New in Town: Metro Arts Xchange Offers Full Range of Dance and Performing Arts Instruction
Two well-known dance studios have joined forces to offer a variety of dance, musical theater, acting, voice, piano lessons and more under one roof. Metro Arts Xchange (MAX) is the newest dance and performing arts studio in St. Louis, and represents the merger of the Technique Studios dance program and the Beutell Dance Center.
Technique Studios was founded by Susan and Kimo Ford 22 months ago. Both had grown up studying dance, gymnastics or martial arts, and they were seeking a higher standard of instruction for their own four children ages 6 through 13.
"There are good studios and gyms in St. Louis, however, we felt there was a need to do things differently,” said Susan Ford. Their experiences put them in a unique position. "We’ve been on both sides of the glass," Ford explained.
"We’ve been instructors and we've been parents of kids in the programs."
Since its inception, Technique Studios has offered a USA Gymnastics program, O-Mei Wushu (Kung Fu) Martial Arts School, and a dance program. Adding MAX to the mix fills a need for a wide variety of dance and performing arts instruction at economical tuition rates.
The new 8,000 square-foot Technique Studios facility includes studio and gym space and is located at the corner of Big Bend and Dougherty Ferry Roads in West St. Louis County. "We now have three schools as part of our 'campus,'" said Ford.
"With MAX, we're bringing a new level of dance instruction with a full spectrum of class offerings. Classes include ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, musical theater, piano, acting, voice and more to aspiring dancers and dramatists of all levels and ages. Classes also will be offered to adults.
With the addition of Norma Beutell and other professional arts faculty, MAX brings over 175 years of combined teaching experience. Beutell herself has taught Janet Jones Gretzky and others who have gone on to become well-know performers.
Other instructors range from "Tiger" Woods, a professional hip hop dancer whose credits include the first season of the TV show So You Think You Can Dance, and Kari James, a very popular adult dance instructor whose classes have engendered a large following.
Classes will be offered for all skill levels, from beginner to pre-professional. As has been the tradition with all Technique Studios programs, character development and etiquette will be part of all MAX programs.
For more information about classes or auditions at Metro Arts Xchange, visit www.technique-studios.com or call 636-825-8324.
