My daughter, Lyla, has been dancing at Music City All Stars for a year now, and I don't see us leaving this incredible dance family any time soon. The teachers and staff are all so wonderful, and I am genuinely impressed with all they do for dancers.
Take this bizarre and unprecedented COVID season, for example. Many local studios shut down and cancelled recitals or just offered virtual ones, which is absolutely understandable. The staff at Music City decided to pull together and get creative, engaged their dancers safely, and still arranged for a respectful, fun, and socially distant recital so they could celebrate each dancer and their hard work. Together, we got to #FinishStrong, have a red carpet experience, and it was amazing... Just look at some of these smiles.
I look forward to watching my Princess Ballerina grow, and if you're looking for a studio for your dancer, I highly recommend checking out Music City All Stars.
I wanted to take a moment and introduce you to the wonderful director and owner, Kirstin Hawk, and fill you in on what makes MCAS so special.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your co-owner, Valerie, and your amazing studio. I have always wanted to teach dance from a very young age. I grew up here in Murfreesboro and have danced my whole life. My degree is in early childhood education, and I am a former 1st grade teacher. I taught at another local studio prior to opening up MCAS. Valerie and I have been dancing together since high school and have been friends since we were 15 years old. Valerie danced at the University of TN in college and went on to coach the University of TN dance team as they won their first national championship. We both saw a huge need to provide dancers with quality training in a positive and balanced environment. We wanted our dancers to feel loved and encouraged, yet also receive top-notch training.
How did Music City All Stars begin? We started Music City All Stars as a training center for local school dance teams. We saw a huge need to offer a competitive team atmosphere for students to bridge the gap between middle and high school. From there, our program grew. Valerie was the former coach of the University of TN and had just won nationals on the collegiate level, and Kirstin was a 1st grade teacher with a huge passion for younger dancers. Many of our dancers have gone on to dance professionally and collegiately. We are so proud of all our dancers who have gone on to higher education, which we are thrilled about.
Do you have varying levels for your dancers? Explain how your classes and competition teams work. We have our classes broken down to several ages and levels. Our Princess ballerina classes are for ages 3-7-year-olds. These are weekly classes, and parents can choose the style that works best for them. We follow a curriculum that engages children to use their imagination and also learn ballet terms in the process. Children will love the fun and thematic lessons. From there we have our academy classes, which is our recreational classes for ages 8-18. For our competition teams, we have two teams. We have a connection team, which is new this season. This team is a twice-a-week commitment. We also have our competitive travel teams. These teams practice 2-3 days a week, depending on age. Both competitive teams take a variety of styles such as jazz, hip hop, pom, lyrical, tumbling, and ballet.
What makes Music City All Stars different from other studios in the area? We love to welcome dancers of all ages and levels to our studio. The true family feel is what we think makes our studio so different. Our goal is to meet the children at their level and continue to grow them as a whole person. Our classes create a team feel from the very beginning.
How has COVID-19 affected the studio, and what are you doing to keep the kids safe? Our Studio has gone above and beyond to help create the safest environment for our dancers. MCAS focuses on a hierarchy of measures to create a Safer StudioTM environment, beginning with requiring students and staff who are ill to stay home, followed by frequent hand cleansing and good hygiene practices, amplified cleaning, and making curricular and facility adaptations to minimize contact and mingling. You will see our safety measures all throughout our studio as well as in our teaching. We have been in communication with local health officials throughout to continue to get our protocol approved.
Do you have a favorite motivational quote you can share with us?
' If you can dream it, you can do it,' Walt Disney
Anything else you'd like to share? We are currently offering free trial classes to all students. We would love to invite you for a tour or to reserve your spot in a free trial class to find the best fit for your child.
Music City All Stars is located at:
215 Gothic Ct, #102, Franklin, TN 37067
