About Us
Through our halls ring the sounds of expression and art through the movement of bodies...
We are dancers!
ARK CITY DANCE offers classes in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Hip Hop and Tumbling.
Our range of recreational and competitive dance classes cater for ages 3 to adult, from beginners to advanced.
Ark City Dance has been in business for over 35 years. In 2004 we moved to our new facility, located in the heart of downtown Ark City.
Our facility offers two large dance rooms and a dressing room which is also used for a student lounge and study area.
Our
mission is to offer professional dance training in all disciplines of dance. We
strive to expose young aspiring dancers to opportunities that will enhance
their dance knowledge and training. We will work as mentors to dancers
and give them ample opportunities to perform as an art form. We will
nurture dancers in a positive structured environment.
Our Instructors
TERRI SCHROEDER
Director / Instructor
TERRI SCHROEDER
Director / Instructor
Born and raised in Arkansas City, Terri planted her roots and stayed to make a lasting impression in Cowley County. She began performing at a young age, under instructor Billie Gregg and then on to Sheryl Reinking.
With their coaching and her determination she went on to earn consecutive titles of "Little Miss Kansas" and "Junior Miss Kansas", also being named as a top 10 finalist in the Junior Miss America Pageant. She was a well known twirler with the United States Twirling Association, being named to the "Who's Who Among the United States Twirlers Association.”
After graduation from Arkansas City High School, she decided to continue sharing her passion for twirling and dancing and opened "Weston's School of Dance" Later she was granted the opportunity to collaborate with Susan Speer, Ark City, in the opening of "The Entertainer's Dance Academy" After taking only a few years off , Terri re-emerged onto the dance scene with her own studio "Ark City Dance"
After many years of touching people’s lives, the opportunity of a lifetime came about. In 2004, her life long dream was achieved when Terri and her husband Jeff opened the doors to the brand new facility of Ark City Dance in downtown Ark City.
Terri is not only the Owner/Director of Ark City Dance, but takes an active role in the community. She has contributed year after year to the Arkalalah Festival in Ark City, being the Chairperson for the Queen Alalah Coronation. She also collaborated with Beta Sigma Phi in developing the Miss Ark City Pageant and is currently the Executive Director of the Miss Walnut Valley Pageant, which is affiliated with the Miss Kansas and Miss America Organizations. She has also donated countless hours to choreographing for local choir and show groups.
Her dancers have performed for many local groups and events. In November, 2005 and 2009, Ark City Dance was represented by over 15 dancers in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Terri has a unique yet successful approach to teaching dance. She advocates discipline and respect, while also making it her top priority to create a fun and comfortable atmosphere, where children will learn and grow, walking away with nothing less than knowing what it means to have passion.
JENNIFER BLATCHFORD
Instructor / Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop
Jennifer was born and raised in Arkansas City. She has followed gracefully in her mother's footsteps, spending much of her youth dancing and competing. A 1995 graduate of Arkansas City High School, she decided to stay close to home and took a dance scholarship to Cowley County Community College, where she danced under the direction of Lana Sleeper. She soon determined that dance was the life she wanted to live and began teaching beside her mother, Terri Schroeder.
Jennifer teaches dance classes at Cowley County Community College and choreographs for the College Musicals and the Cowley County Singers.
She keeps up on all the latest and greatest steps and techniques by attending dance workshops and being instructed by some of the most well known and talented dancers of all time, such as Gregg Russell, Frank Hatchett, Robbie Mackey, Sarah Jo Fazio, Kenneth Green, Gil Stroming, Mike Minery, and Dan Karaty, to name a few.
She has been a driving force in the creation of the Ark City Dance Company (ACDC) and has not only lead her students to National Titles, but she has been awarded National and Regional Choreography Awards.
YASMIN WOOD
Instructor / Ballet
Yazmin has studied multiple dance disciplines beginning at age 4-ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics, modern, improvisation (which included conventions/workshops/master classes). She was a scholarship student at age 14 with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, recruited as an incoming freshman with scholarship/work-study at Cornish College of Arts, Seattle, WA and employed to perform with Cornish Dance Theatre, 1980-1984: BFA in Dance 1984, received the Monticello Award for Emerging Choreographers in 1986 from the Pacific Regional Ballet Association, and performed with the Jean Ann Ryan Production (Ft Lauderdale/Miami FL) - cruise ship 1985- 1986, just to mention a few of her accomplishments.
