Miami Dance Collective

If you just ‘gotta dance’ then you should know about Miami Dance Collective, a world-class dance studio that just opened up in the SW corner of the Roasters ‘n Toasters shopping center on September 6th.

The owners, Marie Gaschler and Kristin Douthit Richards, have been teaching dance for years, and after teaching at the same studio together for a while, they felt the urge to start their own operation so they could take their careers and students to a new level. “This area of town needed us and we needed them. There’s very few options when it comes to dance, particularly ballet, and we wanted to provide the creative outlet,” explains Gaschler.

10-year old Taylor Moxey has been dancing since she was six. Proficient in contemporary, ballet, jazz and acro dance she remarks, “This new school is cool because it’s owned by my dance teacher and it’s helping me prepare for my competitions. I’m so happy for them!”
Miami Dance Collective has a highly respected Ballet Mistress in Irene Balague. She trained with the English National Ballet and oversees the entire ballet program, shapes the classes, how students are taught and how the shows are produced.

Marie Gaschler and Kristin Douthit Richards bring national recognition. They have won the New York City Dance Alliance Award and have several students winning National-level awards. One former student is dancing for the Alvin Ailey Company. Gaschler is an award-winning choreographer.

Kristin Douthit Richards explains, “We have all the right building blocks to take someone from a recreational dancer all the way to national recognition. We also can work with all ages to help them progress to even award-winning performance.” If that isn’t enough, the duo will be starting a Masters Series as well, with guest teachers being brought in on a monthly basis such as Matt Luck and Jen Freeman.

Over 60 people are currently enrolled in classes. The owners expect they’ll be well over 100 by Christmas. They’ll be adding two additional studios beginning in January, which will allow them to vastly expand their program of classes too. Miami Dance Collective plans on having morning dance classes for kids as young as two years old. They will also be adding adult ballet to the schedule.

The school operates via a school year and charges tuition based on the number of hours you want. You can take trial classes for a fee as well, as low as $20 for a 60-minute session.
Miami Dance Collective is located at 9549 S. Dixie Highway in Dadeland Plaza Shopping Center. You can register and find out more information at <miamidancecollective.com> or by calling 786-801-1669.