broaden her knowledge. Dancing, whether it be teaching or performing, is a huge part of Rochelle’s life and she adores it immensely. She is so happy to be teaching at The Dancing Corner.
LAUREN KAUFMAN
Miss Lauren has been dancing since she was four years old at a studio in Massachusetts which is where she grew up. She moved to Nashua at the end of 2020 and has been taking classes at the Dancing Corner since February of 2021. She is well versed in jazz, lyrical and tap and danced competitively in these styles for over a decade. When she graduated from UMass Dartmouth with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, she decided to pursue a career in fitness and health which has complemented her dancing and helped strengthen her abilities. Lauren is a Certified Functional Strength Coach and ACE Certified Health Coach and has been working in the fitness industry since 2018. She has taught barre classes, trained small groups and has mainly focused on one-on-one coaching. She is looking forward to combining her knowledge of fitness and love for dance by joining this amazing team of instructors.
OUR CLASSESThe Dancing Corner Curriculum
The Dancing Corner provides a fun, engaging and disciplined approach to teaching pre-dance, jazz, tap, ballet, modern and hip hop styles. Our classes are available for dancers ranging in age from 3 years to adults and run from September through June, culminating with our annual Spring Performance.
The curriculum is designed for the student who enters in September and studies throughout the school year. Classes may be entered on a space available basis until January. The tabs below outline the basics about the classes we offer.
Click on a tab for information about each type of class.
PRE-DANCE I – For children three and four years old with no experience in our program. Children must be three years old by September to enter the program.
PRE-DANCE II – For children ages four and five. Four year olds should have experience in our program and the recommendation of their teacher.
PRE-DANCE III – For children ages five and six. Five year old may enter this class only with previous experience in our program.
BALLET – The foundation of all dance forms. Body placement, flexibility, alignment, strength and technique are achieved through barre and center floor work based on the Legat System, Cecchetti Syllabi, Vaganova Technique and a variety of other techniques. Ballet III/IV classes will include optional Pointe work.
PRE-POINTE (CONDITIONING) I — Instructor Permission Only – Pre-Pointe I class may be taken by students who are enrolled in at least two technique ballet classes per week and have had at least 3 years of ballet training. Pre-Pointe class is for students who are not yet on pointe to further develop strength and flexibility to begin pointe safely and successfully. Our pre-pointe class stresses correct placement (body alignment), and correct classical ballet technique, while increasing strength and flexibility through barre, floor and theraban exercises.
Readiness for pointe work is determined by each student’s strength and physical development. The instructor will advise parents when a student has the necessary strength and maturity to go on pointe. Attire: black leotard, pink tights, soft ballet slippers.
POINTE – For those female dancers who have achieved the necessary classical technique and strength. Pointe class concentrates on the transference of ballet steps from demi-pointe to pointe. Admittance to all levels with permission of Instructor only and with a required two ballet classes per week.
TAP – Standard time steps, clogs, soft-shoe styles and rhythms through the more complicated steps of the Tap repertoire.
LYRICAL – Lyrical dance combines elements of ballet, modern, and jazz dance techniques. Requires one year or more of ballet.
REFORMER – Specialized equipment that adds resistance to the Pilates workout. The Reformer provides a challenging and intense workout that builds on the principles and exercises learned in Mat Class. Private or semi-private sessions are available.
LEVEL I – For students with little or no experience in the particular curriculum. Students start in these classes and remain there until they reach a degree of competency with the curriculum taught at this level. For many students, this process takes more than one year. The teacher will recommend when a student should proceed to the next level.
LEVEL II – These classes assume a student’s ability to correctly execute material learned in Level I working for speed and complexity as well as proper technique.
LEVEL III – These classes are quite difficult, requiring both technical ability and strength. They are designed for students with many years of training and taking multiple classes per week.
LEVEL IV – Advanced classes; permission of Instructor required. Level IV class requires that the student is enrolled in at least one Ballet class per week.
For information about The Dancing Corner’s DANCE COMPANY, please click here. (PDF will open in a new window.)
OUR PROGRAMThe Dancing Corner’s Program includes a variety of classes in pre-dance, jazz, tap, ballet, modern and hip hop progressing through four levels of ability. Classes run concurrent with the school year, working toward our Recital/Spring Performance in June.
