Manotick Messenger - Denise Smith Dance Studio

Page 10 THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014
MANOTICK MESSENGER
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Denise Smith School of Dance celebrating 35 years in Manotick
BY JEFF MORRIS
Thirty-five years ago,
Denise Smith decided to
teach dance lessons in the
basement of her home.
As she was rearranging
furniture in her basement
so that she could teach
young children in the
neighbourhood how to
dance, she probably had no
idea that, more than a generation later, her graduates
would be performing on
national television and on
music videos, performing
on cruise ships, competing
in competitions across the
continent, and even dancing on stage as part of Justin Bieber’s world tour.
But it was from those
humble beginnings that
great things began.
“I was looking for something to do that was interesting for the kids,” said
Smith, who came to Canada from South Africa in
1967 with a background in
ballet, jazz and tap.
Smith had been teaching dance for competitive
gymnastics when she decided to teach local kids in
her home.
A year later, she needed
a studio to keep up with
the growth and demand,
and she found a location
facing Ann Street in The
Walk. She taught all of the
classes herself back then,
and even taught her own
daughters, Chemay and
Cindy. Their first showcase
event was during Dickinson Days in 1980 – an event
that they still participate in
three-and-a-half decades
later.
“We started going to
competitions after about
four years because we had
some talented dancers,”
Smith said, “but our studio is not mainly focused
on competition. We want
to teach kids to dance. Because they love dancing.”
While some of the kids
are competitive and may
have futures in dance, the
focus in the studio is on
having fun while learning
to do something the kids
love. Dance has evolved
over the years – with break
dancing and hip hop
evolving during the time
the studio has been open –
but the basics of ballet, tap,
jazz and other dances has
remained timeless.
“Some of the students
are looking for something
once a week, and some
are looking for something
more intense,” Smith said.
“Either way, we make it
fun. The kids just want to
dance.”
Through the years, the
local studio has churned
out some of the country’s
top dancers. In 2002, Dorina Pagliaro landed a part
in the movie, Honey.
Ashley Wright, who
owns and operates a hair
studio in the village, landed a job dancing on Royal
Caribbean Cruise Lines
and would later compete
professionally as a ballroom dancer.
Adam Schultz also landed a job with Royal Caribbean as a dancer.
In 2009, Danny Lawn,
who grew up dancing in
the studio, was a finalist
on the Reality TV series, So
You Think You Can Dance
Canada. Lawn, now in Toronto, recently worked on
a music video with Blake
McGrath, who has been to
the school’s Beaverwood
road location to teach.
35 YEARS continues on page 15
Denise Smith School of Dance first appeared on the Dickinson Days stage with this performance in 1980.
Saturday August
23rd, 2014
Deirdre Barnes, middle, poses for a photo with Denise Smith
and Chemay Forrester after last year’s Justin Bieber concert
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The MessengerCOMMUNITY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014 Page 15
35 YEARS continues from page 10
Akira Uchida has been
dancing professionally and
he recently filmed a commercial for Wal-Mart.
Chris Stuewe, a graduate of the studio, has been
training in Los Angeles, as
he is about to launch a professional career.
And, most notably, Deirdre Barnes of Manotick
was on Justin Bieber’s word
tour, and also appeared on
Dancing with the Stars.
“It’s incredible to think
that these dancers were
kids in the studio at one
time, “ said Chemay Forrester, who teaches at the
school. “They come back
to see us and to see the
kids in classes when they
are home, and it is very
inspiring for the kids who
are here now. It makes
it very real for them that
these dancers were exactly
where they are now, learning in the same studio.”
Barnes returned last
year during the Bieber,
which stopped at Canadian tire Centre twice.
“She loves the kids and
loves to talk to them and
teach them,” Smith said
of Barnes. “She tells them
that she was once exactly
where they are now. She
started with us when she
was three.”
In the last decade, dance
has become much more
popular with young men.
Programs like So You Think
You Can Dance have given
dance exposure and made
it more popular. Stuewe,
for example, was a football
and basketball player who
left sports in order to pursue a career in dance.
Smith’s studio has also
evolved into a three-generation family business. Her
daughters, Chemay and
Cindy, both work in the
studio. Chemay’s daughter
Camryn is now teaching,
while her younger daughter, Paige, is an assistant.
“We are seeing kids that
we taught that come back
as adults, and we are teaching their kids now,” said
Forrester. “It brings back a
lot of memories for all of
us. They see us and they
see the studio and they
remember how much fun
they had and how many
memories they have here.
Dance is about happiness,
and that happiness stays
with you for a long time.”
Over the past 35 years,
Smith and Forrester estimate that close to 5,000
Professional dancer and recording artist Blake McGrath talks to
students at the Denise Smith School of Dance in 2012.
Deirdre Barnes, centre, visits with students from the
Denise Smith School of Dance
last year. The Manotick native
started dancing at the school
at the age of three. Last year,
she was part of Justin Bieber’s
tour and also appeared on
Dancing With the Stars.
Denise Smith teaches students in the studio’s old location in The Walk in 1980.
kids in the area have come
through the Denise Smith
School of Dance. While
they are registering now
for the upcoming season,
they reflect on the humble
beginnings of the studio in
Smith’s basement in 1979.
Today, they have a studio on Beaverwood Road,
and they have a second
studio on Main Street.
“We haven’t had a big
celebration for our 35th anniversary,” Smith said. “I
am sure at Dickinson Days
next year we will have to do
something special.”
Registration for this
season is open, with everything from pre-dance and
recreational programs to
part-time and full-time
competitive
programs.
There are also classes for
boys only this year.
Fall registration takes
place Aug. 21-22 from
Chemay Forrester and Denise Smith celebrate a victory with
their competitive dancers.
5-8:30 p.m. at the studio.
For more information,
visit www.denisesmithstudio.com.