The Best Place to Learn Dance in Norwich, NY
I was a student at Amber Perkins School of the arts for about 2 years. I was directed on numerous occasions by Amber herself, as well as her choreographer brother Mike Perkins. Both are exceptional dancers that exert a great amount of charisma and dedication to dance. The teachers at this school are also very serious about teaching and enjoying dance. Even though Norwich is a small town the staff is very committed to making sure all students at the school get the best training possible.
The Amber Perkins School of the Arts is located at 38-40 Birdsall Street, Norwich, NY 13815. You can’t miss the school. It is a big old brick building with two great brown doors on the front. There are always people coming and going and they are quite noticeable in their dance clothes. To schedule lessons or a class please call 607.336.6143.
The Amber Perkins School of the Arts website is located at http://www.apsarts.com. On the website you can view the awards and honors received by the members of the school as well as staff. You can schedule classes and look up recital dates and times. The top dancers at Amber Perkins School of the Arts are all noted on the website.
When I first attended Amber Perkins School of the Arts I was a tap student. Although I was almost 18 at the time I was a first year tap student. Amber’s school did a great job of making me feel comfortable and offered me classes with students my own age. I was even able to buy some of my dance supplies right at the school. They always have tights for sale and you can order other items from the catalogs.
Amber Perkins School of the Arts is a great place to learn dance. Whether you are interested in tap, jazz, modern, ballet, or hip hop the Amber Perkins School of the Art is a great place to begin. Whether you are 3 or 93 the school can offer you classes appropriate for your age range and level of talent. Amber Perkins School of the Arts offers 4 major programs that include Pre-Dance, Recreational Dance, Intensive Dance, and Adult Dance.
Since there are so many students at Amber’s school they have designed a number of classes for everyone. Pre-Dance is meant for 3-5 year olds. Pre-Dance offers exercise and motivation for young children interested in dance. It also teaches them rhythm, movement, coordination, and timing. Children enrolled in Pre-Dance are expected to learn the basics of tap and ballet within two years.
Recreational dance is meant for people who wish to enjoy dance. Recreational classes are all non-competitive, meaning that they do not go to state or national events. The recreational class members do get a chance to show off their talents in the two semi-annual recitals held by Amber Perkins School of the Arts. I was enrolled in a recreational tap class, and we did perform in the spring recital.
The intensive dance program is meant for serious dancers. The classes are competitive meaning the dancers enrolled go to state and national championships. Often times, dancers from Amber Perkins School of the Arts win first place in all or many of the categories. Dancers interested in the intensive program must have taken at least 2 ballet classes, 2 technique classes, and 1 modern class before they can be considered for the program. All participants must show a great amount of dedication and preservation toward the art of dance. After you have been accepted into the intensive program you may be offered a free production class. This free class is for the best of the best students and acceptance is only granted by your teacher.
I have had a chance to watch some of the intense dance program classes. The students are very much focused on dance and perfecting their art. The teachers are super supportive to all the students whether they are just a small child or an adult. Often I felt like the intense classes were too much for me. But if you are serious about dancing than they are perfect for you.
The Amber Perkins School of the Arts also offers adult classes. These classes are designed for people who are not especially interested in showcasing their talents, but who like to move and dance. These classes cater to aging adults as well as those with disabilities and/or handicaps. Amber Perkins School of the Arts is great because they can accommodate anyone of any age or ability. I love the fact that everyone can go to this school.
The Amber Perkins School of the Arts offers any type of dance you would want to take. The school offers tap, jazz, modern, technique, hip hop, yoga, Pilates, and yogalates ( a mixture of yoga and Pilates), and stretch. All classes except yoga and Pilates are offered at the Pre-Dance, Recreational, Adult, and Intense levels. Pilates and yoga are offered as adult and recreational classes only, based mostly on movement and getting exercise and less much on dance.
Each year the Amber Perkins School of the Arts puts on two recitals; one in the winter and one in the spring. Both show are equally entertaining. I have had the privilege of watching my friends and family in recitals as well as performing in one. The recitals are a great way to show off your new talents. Trust me, you will learn a lot very quickly if you attend the Amber Perkins School of the Arts.
Every spring Amber Perkins herself choreographs the local high school musical. For many of these students, this is the first time they have taken dance class. Amber’s brother Mike has also been seen in the high school auditorium choreographing some dances. Both Amber and Mike Perkins have been awarded the Sacrament Award for Best Choreographer two years running. Their added knowledge about dance always makes the high school annual musicals look like professional choreographed entertainment.
Each year from January to April, Amber helps train and choreograph all of the dancers and actors in that year’s play. Some people who have been taught by Amber have gotten the chance to take dance class when they otherwise could not have afforded it, and they are so happy to see her each year. Amber also critiques the dance part of the audition and gives her recommendations to the director. Throughout my time at Norwich High School the Amber Perkins School of the Arts had always helped with the yearly high school musical, and even now they still do.
Since the founding of the Amber Perkins School of the Arts in 1997 the small dance school quickly turned into one of the largest and best schools for dance in the nation. In 2004 the Amber Perkins School of the Arts was noted in Dancer Magazine as one of the hottest new schools of dance. At Amber Perkins they strive to teach “outside of the box”, pushing the norm and tradition. Students are also given confidence and excel in all areas of competition.
The American Dance Association (ADA) awarded the Amber Perkins School of the Arts the Overall Excellence award in 2004. Since 2001 the Amber Perkins School of the Arts has remained the winner of the ADA small, large, extended, and production size categories. In 2002 and 2003 Amber’s students were among the Overall High Score Duo at the American Dance Association National Competition.
In 2004 the Amber Perkins School of the Arts took home the Overall Winners award for every category at the National American Dance Competition. Also in 2004 Amber Perkins was awarded the North American Choreographer of the year award, and in 2003 her brother Mike Perkins was awarded The Sacrament Award for Best Choreographer.
Whether it is credentials or attention to study that you are looking for, the Amber Perkins School of the Arts has it all. They have nationally acclaimed teachers as well as staff. Amber Perkins, the owner and founder of the Amber Perkins School of the Arts, has been dancing since she could walk and is very devoted to the art of dance. The Amber Perkins School of the Arts does not compare to other dance instruction schools in the area. This one by far is the best.