Many students elect to take several classes per week, greatly enhancing their improvement through the several styles offered within our dance program. We encourage our students to do so and have priced our program accordingly. Our Workshop entitles the student to take many classes per week without extra charges.
We would like to stress that students working toward Level II (& above) Jazz classes should consider taking Ballet. The fundamentals taught in Ballet are necessary for all forms of dance.
SPRING PERFORMANCE – Students are invited to participate in our annual Spring Performance. Students will be asked to purchase costumes for performances in which they participate.
COSTUME FEES (not included with class tuition): A costume fee is charged for each costume for the annual recital which is held in June. A deposit is due no later than December 17th with the balance due on the Session IV billing. If your child is not performing, we must have written notice no later than November 30th as costumes are ordered at that time. If your child withdraws from classes after costumes are ordered, you are obligated to pay the costume bill. No refunds, credits or exchanges on costumes.
Class Basics
Classes begin and end at the scheduled time and students are expected to arrive for their classes promptly. Classes missed due to illness may be made up in another class of an appropriate level within two weeks. Classes cancelled by the studio for holidays (other than those on the studio calendar), weather, etc., will be rescheduled or assigned to another class.
Cancellations due to inclement weather will be announced on the studio answering machine or a number to call will be left for up-to-date information. Refunds or credits will not be given for missed lessons. The only exceptions are prolonged illness or injury verified by a doctor’s note. More details are provided in the class orientation materials provided at enrollment.
Studio Policies
Dancing is an art form and we expect all our students to not only have fun learning, but to take their responsibilities as students seriously. We have established class rules that are designed to help each student enjoy their experience and to respect their fellow dancers.
DRESS CODE: We have a very liberal dress code, as we feel bright colors and fun attire can help encourage enthusiasm. However, baggy clothing or long overshirts are not allowed as they can hinder the teachers’ ability to instruct for correct body placement and alignment.
LEVEL III (or higher) STUDENT POLICY: If you are absent MORE THAN TWICE for any specific class during a session, you will be required to drop to a lower level class. Consistent attendance is vital at the Intermediate/Advanced Levels.
Complete class policies and dress code guidelines will be provided to each student upon enrollment and they should be reviewed thoroughly prior to attending the first session.
If you would like to register by email, send an email to info@dancingcorner.com with your name, contact info and which classes you would like to sign up for, and we will confirm with you and arrange payment. If you would like to register by US MAIL, include your name, contact info and desired classes to: THE DANCING CORNER, 29 Main Street, Nashua, NH 03060.
Fall/Winter/Spring Session will begin after Labor Day. Tuition is based on a 35 week schedule (five 7-week sessions) excluding vacation weeks and holidays (refer to the “Tuition” chart below for rates for the current sessions). Our payment plan is broken up into 5 equal payments, due on the first class of each new 7-week session and payment in full is required, regardless of class attendance. Please refer to the 2023/2024 Class Session Schedule. PLEASE NOTE: Number of classes per week cannot be combined/divided among family members.
SESSION 1: 9/6/23 – 10/24/23
SESSION 2: 10/25/23 -12/12/23
SESSION 3: 1/2/24 – 2/17/24
SESSION 4: 2/19/24 – 4/13/24
SESSION 5: 4/15/24 – 6/8/24
| DESCRIPTION | COST |
|---|---|
| 1 Class per Week (per session) | $112.00 |
| 2 Classes per Week (per session) | $200.00 |
| 3 Classes per Week (per session) | $270.00 |
| 4 Classes per Week (per session) | $330.00 |
| Workshop I (5-6 classes per week per session) | $375.00 |
| Workshop II (7 or more classes per week per session) | $410.00 |
| WERQ – 10 Class Card | $140.00 |
| Pointe Class (In addition to multiple class fee or workshop) | $45.00 |
| Registration/Insurance Fee (annual) | $30.00 |
| Single Dance or WERQ Class (with permission of Instructor) | $20.00 |
CONTACT US
Registration for Fall 2023 and 2024 classes can now be made online, by email or snail mail. For more information about classes offered and sessions, please see our CLASS SCHEDULE page. And we hope to see YOU soon!
