Port Huron’s Dance Academy inspires young dancers while supporting the community

Providing instruction for 20 different types of dance styles, from ballroom to hip hop to jazznastics, Donna Miller says her dance studio, The Dance Academy in Port Huron is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Donna Miller.
“Dance is very therapeutic,” Miller says. “Both kids and adults have added pressures nowadays, and once they are inside our classrooms and the music starts, they can just dance away anything happening outside of the classroom.”

The studio offers classes for all ages from toddlers to seniors, with 10 experienced instructors who have earned dance degrees and some who have danced in off-broadway productions and urban ballet theater. 300 full-time dancers perform in eight yearly local shows at Port Huron High School auditorium, with alumni welcome to participate for a lifetime. The competition team travels throughout Michigan from February through late spring, competing in each type of dance.

During the winter months, parents can keep six months to three-year-olds busy in “Music With Me” getting familiar with musical instruments, creative dance moves, and singing while adults can enjoy a bar workout class in the summer.

They also recently renovated their nearly 5000 square foot space, adding a new break room for the dancers, built by co-owner and handyman Charles Miller.

The Dance Academy at Nationals in Muskegon, Michigan.

Miller believes her studio is not only a place for dancers to enjoy their love of dance but also where families can contribute to the community. Throughout the year, holiday gatherings with students, families, and staff participation provide opportunities for families to donate clothing or money, which The Dance Academy then matches.

All proceeds and items purchased by the Academy dancers are donated to local charities such as Tires and Treads, an organization that stocks clothing items in school closets for teachers who identify children in need, which Miller says her community dance studio is proud to be a part of.

“We will own this community dance studio for a lifetime. It has now become our life,” the Millers conclude.