Dance Center

Dance Center, at 925 W. Price Rd. in Brownsville, Texas, has served students of all ages and levels in the lower Rio Grande Valley since 2004. It was founded by Nancy Houston Filizola with a focus on technique, tradition and the love of dance, and takes both recreational students and those aiming at professional careers. Combo classes for ages 3-7 introduce basic movement, posture, musicality and studio discipline. From age 7 up, the Developmental Dance Program requires ballet as the technical base and adds Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, Bellydance and Acro, with all dancers invited into the end-of-year showcase. Ballet is the core of the curriculum, required of all students aged 3-13 and taught by instructors certified in the ABT National Training Curriculum; students may enter American Academy of Ballet Performance Awards and dance in an annual Storybook Ballet production each May. There are competitive dance companies and a summer ballet intensive for ages 8 and up with guest instructors.