Yazmin has had the opportunity to work with many great people and touched many lives. Two notable students are still working in dance, One, Laura Schutter is with Mary Poppins on Broadway (NY NY) the other is Stacy Lowenberg who is with Pacific Northwest Ballet.
She brings 30 years of teaching experience with her and we are so excited and honored that she is on staff at Ark City Dance.
With their coaching and her determination she went on to earn consecutive titles of "Little Miss Kansas" and "Junior Miss Kansas", also being named as a top 10 finalist in the Junior Miss America Pageant. She was a well known twirler with the United States Twirling Association, being named to the "Who's Who Among the United States Twirlers Association.”
After graduation from Arkansas City High School, she decided to continue sharing her passion for twirling and dancing and opened "Weston's School of Dance" Later she was granted the opportunity to collaborate with Susan Speer, Ark City, in the opening of "The Entertainer's Dance Academy" After taking only a few years off , Terri re-emerged onto the dance scene with her own studio "Ark City Dance"
After many years of touching people’s lives, the opportunity of a lifetime came about. In 2004, her life long dream was achieved when Terri and her husband Jeff opened the doors to the brand new facility of Ark City Dance in downtown Ark City.
Terri is not only the Owner/Director of Ark City Dance, but takes an active role in the community. She has contributed year after year to the Arkalalah Festival in Ark City, being the Chairperson for the Queen Alalah Coronation. She also collaborated with Beta Sigma Phi in developing the Miss Ark City Pageant and is currently the Executive Director of the Miss Walnut Valley Pageant, which is affiliated with the Miss Kansas and Miss America Organizations. She has also donated countless hours to choreographing for local choir and show groups.
Her dancers have performed for many local groups and events. In November, 2005 and 2009, Ark City Dance was represented by over 15 dancers in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Terri has a unique yet successful approach to teaching dance. She advocates discipline and respect, while also making it her top priority to create a fun and comfortable atmosphere, where children will learn and grow, walking away with nothing less than knowing what it means to have passion.
JENNIFER BLATCHFORD
Instructor / Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop
Jennifer was born and raised in Arkansas City. She has followed gracefully in her mother's footsteps, spending much of her youth dancing and competing. A 1995 graduate of Arkansas City High School, she decided to stay close to home and took a dance scholarship to Cowley County Community College, where she danced under the direction of Lana Sleeper. She soon determined that dance was the life she wanted to live and began teaching beside her mother, Terri Schroeder.
Jennifer teaches dance classes at Cowley County Community College and choreographs for the College Musicals and the Cowley County Singers.
She keeps up on all the latest and greatest steps and techniques by attending dance workshops and being instructed by some of the most well known and talented dancers of all time, such as Gregg Russell, Frank Hatchett, Robbie Mackey, Sarah Jo Fazio, Kenneth Green, Gil Stroming, Mike Minery, and Dan Karaty, to name a few.
She has been a driving force in the creation of the Ark City Dance Company (ACDC) and has not only lead her students to National Titles, but she has been awarded National and Regional Choreography Awards.
YASMIN WOOD
Instructor / Ballet
Yazmin has studied multiple dance disciplines beginning at age 4-ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics, modern, improvisation (which included conventions/workshops/master classes). She was a scholarship student at age 14 with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, recruited as an incoming freshman with scholarship/work-study at Cornish College of Arts, Seattle, WA and employed to perform with Cornish Dance Theatre, 1980-1984: BFA in Dance 1984, received the Monticello Award for Emerging Choreographers in 1986 from the Pacific Regional Ballet Association, and performed with the Jean Ann Ryan Production (Ft Lauderdale/Miami FL) - cruise ship 1985- 1986, just to mention a few of her accomplishments.
Yazmin has had the opportunity to work with many great people and touched many lives. Two notable students are still working in dance, One, Laura Schutter is with Mary Poppins on Broadway (NY NY) the other is Stacy Lowenberg who is with Pacific Northwest Ballet.
She brings 30 years of teaching experience with her and we are so excited and honored that she is on staff at Ark City Dance.