Philosophy
Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama offers dance and theater classes, camps, and customized parties. In all activities the desire to learn, have fun, and develop techniques are emphasized. Through this unique approach students will develop self-esteem, poise, discipline, and teamwork skills, while reaching their individual potential. All of our classes are designed to improve student's abilities through positive reinforcement and self-actualization. The confidence that children will gain from study, experience, and encouragement carry over into every other facet of life.

History
In February 2002 Miss Kelly, and her husband, Bryan Jones, opened Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama at 1132 Storrs Road, aiming to create an affordable community studio. Kelly and Bryan, along with the help of Michelle Pierce and several other volunteers in the community, spent countless hours redesigning the former real-estate office into a warm, intimate, dance environment. During the summer of 2005 the studio was renovated, creating a larger and more versatile dance space. An additional twenty feet of mirrors and over 100 square feet of dance space were added.

The School
Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama is a year-round instruction based studio, offering three traditional ten-week sessions, and a summer session. Our teachers are trained to teach dance in a positive manner, creating a welcoming environment. In addition to classes and summer camps, the studio offers birthday parties year round.

**Kelly and Bryan want to help preserve the environment for all of our future dancers. We have started to switch from paper to electronic receipts and confirmations. We are also now accepting electronic registrations. All paper that Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama uses for marketing purposes is printing on recycled paper. We have recently added recycling containers in the studio.

Spring Show Each year the studio stages a Spring Showcase. Students practice for the showcase during the Spring Session. Every child should be able to experience the fun and excitement of performance. Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama has created a costume gallery from which costumes and accessories are selected each year. Additionally, parents are provided free tickets to one of our performances. Currently a small show fee is charged to participate in the showcase. This fee helps defray costs associated with costume additions, facility rental fees, and teacher overtime. However, our goal is to eliminate the show fee completely. We will begin decreasing this fee in 2007, and gradually decrease the fee each year.

We have performed our shows at Windham and Mansfield Middle Schools, and the 2007 showcase is tentatively scheduled to be performed at E.O. Smith High School.

Financial Aid
Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama does not currently receive funding to offer financial aid. However, we will not deny children the dance experience due to financial constraints. If you would like your child to attend dance classes and you are currently struggling to make ends meet, PLEASE let us know. We will happily arrange a payment plan, or reduce/eliminate class fees in order to be certain every child has the opportunity to dance. Financial assistance is given on a case-by-case basis. Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama has future plans to develop a financial aid program that will be available to anyone in need of financial assistance.

Make-up Class Policy
If a class is cancelled due to inclement weather (check website or call studio), there will be a scheduled make-up class. If a student misses class due to illness or any other reason, they may make up the class during any other comparable section. For example, if a pre-level student misses a class, they may attend any other pre-level class as a make-up. If you have questions as to which class is comparable for your child, please ask your teacher, or ask at the front desk.

Attire
All students should have their hair pulled off the face and should have proper footwear. Tap & Jazz Classes: Dark colored dance pants and a leotard or a tight fitting camisole or tee-shirt. Baggy clothes and jeans should not be worn. Hip-Hop Classes: Wind pants or baggy jogging pants, dance sneakers, and a camisole or tee-shirt. Ballet Classes: Hair in a ponytail, French braid, or bun, pink tights, pink shoes, and should have the following leotard colors: Ballet I: Solid colored leotard (any color) Ballet II: Solid colored pink leotard Ballet III: Solid colored purple leotard Ballet IV: Solid colored blue leotard Ballet V: Solid colored black leotard Sheer skirts or ballet shorts may be work in any level, but they must be above the knee. Boys should wear dark stretchy pants, and a fitted white tee or tank. Students in Pre-Classes should wear dance clothes that they find comfortable. Proper footwear is recommended. For the Pre-Jazz portion of Pre-Jazz/Pre-Tap, ballet slippers are adequate.

Consignment Items:
Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama encourages people to .recycle. old shoes and clothing by donating them for consignment. All shoes are sold for $8 and all leotards and skirts are sold for $10. Anything not appropriate for resale will be donated to the Salvation Army. All money from these sales will be used to help purchase new items for our costume fund. Thanks to all who have donated their old items!

Founder
Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama was founded in 2002 by Kelly Anne Zimmermann. Miss Kelly has trained in classical ballet since she was four years old. Miss Kelly began teaching in Mansfield in 1998 for Mansfield Parks & Recreation. In addition to teaching classes she has also directed and choreographed all seven Mansfield Parks & Recreation Annual Nutcracker Performances, six summer theater plays, and four Spring Showcases at the studio. Miss Kelly has studied with several pre-professional/professional studios including branches of the American Ballet Theater, The Boston Ballet, and The Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet.


Miss Amy
Miss Amy Fell in love with ballet watching Princeton Ballet's first Nutcracker in 1964. She studied with stars of Radio City Music Hall's resident ballet company at the French Ballet School and then with soloists & principals of ABT, NYCB, The Joffrey, The Royal Ballet, The Kirov Ballet, etc. first at New Jersey Ballet, then as a dance major at SUNY Purchase, and later at schools in Manhattan, Philadelphia, Chicago and Hartford, such as David Howard's, New York Conservatory, Steps, The Shirley Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, Ruth Page Foundation. She is delighted to work with today's young dancers.

Miss Becky
Miss Becky began teaching for Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama in the Summer of 2002. Becky trained in Ellington and was a member of the Rockville High School Dance Team. Miss Becky has continued her training through workshops around the area. In Becky's five years with the studio, she has choreographed jazz & tap dances for the Spring Showcases. Miss Becky helped to found the E.O. Smith Dance Team in 2002, and has been the head coach and choreographer for the last four years. Miss Becky's love of dance, teaching, and choreography is evident to all who watch her teach and perform.

Miss Rhiannon
Miss Rhiannon has been teaching at Miss Kelly's Dance & Drama since 2005. Rhiannon began competing at the age of 12 by going to the Dance Excellence clinic and competition in Los Angeles, CA and performed at Disneyland. In addition to performing in various competitions around New England, including Boston, Manchester, and Portland, Rhiannon's dance group performed in Disney World when she was 17. Annually, Rhiannon participates in the Maine Dance Teacher Clinics where teachers from around the United States come to teach. She has attended the Rockette Experience in NYC, and while attending Arizona State University she took ballet classes and was on the ASU Hip hop team. Currently, Rhiannon is a member of the Uconn Kickline Team, and will this year, she will help coach the E.O. Smith Dance Team.

Miss Michelle
Michelle began classes at the age of three at the Lebanon School of Dance. She has had dance training in ballet, modern, jazz/hip hop, and tap. For several years now she has been taking classes at Miss Kelly's, and began substite teaching and teacher training in 2005. During her four years at E.O. Smith High School, she participated in the dance team and was the captain for two years. Michelle is currently a student at the University of Connecticut and is looking forward to teaching the Jazz I and II and Jazz and Hip Hop II classes!

Miss Natalia
Natalia began taking dance lessons at the age of 10 and has been at Miss Kelly's since 2004. She has had dance training in jazz/hiphop, lyrical and tap. Natalia has been on the dance team at Manchester High and E.O. Smith all four years. She also volunteered to teach the Willington Rec Dance Team in 2006 as part of her senior project. Natalia is currently attending the University of Connecticut and will be teaching pre-jazz/pre-tap classes in the fall.