Pictured: Dana Kurzawinski (left) and Toni Casson (right)
Creating a family-oriented environment where children can express themselves freely is the essence of Toni’s Dance Academy. Dana Kurzawinski has been fueling this dream for several decades, starting as a student and eventually becoming a co-owner and co-director.
Kurzawinski began dancing at 10 years old in the studio. The former gymnast took up the art form to improve her gymnastics but found herself loving the artistic expression of dance more. Kurzawinski was a competition team member and had dance scholarships, but she found more joy in nourishing the talents of younger dancers. Toni Casson, the founder of the studio, inspired Kurzawinski to give teaching a chance.
“I ultimately opted to pursue teaching because I decided I enjoyed the education part,” Kurzawinski said. “Once I hit my teenage years, I still enjoyed performing, but I really enjoyed the passion of seeing the child's expression when I actually could teach them something.”
Kurzawinski has been a teacher at the studio for 38 years. She specializes in various dance styles, including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and acrobatic dancing. Staying active and informed outside of the classroom is important to Kurzawinski. Ever since COVID-19, she and other dance teachers across the country have attended virtual dance teacher seminars over the summer. They train and learn new ideas about props, advanced techniques, and dealing with children.
Children can begin at the studio as early as 3 years old. The Children’s Department Program encompasses six progressive levels, taking children ages 3 to 8 through levels tailored for their ages. Each level differs, from creative movement the first year to level one prep the sixth year. Kurzawinski has helped foster the program and watched many students grow beyond it.
“I love to see their faces when they take a step or when they finally are able to do a trick,” Kurzawinski said. “I don't have children myself, so I look at all of my students as my children. I see most of our children grow. We have a turnover rate of about 90% to 95% from ages 3 and up. At least through middle school, most of them will start with me at a very young age, 3 to 5, and they come back year after year.”
The Apprentice Teacher’s Program, which Kurzawinski participated in when she was a student, is offered for serious dancers once they turn 13 years old. The apprentices are required to study ballet, tap, and jazz before they can assist with the Children’s Department Program. They help the younger dancers with their steps and techniques, while still focusing on their own, before the studio’s end-of-the-season recital in May.
Dance has changed the lives of past and present students of the studio. There are many successful alumni with former students now running their own yoga dance studios and Pilates studios or even performing with the Radio City Rockettes. These students grew up from the Children’s Department Program all the way to their high school graduation. Kurzawinski is thankful she can be a part of accomplishments fostered in a small dance studio in the small town of Portage.
“I was the underdog in school,” Kurzawinski said. “The dance studio was my place where I could go and be myself and express myself. I was a very shy kid. I never spoke to anybody, so I think it's a matter of once I realized the impact that dance had on my life, I wanted to share it and give that to other students too.”
The studio is celebrating 47 years of operation this year. Kurzawinski has been a part of the team for the last 44 of those years, with 25 of them dedicated to managing as a co-owner and co-director. She values giving back to the community through dance in addition to seeing the joy and growth in the students.
“It feels like my baby too,” Kurzawinski said. “There have been very hard times. We've gone from having only 30 students one year to close to 200. What it’s about is being able to provide a safe place for children to express themselves without any judgment.”
