Dance Arts Studio, Inc.

Dance Arts Studio, Inc., provides training in dance and the performance arts. Our Curriculum is designed to teach proper dance technique, attend to the progress of each student, and create an appreciation of dance as an art form.

Director-Owner, Grace Luttrell Nanavati, carries on a long tradition of bringing dance to this area. Originally named the Caskey Dance Studio after Mildred Caskey, the business was founded in the 1930's and flourised under Caskey, a Ted Shawn dancer.

Under the direction of Karen Allen Bisch, the business went through a name change in the late 1960's to become Dance Arts Studio. Mrs. Nanavati returned to Springfield in 1973 to become the owner.

Today, Dance Arts Studio, Inc. continues to be one of the largest dance studios in central Illinois with classes offered for children ages two through adults and for technique levels beginners through advanced.

Our skilled faculty is college educated and has jointly accumulated more ninety years of teaching experience.

Dance Arts Studio, Inc. is a technique-based studio, which offers central Illinois dancers a solid base of technique allowing them the knowledge and opportunity to pursue dance as a career. Our goal is to teach dancers how to dance rather than just a dance.

We encourage parents to take an active role in their child's education and training. As a parent, we encourage you to visit classes the months of November, March, May, and July. We request that you attend the first lesson of the month if possible. Observation may be arranged at other times with the instructors. Observation classes will afford you the opportunity to view your child’s progress, get to know the faculty, and have an opportunity for dialogue regarding your child. We hope you will for these observation classes into your schedule. It is very important to your child.

Classes are offered at primary levels as combination style of teaching by offering gross motor skills, creative movement, pre-ballet, tap, and tumbling. As the dancers progress in years and ability classes are offered in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, tap, folk and musical comedy. This diversity of style allows each student to set a personalized course for his or her training.

Dance Arts Studio, Inc. takes a holiday break for Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July. We conduct regular classes on all other school holidays. It is our policy to teach on the school system’s "bad" weather days. If we have any weather related cancellations, we will e-mail or call you personally.

Our tuition is paid by the month and is due the first lesson of the month. Our students remit the payment check to the instructors. Fees are based on the number of registered lessons a student and or a family is taking. If your family's lesson structure needs to change throughout a season, please notify the studio.

There are no refunds or credits for missed classes under any circumstances. We encourage students to make up any missed lessons in one of the other classes at your level. No prior arrangements need be made with faculty for make up lessons and make up lessons should be scheduled at your earliest convenient opportunity.