Smarties, we are thrilled at add Miller Street Dance Academy to our pink & green family! Miller Street Dance Academy (MSDA) has been the dance capitol of South Charlotte for 20 years. Now with two convenient locations, they continue to grow and teach children the love of dance and the importance of giving back to the community.
Miller Street Dance Academy (MSDA) was founded in 1994 under the leadership of Michelle Rogers with the aim of providing quality, tasteful dance instruction in a positive environment. Their goal is to cultivate young dancers into well-rounded individuals who have not only an appreciation for dance but who reach for high achievement in academics and community service, as well. Miller Street Dance Academy offers award-winning dance instruction in a variety of dance styles to dancers ranging in age from 2.5 years to adult. But dance instruction is just the beginning of the many rewards your child will experience as a dancer here. They help students experience the joy of dance while emphasizing good character and sportsmanship along with community involvement and scholastic achievement. And they lead by example.
Styles of Dance at MSDA Include:
Acrobatics, Ballet, Boy’s Only, Cheer Dance, Hip Hop, Jazz, Jazz/Hip Hop, Lyrical, Pointe/Pre Pointe, Pre Ballet, Tap and Tumbling
A big component of the MSDA mission involves giving back to the community.
MSDA has a long list of charities that they focus on throughout the year including but not limited to:
– A Backpacks Drive
– Blessing Bags for Union County: MSDA dancers collect small toiletries, small snacks and special treats and give to guests of the shelter.
– Promising Pages: MSDA dancers collect new and gently used children’s books to be redistributed back into the community and to Title I schools. They also collect wrapping paper, tape, scissors and markers.
– Bright Blessings: MSDA dancers collect juice pouches, single serve cookie packs and fleece blankets and give to transient children in the Charlotte area.
– Helpmate: MSDA dancers collect toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, diapers, towels, laundry detergent, baby wipes, baby soap and diaper rash ointment and give to victims of domestic violence and their children.
– Under My Umbrella: MSDA dancers collect umbrellas to donate to the World Relief Organization.
– Hockey Fights Cancer Night with Miles Against Melanoma: A portion of the ticket sales for the November 23rd Charlotte Checkers game will go towards Miles Against Melanoma. For information, contact Heather Joyner at hrj@carolina.rr.com.
– Toys For Tots: MSDA dancers collect new, unpackaged toys to support local families who would not otherwise receive gifts this holiday season.
– Salvation Army Stuff A Stocking Program (Providence location): MSDA dancers collect stockings with gender and age appropriate items for those children receiving assistance.
– Rainbow Loom for Orphans: MSDA dancers collect rainbow looms, bands, bracelets and make instructional videos for an orphanage in the Ukraine.
– Rice Bowls: MSDA dancers collect loose change in a plastic rice bowl to go to orphanages around the world. One rice bowl ($34) feeds one child for one month.
– Turnaround Toys: MSDA dancers collect gently used toys to be given to local impoverished children.
– ThanksGIVING food drive: MSDA dancers collected over 2,000 food items, $100 in gift cards, and a $500 check from Kohl’s!
-Drea’s Dream – MSDA holds a special place in their heart for this charity.
Andréa Rizzo had a love of life that was felt by all who knew her. She was a loving daughter, only child, compassionate friend, dedicated Special Education teacher, gifted dancer and childhood cancer survivor. She was attending graduate school at NYU in hopes of becoming a dance therapist so that she could share her love of dance and its positive impact on her life with the lives of fragile children. She herself had been treated and cured of cancer as a very young child at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
On May 19, 2002, Dréa’s life was cut short by a drunk driver as she returned home from attending a dance performance, but her passion for children and dance live on. The Andréa Rizzo Foundation is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the growth and success of Dréa’s Dream; a dance therapy program for children with cancer and special education needs…in hospitals, special education classrooms and medical settings.
The Andréa Rizzo Foundation is the only 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization in the United States that provides grants that fund dance therapy programming exclusively for children with cancer and special needs. Programs are led by trained Dance/Movement Therapists registered with the American Dance Therapy Association.
As you can see, MSDA has a HUGE heart:-) We’ll be catching up with MSDA throughout the year, so stay tuned on all things Miller Street! And let’s give the MSDA family a HUGE pink & green hug! Welcome to CSP!
You can find MSDA at two convenient studio locations:
MSDA – Providence
11532 Providence Road, Suite O
Charlotte, NC 28277
(704)889-8637
MSDA – Baxter Village
967 Market Street, Suite 100
Fort Mill, SC 29708
(803) 396-5299
You can also find MSDA on facebook and check out their super cool app in iTunes!
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