History

Una tradición de excelencia

Historia

Dance Connection was founded in the fall of 1989, by Mary Naftal, as a one-room martial arts & dance center on Sunrise Highway in East Islip. It started off with just 75 students and only 3 dance teachers. Mary’s parents made up the entirety of the office and support staff. In just one short year, Dance Connection had expanded to a two room studio and added additional teaching staff to accommodate its growing enrollment.

In 1997, Dance Connection started the Dance Connection Competition Performance Team, a competitive performance group for serious and dedicated dancers that seek additional performance opportunities and wish to challenge their experience as a dancer. Now in it’s 20th year, the DCCT has competed and performed around the local area as well as throughout the country and operates its own independent organization to fund a majority of the team’s expenses.

Hoy, mientras Dance Connection celebra su temporada 33, continúa aumentando su inscripción e impacto en la comunidad. Dance Connection continúa siendo central en la comunidad que lo rodea al patrocinar muchas escuelas, organizaciones benéficas y eventos locales. Sus programas acreditados, ambiente cálido y logros de los estudiantes han hecho que Dance Connection sea bien conocida en toda la región.

In December 2011, Dance Connection opened a brand new state-of-the-art facility on Freeman Avenue in Islip. The facility boasts three large studios, a spacious lobby, offices for its management team, and the latest technology; making Dance Connection one of the largest and most advanced facilities on Long Island. Dance Connection has several thousand alumni. Among those alumni are doctors, lawyers, teachers, business owners and can be seen on Broadway, television, modeling runways and dancing/choreographing for many notable productions and events. Dance Connection began with a simple and essential philosophy; to create a welcoming setting for proper dance education, concentrating on stage presentation, dancer body health and correct technique, while offering bountiful student services and opportunities to enrich their dance experience as well as cultivate them as great people as well as great dancers! Today, this philosophy is still the driving force behind all of the company’s operations and endeavors.