Center Stage continues to catch the nation’s interest
Center Stage Performing Arts Studio in Orem has been launching professional dancers for the past 19 years.
One does not have to go out of Utah Valley to find great talent in the art of dance. Founded in Orem, Center Stage Performing Arts Studio is making their name known throughout the nation in the world of dance.
In fact, Tuesday’s So You Think You Can Dance Season 9 finale featured two Center Stage graduates — Witney Carson and Lindsay Arnold, two of the Top 20 contestants. Both Utah County dancers began their careers at an early age, taking classes at the Orem dance studio.
Under the direction of Alex and Robin Murillo and Kim DelGrosso, Center Stage won National Studio of the Year and $25,000 in New York City out of 170 dance studios nationwide. Along with this distinguished award, Center Stage’s dancers received personal recognition as well. Among them, Jenna Johnson won Best Female Dancer, and Ruger Memmott received 1st Runner Up for Best Male Dancer. For years, Center Stage has been producing competitive dancers in the professional world of dance and Hollywood.
Center Stage originated 19 years ago across from the SCERA Center, and included three studios for classes. Now in their new location, they can hold 600 dancers in 9 studios. Dancers coming out of Center Stage have been recruited by all major dance companies, national and abroad, television shows, including Dancing With the Stars and So You think You Can Dance, movies like High School Musical 1, 2 and 3 and Footloose, Broadway performances including Chicago, and Las Vegas productions like Cirque du Soleil.
What contributes to Center Stage’s great success and the high caliber dancers they produce? Jen Jones Donatelli writes in April’s edition of the Dance Teacher magazine, that it is their “unparalleled versatility.” Center Stage not only offers ballet, jazz, hip-hop, break dance and tumbling, but also ballroom. With training in so many forms of dance, Center Stage dancers are versatile enough to handle any style or choreography sent their way in the professional dance world. At Center Stage they also recognize the need for dancers to be a “triple threat,” meaning that they are proficient in singing, dancing and acting. Their students are also able to receive this acting and vocal training at Center Stage along with their dance classes. For more information on Center Stage, go to their website, www.centerstageutah.com.
No doubt Center Stage dancers will seem right at home dancing alongside some of the nation’s top dancers. Come give your support and cheer on Center Stage!