Photo by Melissa Driggers Photography
Dance classes are so much more than flashy outfits and holiday recitals; they are opportunities for kids to stay active, make friendships, and learn important life skills! From teamwork and cooperation to creative expression and confidence, dance classes are a great way to get your kid moving and grooving! In Burke, VA, Buffa’s Dance Studio is a wonderful space that encourages dancers of all ages to take risks, try something new, and dance! If you have a little one that you think could benefit from a dance class, you’ll definitely want to learn more about Buffa’s.
Buffa’s Dance Studio was founded on the belief that dance is for everyone. Ms. Buffa Hargett opened the studio back in 1980 to help kids of all ages develop strong, flexible, disciplined minds and bodies. Their students become well-rounded humans creatively, physically, and mentally. In fact, many go on to utilize skills learned in dance classes in successful careers as lawyers, doctors, teachers, social workers, and so many more!
Buffa’s Dance Studio is a quality dance and fitness studio that offers an encouraging, welcoming environment for dancers of all abilities. Their accomplished teachers are passionate about working with children and dance, creating a safe space for learning and play. Buffa’s offers engaging, fun classes that get kids moving and learning the foundations of dance, as well as award-winning dance companies for more competitive dancers. At the end of the day, their priority is to culturally enrich the lives of every student and to bring joy through dance.
Buffa’s Dance Studio offers a variety of dance classes designed to engage and teach children of all ages. Their children’s programming encourages creative wonder in their littlest dancers using props, imagination games, improv, and creative movement to teach the basics of ballet, tap, and jazz techniques. They’ll also practice working with memory sequences, physical awareness, and rhythm.
Intermediate programs start to teach technical skills with a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Students will learn key moves and positions that they’ll use throughout their dance tenure, as well as lasting skills like timing and ease of transitions. Advanced programs incorporate more ballet infrastructure while offering styles like pointe, jazz, lyrical, tap, modern, and contemporary.
The studio’s classes offer a variety of performance opportunities, including Parent’s Days and a Choreographer’s Showcase, as well as large professional-grade recitals in June that showcase the culmination of the year’s work. Buffa’s Dance Studio students can also participate in a performance of The Nutcracker in November in partnership with Buffa’s in-house non-profit ballet company, Burke Civic Ballet.
In addition to their classes, Buffa’s also offers several performing companies that offer a more intensive technical education and offer more performance opportunities. Students will learn from professional master teachers, using critiques to identify room for growth and improvement. The learning environment is still positive, rewarding, and exciting. However, it is without over-rehearsing pieces and pushing students too intensely. They instill in their dancers that “the trophies earned are not the goal” – instead, the goal is the friendships they form, the scholarships they receive to continue their dance education, and the experience they gain.
Buffa’s Dance Studio is a community of educators, dancers, and families who can see firsthand the impact of a great dance class. Check out their websites, catch a community performance, or get in touch with Buffa’s to see why so many families choose them for dance!
Are you trying to find another way to make these moments in your child’s life last? Why not book some family photos? I’m a Northern Virginia photographer who specializes in family pictures. I have a daughter myself and know how quickly these years fly by. It’s my job to make sure you can preserve these moments forever! If you’ve been considering booking a session for your family, I’d love to connect! Contact me today to find out more!
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