Achieving success in the competitive dance world is not easy.
It takes years of relentless hard work and dedication; it takes 20-hour weeks of blood, sweat, and tears.
New Canaan Dance Academy performance. Contributed
Now, that might not sound enjoyable; when the end result of that work is dancing on stages at the highest levels in the nation, however, it may be worth it.
“The New Canaan Dance Academy was always my second home and the people there were my second family,” NCHS senior Sasha Kotlyar, who started dancing at age three, said. “Being a part of the program was so special and is something I will never forget.”
Founded in 2001 by Elaine Young, the New Canaan Dance Academy (NCDA) has experienced significant growth in recent years and is preparing now to send its competitive program, known as the “company team,” to Dance Nationals on July 5. This will be NCDA’s second time sending their entire competitive program, consisting of about 75 girls, to Nationals, which will take place in Orlando.
New Canaan Dance Academy performance. Contributed
“Nationals has a lot of different categories and age ranges, with competitions for things like tap, jazz, and hip hop,” Company Coach Sheena DiMatteo said during an interview on Wednesday morning at the New Canaan Library. “There are solo competitions, duets, and also larger groups. It’s really a culmination of all of the work we put in throughout the year.”
To ensure their ability to compete on the grandest stages, NCDA’s competitive team members make a near year-round commitment.
“The program ends after the recital, which was last weekend, and then this weekend, we have auditions for the next season,” DiMatteo said. “Every year, all the dancers have to audition or re-audition to earn their place back in the company program. As soon as they audition, we start planning for the next season.”
Julia Stewart, mom of a company team dancer, described how the newfound intensity within the competitive dance scene coincided with COVID-19.
New Canaan Dance Academy performance. Contributed
“Dance really blew up after the pandemic,” Stewart said. “It always shocks me to sit in a restaurant at a dance convention and talk to people who flew in from California. Some of these parents have homeschooled their kids because their whole life is devoted to dance.”
Despite the required commitment, the dancers keep coming back because of NCDA’s values.
“I think the word that comes to mind is family,” Elaine Young, co-founder and owner of the NCDA with her husband Ben, said when asked about the school’s culture. “You could see it at our show last weekend when there were 100 girls circled up 一 a message of unity and family.”
Young said that there’s a bond forged among the dancers due to the vulnerability that comes with the sport.
New Canaan Dance Academy graduating seniors. Contributed
DiMatteo added to this: “The dancers spend so much time with each other…they’re so intertwined due to dance being such an intimate experience. Our biggest goal is to try to create a safe place where they feel supported; they feel like no one is going to judge them.”
This support comes at competitions as well and will be an important part of NCDA’s performance at nationals.
“One of the most special parts about our program is that everyone cheers each other on,” Stewart said. “Of course, they care about their own performance, but at the end of the day, they’re cheering for NCDA. If one of them wins, they’ve all won.”
This tight-knit bond is important due to the mental and physical struggles that come with competitive dance.
“You have to learn to deal with rejection and failure,” Stewart said. “That’s tough, especially when you are younger. Yet, it can be a great lesson in some ways. I think it has prepared [my daughter] for life. She can handle anything now.”
New Canaan Dance Academy dancers wearing convention numbers. Contributed
DiMatteo is a former competitive dancer herself and spent her childhood facing the harsh realities that come with dance. Due to this, she understands what her students need.
“We do a lot of morale and confidence building,” she said. “We tell our dancers that it’s OK that you didn’t get it this time. We’re proud that you went and put yourself out there.”
DiMatteo joined the NCDA faculty in 2011 and has become an integral part of the school. According to Stewart, she spends countless hours each day planning and perfecting the choreography for each dance.
New Canaan Dance Academy student Lucy Farris with master class teacher Molly Long. Contributed
Asked why NCDA is so important to her, DiMatteo said: “I feel compelled to put in all of this work because I love building something, and I love building it with people that I love. Every year, the kids that come across my path grab my heart in an irreversible way. I feel that they’re truly put in my path for a reason, and I love each and every one of them so much. I fully believe in each dancer, and it brings me joy to see someone who I saw a spark in when they were five years old grow up to be a graduating senior who is the most remarkable human being, artist, storyteller, technician, athlete, and friend.”
Best wishes for Nationals! I don’t have dancers in my house but I attend the final show every year to cheer on the daughters of my friends and I absolutely look forward to it. Madam X blew me away this year. I could not take my eyes off the dancers and days later I am still thinking about it. Bravo NCDA
New Canaan Dance Academy is unlike any other studio. It is a place where both our girls feel supported and challenged. Where we are all welcomed and feel included.
Our girls are so excited to go every day and on “days off” they are still finding ways to connect with their dance besties. This camaraderie starts at the top. Elaine, Ben, our Directors and all Faculty encourage the girls to be true teammates to each other. We couldn’t have found a better dance home
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Here we come Orlando! Heat Nationals are next!
Thank you NCDA and all of our family there! It’s more than just dance (though my daughter is there 20 hours a week lol) but joy and family. And their little sanctuary on Forest Street right in town. Their safety triangle where they can run around, get ice cream or the diner and the location itself lends to making it the atmosphere of family and independence. My daughter will always think of that street as her childhood and the magical experience. From a shy kid I could never imagine performing a solo to now a high schooler who can drive herself to dance! Thanks for being such a huge part of literally shaping her life and helping her build strength well beyond the physical sense. We are both so excited to go to Orlando!
Great article Donovan! We are very proud of our dancer and her school and company! We are very fortunate to have this studio in our town!
Family, camaraderie, bravery, resilience, forever friendships, safe space and talent… all the things that come to mind when i think of NCDA. They are a true treasure, and we are so unbelievably lucky to have them right in our own backyard. A treasure that we will never take for granted! As a parent of girls who love to dance, watching them grow and learn over the years through the ups, downs, wins and losses has been a remarkable journey. The caliber of talent at NCDA is unmatched. And the dedication, nurturing and love that Miss Elaine, Sheena and the rest of the NCDA community provides for our children is a gift and a privilege. We are forever grateful to have the greatest gift of their childhood in our own hometown community.
We very much look forward to Nationals!
This story definitely reflects our experience. NCDA is family to us. Two of our girls grew up there from age 5 through high school. Both girls are now dancing in college, but they still connect on all of those years and experiences at NCDA. My girls think of Elaine and Ben as bonus grandparents who always nurtured and supported them. Miss Sheena and many faculty members were the most influential mentors our girls have had, supporting them through the different stages as little kids, middle schoolers, high schoolers, and beyond. Now, as young adults, our girls meet their former teachers in the city. The friendships our girls have with teammates they grew up with are as deep and storied as sibling relationships. All of these relationships mean the world to us. We are so grateful to Elaine and Ben for creating NCDA, and for continuing to guide the positive, supportive environment for families and teachers there.