Dancing; be it ballet, tap, or any other form, is an art, and it deserves to be upheld as such, not only as an art, but as a gift, and a talent. That is the fundamental reason why Reverence Dance Academy was born. The art of dancing takes on many different shapes and forms, and comes from all different kinds of backgrounds and stories, and we would like to share ours.

I think it's important to tell a bit more about our story and why Reverence Dance Academy was created. After 15 years of dance lessons,  there were many things that we came to appreciate and not appreciate from one dance school to another.  Everything from not having appropriate space and accommodations for parents to wait for their children, to the sheer amount of money and time required to participate in the dance studio. But the tipping point for us was our last experience at a dance academy where they used inappropriate dance songs, immoral hip hop/jazz dance moves, inappropriate costumes and the requirement to dance multiple days per week just to be able to dance during the recital.  

In 2012, we had a decision to make, pull our five daughters out of dance or find another alternative.  After searching for another dance academy, we could not find any that would hold to the following:  One day per week classes (recreational) without punishing the children by not letting them dance during the recital as much as the other participants, morale and classical dance, songs and costumes, all while charging the least possible in order for families to be able to afford and participate in a beautiful art called ballet. Therefore, after prayer and a conviction to offer a godly and healthy alternative, we approached our two eldest daughters with the idea of offering dance lessons to our youngest daughters and if we could find a location, maybe some of the other children and their families that were frustrated by the same problems that we experienced.  They agreed, God provided a dance studio and with that Reverence Dance Academy came into being.

Reverence Dance Academy has flourished and grown. Expectations that we have anticipated, and even those we never thought possible has become a reality, and we count our blessings and praise God for His goodness. We hope that in putting effort into this foundation, we may spread the blessings God has given us to all who are called to be a part of the Reverence Family. We are so excited for the upcoming years and we are so thankful for all the experiences that have helped Reverence become what it is today.

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--The Shaw Family, Founders of Reverence Dance Academy