Elizabeth’s Dance Dimensions Interview with Elizabeth Lanning

PerformanceElizabeth’s Dance Dimensions (“EDD”) in Kirkland, Washington, is an award winning, leading dance training and enrichment facility that has been in the Pacific Northwest since 1992.Their program instills lessons that last a lifetime – lessons like body awareness, positive self esteem, cognitive learning, concentration and focus, awareness of and respect for others. Their classes are challenging to both the recreational and competitive dancer and are appropriate for both boys and girls. Their exclusive staff of dance educators brings an array of professionalism and original choreography to each class! Their classes include Tiny Tutus, Creative Tiny Tots and Kinderchild, Pre Pro Kids, Pro Kids, Ballet, Jazz, Adult Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Turns, Leaps, & Progression, and Hip Hop.

As Artistic Director of EDD, Elizabeth Lanning strives for excellence at all levels of dance education while highlighting safe and proper technique. She has created syllabi for use in EDD’s pre-school dance program through their Level 2 dance program, ensuring that there is continuity among the teachers. The curriculums for Level 3 and above are set up to accommodate both the competitive and recreational dancer. Elizabeth is a motivational, vivacious and caring teacher. She teaches all levels of dance while also stressing her specialty – Lyrical.

According to Elizabeth, their mission is to provide a comprehensive dance training facility with classes created to accommodate every level of interest from the recreational participant to the competitive dancer in pursuit of a professional career in the performing arts.

At EDD, they focus on dance as an education. They are a highly acclaimed competition studio that has developed a strong foundation of dance techniques, styles and guide their dancers to set realistic goals for the future.  Their emphasis is not on winning. They embrace the novice to the serious dancer.

EDD’s classes are challenging to both the recreational and competitive dancer and are appropriate for both boys and girls. Their exclusive staff of dance educators brings an array of professionalism and original choreography to each class! Their classes include Tiny Tutus, Creative Tiny Tots and Kinderchild, Pre Pro Kids, Pro Kids, Ballet, Jazz, Adult Jazz, Tap, Dance TeamAdult Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, Turns, Leaps, & Progression, and Hip Hop.

Elizabeth’s proudest moment while coaching is simply seeing a dancer succeed at a new skill and seeing their confidence soar.

Elizabeth believes the biggest mistakes she sees dancers make is when they take the competition scene too seriously by breaking down or losing their confidence based on an award. She strongly supports the “process” – the journey of learning, performing and embracing their own passion.  She believes these are life skills. Also, she believes that no one is defined by a “trophy.” Her dancers are college bound, smart and driven kids.  The “fix” comes through perseverance and tenacity.

Her goal for EDD this year is to increase their dancers’ vocabulary and artistry. Another goal for EDD is to strive for the recreational dancer to feel as confident as the competitive dancer and make all EDD families feel welcome and excited to see their special dancer shine all year long!

Elizabeth founded Elizabeth’s Dance Dimensions after a period of time when she had created and directed the former NBA basketball team Seattle Super Sonic Dancers.  While that was a thrilling part of her career, she missed the opportunity to create artistic choreography. After teaching for other dance studios, she decided it was time to open a studio of her own.  At that time, she thought that this would only be a part time profession. The studio took off and grew to be much more than she could ever imagine. In fact, that “part time profession” will celebrate its 23rd anniversary this May!

EDD is a special, exclusive studio. Many of the instructors grew up under Elizabeth’s instruction, were at one time or another one of her assistants and after getting the college education came back to EDD to share their talents.  They are unique.  EDD is a family community and the education of their students is the primary focus.  It truly is a place to prosper and grow.

MentorsEDD is the home of the Regionally and Nationally award-winning pre-professional youth performing company, “Mo-dazz”! Mo-dazz was established in 1989  by their creator and Director, Elizabeth Lanning who is also EDD’s Artistic Director. The company has received numerous regional and national accolades for outstanding choreography, technique and performances. Members of Mo-dazz are between the ages of 7 and 19 and must re-audition for the dance team each Spring. Mo-dazz is a supplemental outlet for the more serious dancer – an outlet that offers performance, competition and convention opportunities. Currently Mo-dazz is comprised of six different teams.

Dance for a Cure (“DFC”) is an annual event created to raise awareness of and support for the fight against Cancer.  Produced by Elizabeth Lanning and motivated by Tricia Johnson’s 10 year battle against Cancer, DFC is filled with performances by nationally recognized singers and dancers, including Mo-dazz dancers. Mo-dazz brings the stage to life with passion and powerful performances that will leave the audience inspired and full of hope. Also, EDD’S high energy and fun filled Adult Jazz class creates and focuses on one routine to be performed at Dance for a Cure. All of the net earnings from this remarkable event benefit the Pete Gross House (25%) and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (75%). In its ten years of existence, Dance for a Cure has raised close to half a million dollars for the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center and Pete Gross House.

EDD was selected by Dance Teacher Magazine and Dance Spirit as one of the country’s Top 50 competition studios and/or companies to be featured in this year’s Competition and Convention Yearbook!

If you would like more information about Elizabeth’s Dance Dimensions, visit their website at www.dancedm.com, call them at 425-947-7088 or email them at elizabethsdancedm@gmail.com. You can also “Like” them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and connect with them on  Google+.

Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Elizabeth Lanning of Elizabeth’s Dance Dimensions.

Cyndi Marziani