Melody Lane Dance, Music & Drama Academy in Yakima, Washington, is a dynamic academy that focuses on the performing arts. Students ages 3 to 18 can take dance classes in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, contemporary and pre-dance. They also provide instrumental piano and guitar instruction among other instruments, as well as vocal instruction. Their studio is home to The Akin Center Theatre where drama and musical theatre classes are offered for ages 6 to 18. For the little ones, they have a daily performing arts preschool, as well.
For more than 25 years, Melody Lane has been serving the performance arts community of the Yakima Valley. Owners and artistic directors, Tony and Amy Akin, are the visionaries who inspire students to achieve more than even they thought possible. With an expansive 10,000-square-foot facility designed for dancers, actors, musicians, and singers, students are only limited by their imaginations. Whether it’s performing in the 1,600-square-foot Akin Center Theatre or the historic Capitol Theatre, or touring with the Melody Lane Singers or Melody Lane Ballet Company, every opportunity to shine and grow is given to the students of Melody Lane.
Their mission is to provide the highest quality of instruction in the performing arts. Their goal is to do this in an atmosphere of love, encouragement, and supports. Through their classes, they hope to be of service to parents in helping them raise their children to become wholesome, confident individuals with high self-esteem. One of the focuses of Melody Lane is to instill a high level of integrity in their performers. They work hard to make sure their dancewear is modest and that the music their dancers are using for their dances is age appropriate. Melody Lane is not a place where they teach kids to make great dancers, it is where they teach dancers to make great kids!
Melody Lane was formed in 1981 by Alan and Peggy Akin (Tony Akin’s parents). They had moved from North Hollywood, California, to Yakima, Washington, for a better place to raise their family. Peggy had grown up in Toppenish, Washington, and had dreamed of bringing her family back to that area. To make extra money for the family, Peggy started a musical preschool and a performing group in her basement. From those humble beginnings, Melody Lane grew. In 1984, she moved out of her basement and into the third floor of the First Christian Church in downtown Yakima. In 1998, she started teaching at Melody Lane and when she retired in 2006, Tony and Amy purchased Melody Lane from his parents becoming the full-time artistic directors. Eventually, the Akin Center Theatre was added. Melody Lane has continued the excellent tradition started by the Akin Family more than 25 years ago. In that time, thousands of students have had priceless, unforgettable experiences that have changed their lives.
Co-owner Tony Akin can most often be found with a smile on his face. He directs all music and drama programs at Melody Lane. With his joyful, infectious personality, he inspires anyone with whom he comes in contact. Teaching for over 20 years (including eight years in Yakima public schools teaching music and drama), Tony developed a true joy in working with kids of all ages. As a professional performer, he has toured Europe, Asia, 
Canada, and throughout the United States, which uniquely qualifies him to lead Melody Lane. Tony has served as the board president at the Warehouse Theatre Company and has achieved a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Music Dance Theatre from BYU, along with his Bachelors of Arts in Education from CWU. Music and drama are the arts he loves. After graduating from Brigham Young University with a major in Music Dance Theatre, he entered the studio business to train young performers and help them to enrich their lives through the performing arts. He loves working with kids, and wants to do all he can to help them succeed.
Amy Akin (the other co-owner) is a loving, positive force to everyone with whom she interacts. Amy directs all dance programs at Melody Lane. She has been a ballerina with the companies of Ballet West, Salt Lake Chamber Ballet, and Mountain West Ballet. She has been a guest performer (dance, violin, and vocal) to the Lone Star Ballet, BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre, BYU Opera Company, BYU Symphony Orchestra, Memorial Foundation, Akin Center Theatre, Warehouse Theatre Company, Jaime Donegan Productions, Hale Center Theatre, Yakima Symphony Orchestra, BYU Ballroom Team, and Akin Bluegrass Band. Amy was professionally trained at BYU, Utah, BYU, Idaho, University of Utah, Ballet West Conservatory, Jillana Hess and William F. Christensen of the New York City Ballet, and Violette Verdy (a world-renowned ballet mistress). She has studied abroad in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, France, Milan, and Florence, Italy. Her choreography and teaching experience includes Salt Lake Ballet Theatre, Encore Academy, On Stage Studios, Melody Lane Academy, Akin Center Theatre, Eisenhower High School Musicals, Melody Lane Singers, Melody Lane Ballet Company, private violin teacher, private choreographer, private ballet teacher, and private vocal teacher. Amy’s nature is to teach through example, with kindness and a dedication to excellence. Her passion for dance fuels her creativity, and classical ballet is her special love.
According to Tony, their studio is unique in their area because of the number of programs being offered under one roof. The moments Tony enjoys the most are when he sees a child discover that the performing arts are their “thing” and the joy that comes into their eyes upon this discovery. He loves to see students succeed and feel great about themselves. The performing arts are an excellent vehicle for this accomplishment.
Among the classes Melody Lane offers are Dance Explorers, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-hop, Jazz, Tap, and Ballroom. Drama, including classic theatre skills, improvisation, pantomime, and much more. Their Dance Explorers class introduces young children to dance. In these classes, young students will explore ballet, jazz, and tap. Through movement, children can develop their fine motor skills. This class will teach about the classroom community and can help improve social skills. As the child moves to music, his or her creativity and imagination can increase.
They also offer music lessons including voice lessons, piano, guitar, violin, and other instruments in all styles. Additionally, they offer Drama including classic theatre skills, improvisation, pantomime, and much more. Intro to Musical Theatre classes for students ages 8 to 13 allow. children to explore singing, dancing, and acting together and encourages them to develop a great performance.
Melody Lane believes that ballet can give children stronger core strength, grace and poise, and better physical health. They offer 25 ballet classes from introduction to advanced pointe, more than any other studio in the Yakima Valley. Ballet students age 7 and up have the opportunity to audition for the Melody Lane Ballet Company, is a travelling troupe that performs mini-ballets. This special troupe performs mini-ballets locally during the Christmas season, in the spring and while on tour. This is a fun troupe designed to improve performance skills while offering the students the opportunity to showcase their dances in a variety of venues. The Ballet Company performs ten to twelve times a year.
Tony’s and Amy’s goal for this year is to continue to create an atmosphere in their studio that is safe and inviting. They want their studio to feel like a home away from home for their performers.
Melody Lane Dance, Music & Drama Academy offers more than 75 classes in the performing arts. Not only do they offer dancing, acting and music classes, they also have a theatre and a performing arts preschool. They believe that personalized lessons can help build confidence. Melody Lane helps students to set goals and work towards achieving those goals. Every spring and winter, students perform in a recital in the Akin Center Theatre.
If you would like more information about Melody Lane Dance, Music & Drama Academy, visit their website at www.melodylaneacademy.com, call them at 509-248-9623 or email them at melodylaneacademy@gmail.com. You can also “Like” them on Facebook.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Tony Akin of Melody Lane Dance, Music & Drama Academy.
Written By Cyndi Marziani
Owner
BDancewear.com
