Worcester Dance
{ Grace Denney }
Walking into Worcester Dance feels like walking into a hug of queer joy. From the moment you walk in, there’s rainbows, there’s disco balls, a costume closet of glittery goodness, but most importantly, there’s owner Kelly Dolan (she/they). They’ve crushed the stereotypes dance is sometimes affiliated with and turned it into a community of acceptance where anyone, regardless of experience, can dance their hearts out together.
When asked how long they’ve been dancing, Dolan responds without missing a beat: “Forever.” Their love of dance started at 3 years old, and since then, they’ve practically never stopped. They taught others from a young age, and since then, that’s what they’ve done. At first, it started with teaching kids, but after the pandemic is when they made the switch to teaching adults. “It was partially because I wanted adult dance classes here. I had been traveling to Boston and Providence, and honestly? As an adult, it’s hard to find adult dance. So, I started teaching locally,” Dolan says. Through teaching locally, Dolan realized that they wanted to create more than just another dance studio. “I wanted a queer space, and I just wasn’t finding it. So I was like, okay, I’m gonna make it!”
Through this goal of making a queer community space, Worcester Dance was born. “It started as an idea three years ago, I signed the lease here and it took a really long time with the city to get everything. It was like a year and a half by the time it was already done to be able to open the doors,” Dolan explains. But, through all of the hurdles they jumped through, Dolan got the studio up and running. “This is more than what I could have imagined.” Now, they just celebrated the milestone of being open for a year, and things are in full swing. Dolan is able to offer a variety of different classes with a talented team of almost 20 teachers.
They offer your traditional classes you think of when you think of dance like contemporary jazz, jazz tech, lyrical tech and modern tech, but they also have a lot of unique, fun classes and workshops for those that want a little extra flair. For example, their pop and sassy hip hop classes. “In our pop class, our teacher mostly does mask choreography, which is really fun. It’s a lot of Justin Bieber kind of stuff, boy band stuff. We have a sassy hip hop class on Mondays with Giovana Cruz, who also has her own company. It’s called Motion Studio Co. It’s primarily like Brazilian hit HIIT dance, so she teaches the class in Portuguese. I’m slowly learning it!” Dolan laughs. For those who want to feel like they’re the star of the show onstage, these are the classes for you.
And when you need a break to slow down your body, the studio also offers active recovery classes called S&M (Stretch & Mobility… obviously) and Stretch & Swear, where you can practice some self-care in your sweats and relax while stretching out your body. They also offer a Self Care Square which is free for any student to utilize before or after class. There’s massage and mobility tools like foam rollers, yoga blocks, resistance bands and lots more to stretch out your body.
The good news is, if you’re not well-versed in dance like Dolan, they offer many beginner-friendly classes. Their heels classes are all-level and designed to work around your abilities, able to offer offering modifications and challenges for every type of dancer. To work on building up your confidence, there’s the Pose/Walk classes that alternate on Thursdays. “Pose is upper-body focused, a lot of balance…and Walk is more walking drills, moving around the floor kind of class. That’s like my favorite class right now. It’s been really cool to watch people progress from being in socks or barefoot to like a little short heel, and then maybe taller heels, and then trying other classes. It’s been like a really great gateway into heels for a lot of people here,” Dolan says. They recommend taking this class first.
Dolan also teaches Filthy Floor and Chair classes at the studio. “I try to cover technique and just give people options in those classes. It’s usually less about choreography, more about the logistics of ‘Are we going to get on this chair? What are we going to do once we’re here?’ And then we’ll build in choreography at the end,” Dolan explains. These classes are a great way to get to know your body, skills and what styles of dance you enjoy. There are also more classes and workshops you can check out on their website: https://woodanceprd.wpenginepowered.com/
While the wide range of classes helps dancers to learn and grow, they are only a part of what makes Worcester Dance special. In addition to the classes, Worcester Dance puts on a variety of events, most notably, their annual showcase in February. “It will be all dancers here, choreographed by the teachers and some of the students. Most of the shows have been a mix of drag, burlesque, and pole,” Dolan said. Some of the themes of other shows they’ve done are “Serving Cuntry Burlesque”, “Metal Mayhem”, and, coming up, “Scream 2: The Shequel” happening October 23rd and 30th. As an added bonus, they have a full costume closet with inclusive sizing the that students are encouraged to borrow from during class time to help bring out their inner sparkle! And, if you want to rent an item, you can do that, too, for $5 per item per week! They also offer exclusive workshops, like building your drag persona or trying out different-themed burlesque.
Dolan also wants people to know that they offer work/study options. Accessibility is something they value, as they believe everyone who wants to dance should be able to do so. “I know I have to pay the bills, so I charge things. If I didn’t, everything would be free…But I do have a work/study program where people can offer their skills and talents and just any help. I’ll take any help that I can here, it’s a big space, it’s a lot of jobs…So for their hours, they get class credits and things like that.” Through their passion for a sense of queer community and accessibility, Dolan believes everyone who wants to should be able to dance.
If you’re a first-time dancer, this is a place where you won’t be pressured beyond what you can handle. Their advice? “Just take the first step. Just do it. It’s hard the first few weeks, and then you kind of like, learn the system and find your groove…It’s hard to start new things as an adult! So we try to be as gentle and welcoming as we can here. This is a judgement-free zone, there’s no dancer left behind…Yeah, just take the step, just try the thing.” If you’re looking to start dancing or continue your career, Worcester Dance is a no-stakes, friendly, fun environment that encourages growth and well-being.