Laura and her daughter, Leila, co-direct the studio’s tap and jazz
competition teams. An all-boys hip-hop class is a popular program
at the studio that has inspired students to dance on competitive
teams in high school and college.
Former student Tori Evans danced in college, got an agent, and
went on to perform in a national tour of Barbie LIVE! She has also
been featured in Reebok advertising, and dreams of dancing at the
Academy Awards some day.
“I danced with Lana for fifteen years and I’m excited to have a
dance career today,” Evans said. “Lana taught me how to be a pro-
fessional, to know the choreography, and always show up on time
ready to perform.”
Danielle Gribus, one of Lana’s long-time students, is not only
an award-winning competition dancer, but in 2013 she launched
a charitable effort, Gifting Dance, to provide free dance lessons to
underprivileged Morgan Hill girls and boys.
Lana’s Dance Studio will stage its annual performance of the
Nutcracker at Gavilan College, December 7th and 8th.
Studio Three Dance
tori evans
lana’s dance studio
Lana’s Dance Studio
Lana Wright founded Lana’s Dance Studio in 1979, a lifelong
dream that followed a successful early career as a dancer and cho-
reographer. Today, she operates two studios, in Morgan Hill and
Gilroy, offering ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop and lyrical dance. Her
dancers brought home multiple awards from this year’s national
championship competition in Anaheim; which must be a tradition,
because her studio is filled with big, shiny championship trophies.
“We have a lot of second and third generation families who are
part of our studio,” Wright said. “Some grew up in the studio and
returned as adult dancers, or instructors, or with young children of
their own who want to dance. There’s an amazing amount of talent
and passion for dance in our community, which is what inspires us
every day.”
Each dance season concludes with a performance at the San Jose
Center for Performing Arts so dance families can enjoy watching
their students while the students get the experience of performing
on a big stage.
Some of Wright’s students have gone on to dance with Disney,
the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes or have danced with teams
including the Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco 49ers.
“Dance has evolved. Parents bring their children here because
they know we are always on top of our game. Every student is dif-
ferent. Some are tough, some sensitive. Our teachers focus on posi-
tive reinforcement. They know how to impart good technique and
are good role models as well.
“Our competitive dancers learn how to warm up properly, and
they do cross-training which helps them to have body alignment,
overall fitness and avoid injury.”
16
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
Now in its 13th season, Studio Three Dance offers students the
opportunity to learn dance in an inviting, non-competitive environ-
ment with great personal attention. The studio’s Artistic Director
and owner Traci Dalke is a third-generation dancer in her own fam-
ily and a former professional dancer who has been teaching children
and adults since 1989. Dalke’s dance background is classical ballet
and Broadway tap and jazz, and she brings that classical approach
to her studio.
“There is
a recreational,
social aspect of
dance,” Dalke
said, “and an
aspirational,
artistic one. We
serve to both.
I take a whole-
child approach.
Getting to know
who the students
are, in and out-
side the studio,
and putting
myself in the par-
ents’ shoes, helps
maddie dalke
me to personalize
studio three dance
the teaching.
“Some kids
are kinesthetic learners, and dance is a very natural means of self-
expression. We want to tap into that through dance, to help them
grow.”
Studio Three Dance programs are geared to recreation, compe-
tition and professional levels, with classes in tap, jazz, ballet, jazz
funk/hip-hop and lyrical. Students as young as three years old can
kick off their dance experience with a introductory class combining
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
gmhtoday.com