Broadway Dance Center
Encyclopedia
Broadway Dance Center, located in the heart of Times Square
in New York City
, was founded in 1984 a "drop-in" dance training schools in the world, offering over 200 classes a week in Jazz
, Tap
, Ballet
, Hip Hop
, Theater and more. Dancers and performers such as Bette Middler, Brooke Shields
, Britney Spears
, Madonna
, *NSYNC, Jason Samuels Smith
, Almamy and Elizabeth Berkley
have taken class or rehearsed at the school and many Broadway performers take class there daily.
, Bob Fosse
and Jerome Robbins
were creating brilliance on stage, while teachers like Luigi, Jamie Rogers, Henry LeTang
, Phil Black, David Howard and Frank Hatchett were preparing dancers to become the versatile and technical performers needed for these great choreographers.
In another part of the city, long time NYC resident Richard Ellner, took his first tap class at 52 years of age. He was a great fan of Broadway musicals, such as Dancin', Sophisticated Ladies
, The Tap Dance Kid
and Cats
. He was a business executive who fueled his love of the arts by taking jazz and tap classes. His desire to expand his own training led him to the legendary jazz teacher, Frank Hatchett. Richard took his first jazz class at Hines-Hatchett, a jazz and tap studio in mid-town Manhattan co-owned by Mr. Hatchett and Maurice Hines
.
In the ‘80s Hines-Hatchett was like many small studios throughout the city. Studio owners had the demanding dual role of teaching while administrating their schools. As rents rose dramatically, the task of keeping their studios open became virtually impossible.
In 1984, Mr. Ellner assumed ownership of Hines-Hatchett, re-named it Broadway Dance Center and set off to create a studio that would provide a new home for teachers and dancers. Each instructor was encouraged to contribute his or her personal style and expertise. Students enjoyed the convenience of frequenting one studio for diversified training rather than traveling throughout the city.
In the early years, renowned teachers joined BDC’s faculty and solidified the studio’s standing in the dance community. A strong word of mouth brought students from around the globe. Mr. Ellner wished to share the joy of dance class with everyone, not only professionals. He knew recreational dancers and professionals would come together beautifully in their mutual love of dance.
Over the next fifteen years, the studio grew and flourished under Richard’s leadership. His daughter Allison came on board and together they formed a strong partnership. In 1998, the property the studio rented was sold to make way for a high-rise/office building. Being uprooted and forced to relocate, the studio faced a challenging and disappointing time. It proved overwhelming for Richard, who died just 3 weeks after the move to 57th street at the age of 69 of a heart attack.
The responsibility of securing the studio’s future fell on Allison’s shoulders. She felt determined to honor the legacy that her beloved father left behind and move the business into the next millennium. After seven successfully years at 57th Street, BDC was again faced with the dilemma of being forced to relocate in 2006. After a short interim period and with insurmountable support from the dance community, faculty and staff, BDC was able to rebuild its current state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Times Square.
Currently Studio Director Diane King maintains the integrity and generosity the studio is known for within the dance community.
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, was founded in 1984 a "drop-in" dance training schools in the world, offering over 200 classes a week in Jazz
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
, Tap
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
, Ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, Hip Hop
Hip hop dance
Hip-hop dance refers to dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles notably breaking, locking, and popping which were created in the 1970s by African Americans and made popular by breaking, locking, and...
, Theater and more. Dancers and performers such as Bette Middler, Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, *NSYNC, Jason Samuels Smith
Jason Samuels Smith
Jason Samuels Smith is an American tap dance performer, choreographer, and director.-Biography:Jason Samuels Smith, a native New Yorker, was born on October 4, 1980 to professional performing arts parents Sue Samuels and JoJo Smith...
, Almamy and Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley
Elizabeth Berkley is an American television, film, and theatre actress. Berkley's most notable roles were in the television series Saved by the Bell, as brainy feminist Jessie Spano, and the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film Showgirls, as exotic dancer Nomi Malone.-Early life:Berkley was born and raised...
have taken class or rehearsed at the school and many Broadway performers take class there daily.
