Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood, Ohio, is more than a non-profit organization that combines professional theater with arts education. They./x create art experiences. They are committed to creating art experiences as individual as the people they serve with eclectic performances to suit many tastes, education opportunities for all ages a
nd abilities, community outreach programs, and free art exhibitions. They believe that the arts can be transformative and strengthen their community.
Beck Center offers over 200 award-winning classes, programs, and lessons for children, teens and adults in dance, voice, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, outreach, and Creative Arts Therapies, serving 3,000 students each week.
In the opinion of their Associate Director of Dance Education, Melanie Szucs, Beck Center’s Dance Education program is one of the most comprehensive and well-respected in Northeast Ohio. Beck Center’s highly qualified and caring dance faculty has a combined 310 years of experience in the classroom! For eight consecutive years, Beck Center’s Dance program has been recognized as Best of the West by West Shore Livewell Magazine.
The success of da
nce at Beck Center is greatly due to their fabulous staff. Each of their instructors is highly talented as well as committed and devoted to their students. Melanie am very thankful to be working with each of them.
Melanie has no particular moment when she was the proudest that comes to mind. Each year is new and unique and equally gratifying to her. She finds great joy in seeing their youngest students embrace dance and movement. She celebrates with young students who after much time and effort master a step or combination. It is very rewarding working with adults who are new to or returning to dance and so eager to learn. Their joy is infectious. And of c
ourse, watching students grow as dancers and young adults and then letting them go is both bittersweet and fulfilling.
From her experience, Melanie believes the biggest mistake dancers make is trying to do too much too soon with students. She says that they need a good solid foundation based on sound technique. Drill the basics; the other things will follow.
Dance programming is available for early childhood students, youth, teens, and adults with over 75 class offerings per week.
They offer age-appropriate early childhood classes in KidsNDance, Preschool Dance, and Preballet which foster a love of movement and build confidence, coordination and creativity.
Their youth and teen divisions include seven levels of Ballet, four levels of Contemporary, five levels of Jazz, four levels of Pointe, and four levels of Tap.
Classes exclusively for adults are offered in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz and Tap, as well as their health and wellness programs, Healthy Spine, Body Beautiful, and Pilates.
Bi-annual spring showcases (classroom attire, no costumes) and concerts (costumes, lights, special effects) are presented on their Mackey Mainstage and feature all students in their early childhood, youth, and teen classes. Additional performance opportunities are available by audition for their annual holiday production and spring ballet.
In addition, serious students may audition for and participate in their Dance Workshop and Jr. Dance Workshop. Students from these groups participate annually in YAGP, the Ohio Dance Conference and Showcase, and All Ohio Dance Festival.
If you would like more information about Beck Center for the Arts, visit their website at BeckCenter.org, call them at 216-521-2540 or email them at mszucs@beckcenter.org. You can also “Like” them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and view them on YouTube
Anyone who has danced at Beck Center for the Arts, with Melanie Szucs or with any of the other instructors at the Beck Center, is invited to comment on their blog.
Drill the basics; the other things will follow.
