Steps on Broadway Diversifies Youth Pre-Professional Program

The youth program at Steps on Broadway dance studio on the Upper West Side expanded this month with the addition of contemporary and modern dance classes. The program, which was renamed Steps Youth Program this summer, offers programming to kids who want to make dance a major part of their lives. 

Steps Youth Program offers dancers the opportunity to learn diverse styles of dance beyond ballet and to train with teachers and choreographers from Broadway and famous dance companies. The pre-professional program is for ages 7-18. 

 Pam Levy, the director of youth programs at Steps, explains why Steps decided to diversify its dance style offerings:

We changed to [Steps Youth Program] because the youth programs are going to be more reflective of the organization of Steps in general. Steps is about diversity in dance,” says Levy. “Although our ballet is still our foundation, we are adding other dance forms into it so we can help train 21st-century dancers who have a skill set that will make them employable in the dance field, and top picks for elite dance programs such as Julliard or USC Kaufman or Marymount Manhattan College.”

Students will have the chance to meet people from throughout the professional dance world, creating professional exposure for kids who take dance very seriously. 

Steps also offers a recreational dance programs for kids and teens ages 6-18, as well as performance workshops. The First Steps program is for young kids ages 18 months-5 years, and they can participate in ballet, tap, creative dance, and combination classes.

For more information about Steps on Broadway's Steps Youth Program, visit the Steps on Broadway website.

Main Image Credit: Eduardo Patino, NYC