By Emily Etheredge
Studio owner and dance director Brittany Thomas hopes to instill a love for dance in every girl she teaches.
“I love being able to watch little girls get on the stage at the end of the year and perform for their families and friends,” Thomas, 28, said. “A lot of times these girls are very shy when they start classes and it is such a joy to watch them grow as dancers throughout the year.”
Thomas has been working for about seven months on a certification through Dance Educators of America for her studio, Chilton Dance and Twirl in Thorsby.
Although the process for the certification will more than likely take seven years to complete, Thomas is dedicated to making sure her studio stands out among the rest for teaching proper training.
Once completed, Chilton Dance and Twirl will be the first studio in Chilton County to be certified with the Dance Educators of America, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of teaching abilities to further improve the art of dance in all of its forms.
Originally from Chilton County, Thomas took from studios in Shelby County due to her parents wanting her to receive structured dance training.
“I remember driving to dance and being picked up late at night by my parents because they wanted me to receive good training,” Thomas said.
Although Thomas did not dance on the collegiate level, she started teaching dance at the studio she grew up taking from and quickly decided to open a studio in her hometown of Chilton County.
With the collaboration of friend Julie Bentley, the two opened Chilton Dance and Twirl along Highway 31 in downtown Thorsby in January 2011.
A family member of Bentley’s owns the building that used to be an old post office many years ago.
“It is kind of crazy but my mom used to be the old postmaster in Thorsby so this building has a lot of history,” Thomas said. “It definitely had to have a lot of touching up before we could open the studio.”
Now, with roughly 98 students enrolled for a mixture of classes including cheer, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and baton, Thomas will take on running the studio solo this year due to Bentley taking time off to raise a family.
“This year it will just be me with the help of dance instructors but we are excited about all of the different things happening at the studio,” Thomas said. “I want to be able to get this certification so it will help the girls who take at my studio perform on the collegiate level and know that wherever they may go from here they will be properly trained.”
After learning that a few states in the country do not require a certification for dance instructors, Alabama included, Thomas decided to take the proper steps to be certified.
Thomas said although her studio is very structured and a disciplined program, she tries to keep the atmosphere fun and exciting.
“In my younger classes, I incorporate games when they are learning basic skills to keep things interesting,” Thomas said. “My older classes love any performance opportunity they can get. Plus all little girls love getting to dress up in costumes.”
Chilton Dance and Twirl dancers have performed at different events throughout Chilton County including the Peach Jam, Swedish Festival, Clanton Christmas Tree Lighting and an end of the year performance in May.
“I have high expectations for my girls,” Thomas said. “I want them to work hard but also have fun while doing it. Everyone who takes here knows they will be pushed to rise to the challenge but they will be better for doing so. We have fun but we work hard.”
For more information about Chilton Dance and Twirl, contact Thomas at (205) 253-0246 or visit www.chiltondanceandtwirl.com.