Silhouette Dance Studio More Than Dancing
Silhouette Dance & Fine Arts east side studio after the makeover it received from students and their families.
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Our project began as all projects do, with an idea.
We are high school seniors who have been dancing at Silhouette School of Dance and Fine Arts since we were little. We decided that our wonderful studio needed a lot of tender loving care. The studio is a 6,000 square foot space that used to be a party center located at 12501 Madison above the Bi-Rite Grocery store in Birdtown. We began by thinking of all the wonderful things we could do to make the studio better. Megan and I began thinking of paint colors, new lighting, and rearranging to make everything look as a dance studio should.
Our imaginations ran wild with all the incredible things we could do. We stopped for a second and really thought that we could actually get something like this done. To propose a project like this, we decided that we should have some ideas and seem somewhat organized so we do not seem crazy. Megan and I began by talking to one of our dance teachers, Miss Stephanie Reed. She agreed that the studio needed a lot of work and so we put our ideas for fixing it up. One thing Megan and I failed to realize was that this was going to be a huge project and it will cost a lot of money. When we heard the word money our humongous dreams and ideas shrunk a little bit. But we were still determined to do something to make the studio look nicer. Miss Stephanie, Megan, and I decided that we wanted to make this a surprise for our gracious dance teacher and owner of the studio, Miss Donna Rakerd. We sent out a letter to all the dancers at the studio asking for painting supplies, volunteers, and monetary donations. We received an incredible amount of donations. It was astonishing. Thanks to Sherwin Williams, we received all the paint we needed for the project through their generous donations. Megan and I were so amazed that our ideas were really coming together and we would be able to get this project done.
Our plan was to paint the entire ballroom and lobby in a crunching time of two days. It was a lot of work but we were determined to get it all done. On the first day, Megan and I were a little nervous. We were not quite sure how many people were going to show up to help and how much we would actually be able to get done. On the first day, we painted the entire ballroom and started on the lobby. We wouldn’t have been able to get it all done without all the help we had. On the second day, we finished the lobby just in time to surprise Miss Donna.
We were so excited to see Miss Donna’s reaction. I was betting she would cry. Megan was betting we would get at least twenty hugs. We were both right. Miss Donna’s reaction wasn’t the only thing that made this project so special. It was for Miss Donna and for all the girls she will continue to inspire through dance. She spends so much time to help every girl enjoy dancing and feel good about themselves. We hope the new studio will attract new dancers to awaken the dancers in their hearts.
Message from Miss Donna:
Over twenty years ago, Silhouette Dance & Fine Arts was created with one premise in mind -- to help youngsters feel good about themselves. Combining my talent for working with children and for dance; the studio was born. It has grown into a place where students both young and old achieve things in dance that are beyond their dreams and expectations.
On December 30, 2009, the students taught the teacher. The students who organized this event personify the concept of giving back. They transferred the love and support gained from being a part of the studio since they were small children into an idea that became a gift to everyone at the studio. Not only was this a tremendous reward to me, it gives all the dancers at the studio new inspiration to express and learn. They set a wonderful example for the younger dancers who watched them give two days of their winter vacations for the benefit of others.
So a huge thank you and WOW! to the students who created this wonderful gift. Stop in anytime. We would love to show off our new digs. Happy New Year to Silhouette Dance & Fine Arts Studio, its students and their families. Happy New Year to Lakewood, our home. For more information on classes and our studios you may visit www.silhouettedance.net or call 216-228-3871.