History
Broadway Dance Center’s history is best understood by going back in time to New York City in the early 1980s. Aspiring dancers primarily came to NYC to vie for the chance to dance on a Broadway stage. That was the dream then, long before videos and pop stars. Choreographers like Michael BennettMichael Bennett
Michael Bennett was an American musical theater director, writer, choreographer, and dancer. He won seven Tony Awards for his choreography and direction of Broadway shows and was nominated for an additional eleven....
, Bob Fosse
Bob Fosse
Robert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction...
and Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
were creating brilliance on stage, while teachers like Luigi, Jamie Rogers, Henry LeTang
Henry LeTang
Henry LeTang was an American theatre,film, and television choreographer and a dance instructor.-Biography:Born in the Harlem neighbourhood of Manhattan, LeTang was the second son of Clarence, born in Dominica, and his wife Marie, who emigrated from St. Croix. The couple owned and operated a radio...
, Phil Black, David Howard and Frank Hatchett were preparing dancers to become the versatile and technical performers needed for these great choreographers.
In another part of the city, long time NYC resident Richard Ellner, took his first tap class at 52 years of age. He was a great fan of Broadway musicals, such as Dancin', Sophisticated Ladies
Sophisticated Ladies
Sophisticated Ladies is a musical revue based on the music of Duke Ellington.After fifteen previews, the Broadway production, conceived by Donald McKayle, directed by Michael Smuin, and choreographed by McKayle, Smuin, Henry LeTang, Bruce Heath, and Mercedes Ellington, opened on March 1, 1981 at...
, The Tap Dance Kid
The Tap Dance Kid
The Tap Dance Kid is a musical based on the novel Nobody's Family is Going to Change by Louise Fitzhugh. It was written by Charles Blackwell with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics by Robert Lorick.-Productions:...
and Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
. He was a business executive who fueled his love of the arts by taking jazz and tap classes. His desire to expand his own training led him to the legendary jazz teacher, Frank Hatchett. Richard took his first jazz class at Hines-Hatchett, a jazz and tap studio in mid-town Manhattan co-owned by Mr. Hatchett and Maurice Hines
Maurice Hines
Maurice Hines is an American actor, director, jazz singer and choreographer.Born in New York City, Hines began his career at the age of five, studying tap dance at the Henry LeTang Dance Studio in Manhattan. LeTang recognized his talent and began choreographing numbers specifically for him and his...
.
In the ‘80s Hines-Hatchett was like many small studios throughout the city. Studio owners had the demanding dual role of teaching while administrating their schools. As rents rose dramatically, the task of keeping their studios open became virtually impossible.
In 1984, Mr. Ellner assumed ownership of Hines-Hatchett, re-named it Broadway Dance Center and set off to create a studio that would provide a new home for teachers and dancers. Each instructor was encouraged to contribute his or her personal style and expertise. Students enjoyed the convenience of frequenting one studio for diversified training rather than traveling throughout the city.
In the early years, renowned teachers joined BDC’s faculty and solidified the studio’s standing in the dance community. A strong word of mouth brought students from around the globe. Mr. Ellner wished to share the joy of dance class with everyone, not only professionals. He knew recreational dancers and professionals would come together beautifully in their mutual love of dance.
Over the next fifteen years, the studio grew and flourished under Richard’s leadership. His daughter Allison came on board and together they formed a strong partnership. In 1998, the property the studio rented was sold to make way for a high-rise/office building. Being uprooted and forced to relocate, the studio faced a challenging and disappointing time. It proved overwhelming for Richard, who died just 3 weeks after the move to 57th street at the age of 69 of a heart attack.
The responsibility of securing the studio’s future fell on Allison’s shoulders. She felt determined to honor the legacy that her beloved father left behind and move the business into the next millennium. After seven successfully years at 57th Street, BDC was again faced with the dilemma of being forced to relocate in 2006. After a short interim period and with insurmountable support from the dance community, faculty and staff, BDC was able to rebuild its current state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Times Square.
Currently Studio Director Diane King maintains the integrity and generosity the studio is known for within the dance community.