Academy of Dance-Jane Taylor

I grew up dancing with Jane Taylor. I can honestly say that without Jane and her studio, I would have been lost.
Jane and her daughter Natalie are phenomenal teachers. Jane has been teaching for around 50 years, and Natalie has been dancing with her since she could put on ballet slippers. These women are loving, caring, and trustworthy.
I remember having a wonderful time as a very young child taking ballet and tap. Jane’s top students usually teach the younger students, but Jane is always around if a parent were to have a concern. When I was about 16, I began teaching for Jane, or Miss Jane as everyone calls her. This tradition of prefixing everyone’s name with «Miss» or «Mister» dates back centuries in the ballet world. However, I feel that it is also a truly non-​invasive way of establishing authority and mutual respect. As a teacher I was «Miss Betsy,» but I also called my students «Miss so and so» or «Mister so and so.»
Older children and teenagers are allowed to audition to join one of Jane’s Dance Companies. These are groups of students who work on tap and jazz routines to take to competitions in the spring. This is more expensive than being a standard student because competitions have fees, and the costumes are extravagant. However, I think that these competitions really raised my self-​confidence. Each competition was an opportunity to perform, not to win.
Imagine these competitions as Little MIss Sunshine. There are some girls who are dressed way too sexually, and whose mothers or fathers are unhealthily obsessed. Jane made sure we were never those girls. Our costumes were always modest, and we only went to 3 or 4 competitions each year, so it wasn’t about acquiring stacks of metals.
Jane also has a «performing company.» These are a group of the older students who work together on ballet pieces. This group sometimes goes to one competition, but it is not required. Jane’s true love is ballet, and so this is a really wonderful group to join.
I was also a soloist. Jane and Natalie spent uncountable hours working with me on my solo dances. This brought me incredibly close to both of them. What wonderful women.
I don’t know how to fit any more good things into a simple review. If you’re looking for a good teacher in the Austin area, please go to Jane Taylor. There are other, newer options, but I promise, Jane’s studio is 10 times better than any other studio in the area.