West Concord Dance Academy

West Concord Dance Academy (WCDA) is a children's dance school at 20 Beharrell Street in Concord, Massachusetts, and says it has been inspiring dancers for 45 years. It describes itself as a word-of-mouth school that emphasises family and community, with a stated philosophy of building self-expression, self-confidence and poise through motivation, encouragement and kindness rather than pressure. Classes are grouped tightly by age: Preschool (3-4), Children's Combo (5-6), Tri-Combo (6.5-7.5), Junior (8-9), Tween (10-11), Teen (12-13) and Advanced Teen (14+), with a separate Company Program for more committed dancers. Subjects include ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical/contemporary and leaps-and-turns technique. Free pop-up trial classes are advertised during registration periods, and the year ends with a recital. Staff are certified through Dance Masters of America and the Dance Teachers' Club of Boston, and the studio has been named a Boston Parents Paper Family Favorite and a Wicked Local Readers' Choice winner.