Kerrin Clark is the Director of The Greater Boston School of Dance (GBSD) in Natick, 
Massachusetts. She has been a dance educator since 2003 specializing in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theater and Acrobatics and has had an extensive acting, voice, dancing and choreography career with many professional awards.
Greater Boston School of Dance has been chosen as one of the Top 50 Studios in the United States. When people step though the doors of Greater Boston School of Dance, they often say that there is something special about GBSD. Kerrin likes to think that GBSD is built from the ground up with love and she believes it radiates from wall to wall and student to student. She says their students are taught not only discipline and technique, but also how to love dance, thrive in and out of the classroom and be great dancers on and off the stage.
Kerrin believes the GBSD has earned the honor of being in the Top 50 Studios because of the people – her students and her teachers. She says she works with some of the most passionate kids in the industry. They give her everything they have 100% of the time. She likes to think that any child can be a great dancer and that if they are willing to do the work and it’s what they truly want, they can do amazing things. She’s seen it! She believes in them and they prove her right, time and time 
again. Additionally, her staff adores their job and it shows. They believe that every kid deserves the best in dance education, whether it be the kid that takes one combo class a week or the company dancer who dances 20 hours a week.
At GBSD, the teachers and the students understand that being a professional dancer means you have to wear a lot of different hats. Their Company students participate in vocal and acting training as well!
Kerrin says that her students give her one reason or another to be proud every day. Her girls really take care of each other. She loves those moments when they land their first triple turn or master that new tap combo and they look at her with that face of self-satisfaction. But, one of her proudest moments was winning a “Backstage Award” at a competition. It was awarded to a studio that was always respectful, positive, and showed good sportsmanship over the course of the three-day event. She has never been more proud.
She believes the biggest mistake she sees dancers make when performing is letting their head get in the way of themselves. She always reminds her students that they can all get to the same place, but no two people are going to take the same path.
Kerrin believes the “must have” dance items every dancer needs are leotards, tights, fishnets, character shoes, good tap shoes, trash-bag shorts, romper, thera-band, hair elastics, gel, hair spray, hair pins, hair net, false lashes, red lipstick, a fun sports bra, black bootie shorts, and rhinestone earrings.
Since GBSD is a new studio (only two years old!), they are always looking to grow in every way. As a studio director, she will be spending the month of August at Dance Teacher seminars and classes to keep her mind fresh and exciting for her students. She hopes to see a lot of new faces in their classes! She sees the summer as a time for reflecting on the past year and determining what they can do differently to make the next year even better! She has big plans for GBSD this year but her number one goal is to help make wonderful memories for my students!
When asked why she opened the studio, she said, “My dad always told me, ‘If you build it, they will come.’” She likes to think she is building a community for young artists/athletes who have a place to grow, learn and excel. She had been on tour with a show for three years and decided to get back to the studio and do what she loved- teaching dance! She had a wonderful little network of dancers and parents who encouraged her and helped her get started. She opened her studio in the basement of a VFW with 15 students. They have since relocated to a private studio with 75 students and hope to keep growing.
Kerrin says she is so in love with her job and what she does, but it’s things like being included in the Top 50 that makes the endless hour work week seem like nothing at all! She is honored and deeply grateful. She also said and I quote because its so perfectly worded “I’d like to thank my Mother, Diane for helping me every step of the way, without her, there would be no GBSD. Also thank you to my Dad and Step-Dad and Soon-to-be husband for helping me build our space so my dancers have a beautiful space to grow and learn and my office staff for helping me with every last detail. We make a great behind the scenes team!”
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with The Greater Boston School of Dance.
To learn more about the Greater Boston School of Dance, check them out at http://www.greaterbostonschoolofdance.com or email them at info.gbsd@gmail.com.
