Pennington Dance is set to celebrate its 35th anniversary Sept. 8.
Director Nancy Warner’s dedication to inspiring dancers began 35 years ago when her dance teachers, Margot and Roland Guerard, decided to retire.
Warner studied ballet with the Guerards from second grade to adolescence. In high school she pursued professional level classes in New York City and performed with “and Co,” a professional jazz and theater dance company.
A senior in college when the Guerards retired, Warner decided to open her own school. Her goal was to continue offering dance instruction in the Hopewell Valley community.
Pennington Dance opened in 1980 at the Pennington Presbyterian Church, with Warner as the only teacher and offering ballet and jazz classes three days a week. The space included bulky portable barres made of plumbing piping and a carpeted floor over a concrete surface.
By 1985, Pennington Dance was successful to hire additional instructors and expanded the curriculum to include tap and ballroom classes. The school now offers classes in musical theatre production and contemporary dance.
Warner, a Romana Pilates certified instructor and teacher-trainer, started offering Pilates mat and apparatus classes in 2003. Today the school occupies two fully equipped studios in Pennington and a Pilates apparatus studio in Titusville.
The Pennington Dance Company regularly performs for the benefit of various organizations including Eden Dreams Fundraisers, the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade, assisted living nursing homes, senior centers, community events, such as Pennington Day. The company has performed at every Pennington Day event since its inception in 1980. All honorium are donated to the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital.
In 2005, Warner and staff member Kevin Babb accompanied students and alumni to Nairobi, Kenya where they shared American dance forms and participated in humanitarian work in the Kibera slum community.
Warner is committed to bringing the roots of American dance forms to students; for many years, the school offered African dance classes. She often has invited multi-cultural groups to join in year-end performances, so her students could experience ethnic dances first-hand.
Today Pennington Dance offers full year programs for ages 3 ½ to adult in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, preschool dance, Pilates mat and Pilates apparatus classes, as well as workshops in musical theatre production and contemporary dance.
Registrations for Pennington Dance’s 35th school year are currently being accepted.
Open Houses are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Aug. 16, 23 and Sept. 6 at the Cyrus Lodge Studio, 131 Burd St., Pennington. The Open House is an opportunity to meet staff, see the studio space, and watch a DVD of last June’s performance.
More information is online at penningtondance.com.
Pennington Dance director Nancy Warner leads students and audience members in a performance at Pennington Day.,
