Pinewood School of Dance

Pinewood School of Dance has operated at 115 Old Route 52 in Stormville, New York since 1976, serving families across Dutchess and Putnam Counties. Its curriculum covers ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern and hip hop, with every subject offered at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Pre-school students take a one-hour combination class of ballet, tap and tumbling; ages 5-7 take either ballet or a tap/jazz combination; and students from age 8 through adult take hour-long classes in ballet, tap, jazz, modern or hip hop, with advanced ballet students taking a longer class that includes pointe work. Dancers are not put on pointe before age 10 and three years of ballet training. Placement is by training, age, ability and effort rather than by group promotion, and attendance rules govern eligibility for the June recital. The school also runs a dance company that performs at regional competitions and stages an annual Nutcracker.