Maria Francke and Michele Francke are sisters-in-law and also the co-owners and co-directors of Techniques Dance Studio in Wantagh, New York. Maria describes their studio as “Awesome!” In her opinion, the studio has a close knit, family oriented atmosphere. The teachers are positive, encouraging, nurturing, skilled and hard working. In spite of all of that “hard work,” the studio is “fun, fun, fun!”
According to Maria, Techniques Dance Studio is different from other studios because of the fact that every student is treated “special.” She said that all students are given the same dance education regardless of whether or not they are a competition dancer or a recreational dancer.
Maria’s proudest moment as a dance coach occurred this past summer at Dancexplosion Nationals, where five of their dances made it to the Championship round and all of them placed. The highest placing routine included their entire company (minus their 6 & Under team who themselves placed seventh overall in the 9 & Under category! Techniques Dance Studio’s team are the youngest group to do that!). Anyway, their routine Burning Up had 82 dancers in it!
In Maria’s opinion, the biggest mistake that she sees dancers make is being too hard on themselves. The instructors at Techniques Dance Studio encourage their dancers and help build their confidence and self esteem.
Techniques’s goals for this next year are for their students to continue to learn and grow in
their dance career. The studio tries to carry on the traditions and goals that were set forth when Techniques opened their doors 20 years ago. According to Maria, you can definitely teach an old dog new tricks! She believes that it is important to stay current in this business because styles are always changing.
Both Maria and Michelle danced and worked at another studio for many years. There were many things at that studio that they did not like and there was no long term goal in mind. Competitions were just becoming very popular then and the owner of the other studio had no interest in pursuing that end. So, Maria and Michelle decided it was time to move on and open their own studio where they could start a competition team and implement the changes that they thought would be beneficial for a successful studio long term.
Both Maria and Michelle are married (to brothers! LOL!) and have families of their own. While nurturing their own families, Maria and Michelle have also nurtured and watched 
many of their students grow up, graduate college, get married and start families of their own. Now those children have come to the studio to learn to dance. Maria says it is a very rewarding feeling. Maria and Michelle have been to countless Sweet 16’s, weddings, Bat Mitzvahs, etc. They have a built a “Techniques’s family” and that is how their dancers and their dancers’ parents feel about Maria and Michelle. They have been second moms to many of their students. By Maria and Michelle opening their studio, they have brought together kids who would have never met and now they have become life long friends. According to Maria, there is a saying,”DANCE FRIENDS ARE THE BEST FRIENDS.” There is so much truth to that.
If you would like more information about Techniques Dance Studio, visit their website at techniquesdancestudio.com, call them at 516-679-0056 or email them at info@techniquesdancestudio.com. You can also “Like” them on Facebook.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Maria Francke of Techniques Dance Studio.
Written By Cyndi Marziani
Owner
BDancewear.com
