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.