Precision Plus Dance Ensemble, located in Long Island City in Queens, New York is a dance 
company that thrives on fundraising and giving back to their New York City community through dance. They rehearse in a beautiful professional space called Spaceworks in LIC, and the company ranges in age from 9 years old to 20 years old. The company rehearses together, helps one another in learning choreography and supports one another through both defeat and success. Adrianne likes to think that Precision Plus Dance Ensemble is a loving little dance family, and she plans to keep it that way. Positivity breeds positivity.
Precision Plus Dance Ensemble’s Artistic Director is Adrianne Rodgers. Adrianne believes that she is very blessed to be able to say that she is a dancer, performer, choreographer and most importantly, a dance educator. Her life has always revolved around all things art – painting, writing, sewing, singing, acting, dancing, hula hooping! You name it and she wanted to try it and wanted to fully succeed in the process.
She started her dance training at age 3, was a competitive gymnast at 6 and a working actress by age 10. She continued to work in the industry through her 30’s, and was fortunate enough to have appeared in numerous national commercials, voice over campaigns, television spots, feature films, music videos, and prestigious professional dance performances.
In December, 2001, Adrianne graduated college on dance scholarship, with a BA in Dance from Hofstra University, In February, 2002, she moved into a tiny basement into a tiny basement apartment in Astoria Queens, and kept the momentum going – class, auditions, bookings, class, waitressing, class, auditions, bookings. She was also teaching, giving master classes, choreographing for numerous studios, as well as working with a nonprofit organization, teaching dance and speaking to high school girls about healthy relationships. She was always running from one job in Queens, to an after school program in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Then she would be teaching hip hop at The Boys and Girls Club of Parkchester, in the Bronx, and would immediately rush to teach at a recital studio in Long Island or Queens.
Precision Plus Dance Ensemble is not a dance studio, but a small company of promising young artists 
who are training to be professional actors, singers and dancers. The seven company members all want to perform and share their gifts in a professional setting one day. She is constantly preparing the ensemble for auditions, performances and how to conduct themselves in a professional setting.
Adrianne tells us that her proudest moment as a dance teacher was not really about dance. For the 15 years that she has been a dance educator, she has written greeting cards or notes to her students for holidays, birthdays or performances. She believes that this is a simple, yet encouraging gesture. Having been trained at a recital school where she was always hiding in the back, being overlooked and afraid of all of the “favorites,” she vowed to never play favorites and to forever encourage her students.
One holiday season, she wrote her usual cards for each student. She had one little dancer that worked super hard, but didn’t believe in herself as much as Adrianne did. Fast forward a few months later when this li’l munchkin had a swim meet. For the first time, the dancer had completed the race and felt so proud. When her mother came to congratulate her, she said, “Miss Adrianne helped me do it!” Puzzled because she was her dance teacher and not her swim coach, Adrianne questioned how she had helped the dancer. The dancer told her mom – and this still brings tears to Adrianne’s eyes – “In her Christmas card, Miss Adrianne told me to ‘Never Give Up!’ So, I didn’t!” That stays with Adrianne every time she enters the studio. Whether it be dance, swimming, or school work, this young lady will always remember to “Never Give Up!” Adrianne is so very proud to say that she had contributed to the dancer’s confidence and success.
The biggest mistake she sees dancers make has more to do with attitude than actual dance. According to Adrianne, dancers are constantly evolving, growing, falling down and getting back up. The words “I Can’t” are forbidden in Adrianne’s classroom. She and her assistant came up with the idea of an “Ooops Jar” that contains slips of paper that say, “I said I can’t because . . . ,” “I sat down today because . . . ,” “I’m having a rough day because . . . ,” “I need to dance today because . . . .” These slips of paper have cut down the “I can’t” moments as well as encourages them to dance through rough days as well as wonderful days.
According to Adrianne, this year has been so very exciting as they have been presented with a handful of incredible opportunities. On March 1, 2015, Precision Plus Dance Ensemble will be taking part in a Dancers Responding to AIDS fundraiser called “Stars of Tomorrow…Giving Back Today Invitational.” Precision Plus Dance Ensemble has also been fiscally sponsored by DFA, Dance Films Association, to make a dance film documenting their journey that will debut at Lincoln Center in 2016.
Throughout her career, Adrianne has taught and choreographed for countless recital and competition studios. She was always being asked when she would open her own studio but that was never where she saw her future headed. Having worked professionally since age 10, she was aware that there was something greater than combo classes and an annual recital. She is not saying that she does not respect or encourage that, but it just wasn’t for her.
On June 21, 2014, she tragically lost one of her nearest and dearest childhood friends. She found out through a “stupid social media post,” that Sean, only 28 years old, lost his battle to addiction. She found herself in a very dark place and was having trouble climbing out. Dancing helped her out and reminded her that she was still here and still had a lot more to do on this earth. Her friend, Sean, would not have wanted her to stand still or give up. So Precision Plus Dance Ensemble was born. Adrianne began to book space and teach and create in honor of her friend. She decided that she had to raise awareness of the horrible growing epidemic of addiction. She wanted to start a scholarship in his name, and create pieces that would affect people and somehow change the world one movement at a time. Precision Plus Dance Ensemble will debut the piece created for Sean entitled “In My Life” at DRA on March 1, and continue to evolve and grow as the company does.
Precision Plus Dance Ensemble is a warm, welcoming and safe dance environment. They treat and love one another like family. They respect each dancer as an individual who brings their own unique gift to the dance floor. All of the members are connected because of their love of the arts and passion for nonverbal expression.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Adrianne Rodgers of Precision Plus Dance Ensemble.
If you would like more information about Precision Plus Dance Ensemble, email Adrianne Rodgers at adrianne.rodgers@icloud.com. You can also like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and help fund them on GoFundMe.
