Dance Academy of Virginia

"What I appreciate about DAV is their investment in building strong dancers. My 10 yr old daughter has finished her second year as an Academy dancer and has taken classes in jazz, contemporary and ballet. She has such an amazing group of supportive friends through the studio and teachers who aren’t critical or harsh. Dancing has helped my daughter overcome anxiety and the staff at DAV have been supportive and sensitive to her needs and I really appreciate that. I also have a 5 year old who takes ballet and adores her teacher Ms. Sarah Beth, who also happens to be a fantastic choreographer!"

"My daughter was apprehensive in starting ballet at 11 yo but has loved every minute of it at DAV and was so proud of all that she learned and her performance! She is definitely coming back next season! We have been extremely pleased with the quality of instruction which is combined with a fun and encouraging approach to dancing. We appreciate how responsive the staff is and the leadership of the studio is very organized and professional. We can't say enough great things about it!!"

"We have been extremely pleased with our experience at DAV in McLean. The quality of instruction is combined with a fun and healthy approach to dancing. The studio has been a bright spot for us and the community this year. We appreciate the care they have taken to enable classes to continue during the pandemic. The staff go out of their way to be responsive and everyone has been so welcoming at the studio. The leadership of the studio is very organized and professional. We can't say enough great things about it!!"

"My daughters took some classes over the summer and loved them! It was nice for them to attend a live class again after being on zoom for some many months. The classes were very small and the kids were 6 feet apart, and students/teachers wore masks. I've signed them up for classes for the upcoming year and will supplement with private classes to advance their technique since half of last year was a wash at their old studio. The feedback they receive has been very helpful and constructive since all the teachers have been professional dancers."

"I am a mom of three Dance Academy of Virginia dancers. One of my daughters dances every day(!) at DAV, including ballet, jazz, modern, tap, lyrical, hip hop, and pointe. Beyond the intensive Academy training, she loves the deep dance friendships. My second daughter takes Youth Jazz and Hip Hop (and is excited about the TikTok class!), and Academy Tap. She is looking forward to local dance competitions in DC (an optional addition) to build performance experience. My third daughter takes Kinder Jazz, Youth ballet twice a week (gearing up for Academy when she is older), and follows in her bigger sisters’ footsteps with Tap, too. I appreciate the support of dance professionals who encourage a healthy body image, safe dance practice and approach to prevent injuries, and deliver high quality training in each genre. I also highly recommend the Adult classes. Mr. Arturo’s Saturday Ballet Barre class is 45 minutes of cardio, dance, and strength training with ballet and contemporary movements, typically in small movements and high reps. Ms. D’s Tap classes are amazing for your energy. Both are fantastic instructors for both kids and adults, making every class movement and exercise, but also learning and fun! Katherine Horrigan, DAV’s founder, was instrumental with building Adagio’s quality dance program. She practices conservative measures with respect to Covid-19 provisions, enabling small group "pods,” tech set up for virtual classes, marking floors with boxes to keep students spread 6 feet apart, teachers and students wearing masks, cleaning between classes, temperature taking, and ventilating the classroom with direct outdoor access, etc. My hope is that this is a place where we will be at home for many years to come!"