I have been dancing for about eight years, give or take. When I was little, I was a small ballerina at Littleton Dance Academy, from ages three to six. I took a break, but I got right back into dancing in 2021 at age 11. The studio I’ve been dancing at for four years is LCDC or Littleton Contemporary Dance Center. This company is relatively new, having opened on September 9, 2019, but their growth has been rapid. There are many opportunities for children to perform and learn with both current and retired professional dancers. This studio is like a home to me with their warm welcomes and excellent teaching.
When you first walk in, you’re greeted by the front desk, which I personally love. They are always smiling and willing to help, even at late hours after my classes are done. I’ve left so many water bottles or pajama pants, and the front desk always has to remind me to take my stuff. We’ve become good friends. The same with the teachers themselves. The two owners of LCDC are Anne Gnoth and Mary Williams, former Chicago dancers and directors of Inaside Chicago Dance. They are also teachers at LCDC, and they were the ones to teach me all I know about technique and dance. Mary Williams is a loving, strong, passionate, and tough-love kind of person. She has high expectations and will make sure you sweat. Anne Gnoth is a joyful, straight to the point, precise woman that prefers tea over coffee. She is always there to give you corrections and to help you improve. They are the core of LCDC, the part that adds to its greatness. Along with Gnoth and WIlliams, there are also other wonderful teachers who are filled with life, care and passion. The studio has a strong staff of loving people who welcome others with open arms.
( LCDC photographer)
The staff is only one part of the amazing studio. They offer classes for kids as young as kindergarteners to adults, with levels from 1-5. Prices range from as low as $16 in addition to registration fees and other package charges. Their prices are more affordable than any other studio I’ve looked at. They are very lenient if you need a payment plan, and they won’t refuse a dancer. They have high expectations and push dancers to be the best they can be.
Compared to the studio I went to when I was younger, Littleton Dance Academy, there are some definite differences I can remember. Littleton Dance Academy was more strict on dress code and appearance for performances. They would even go to the point of telling you the exact shade of lipstick your dancer should wear. LCDC is more lenient in the sense of how performance makeup is done and the way they carry themselves as a studio. However, over these last couple of years, they are becoming more picky, which I fully support. It helps bring the dancers together and makes the studio look more professional.
The morale and connections I’ve made at this studio, with both adults and peers, is something I’ll never forget. I want to continue to dance with LCDC until I graduate high school and hopefully minor in dance in college. It’s a second home to me. The teachers are skilled and kind as much as they are passionate about dance, including technique and history. LCDC is an amazing place to be a dancer — I highly recommend it.
