The Dance Studio of Fresno (TDS) in Fresno, California, is a dynamic, eclectic and always evolving sanctuary for young artists hoping for a well-rounded dance education. Home to the beginning, intermediate and advanced dancer of all ages, TDS Fresno has been in the forefront of dance education in California’s Central Valley since 1982. The state of the art facility built from the ground up in 2000 is 12,000 square feet. It houses seven dance rooms, spacious lobby, snack bar, one-way viewing, floated hard-wood floors and plenty of parental viewing. Their faculty boasts over 250 years of combined experience. Many of those teachers have been with TDS for over 15 years!
In the opinion of TDS’s Owner and Artistic Director, Sue Sampson-Dalena, the difference between their dance studio and other dance studios is their versatility! Every department in the studio trains students at a high level and has dancers who have gone on and worked professionally in that genre.
Sue has been teaching dance since 1978 and has been lucky to experience proud moments on a daily basis for over 35 years! She says that she would have to say that last season watching her Elite dancers awarded Studio of the Year at the Dance Awards National Finals along with being named Top School and Top Ensemble at the Youth American Grand Prix Ballet Competition in Long Beach, California, in the same year was a thrilling and fulfilling experience. She is extremely honored and grateful to the dedicated students, parents and alumni of TDS Fresno for putting TDS in a position to achieve these amazing goals.
According to Sue, rushing the training process and expecting more than their bodies are ready for is the biggest mistake she sees dancers make. It takes years of dedication and 
training to achieve a strong, technical, and confident dancer not to mention develop artistry. Every student matures at a different rate. There are no short cuts. Her mission is to help students recognize that the process of training and self-discovery is the best part of becoming a dancer and to keep their expectations realistic.
TDS is trying a few new concepts with their annual recital (year 34) so Sue is hoping all goes well with that! She loves their recreational students! They love recitals as much as Sue does and she wants to make that event special for them and for TDS’ families! She continues to expect her Elite team dancers to train hard and excel her expectations even though they are not traveling as much this year. Next season, Sue is taking them overseas to train in Europe and perform in festivals. They need to rise to that level!
She has been told countless times that her studio is an unusual and unique school. You do not find the high caliber of ballet training under the same roof as their incredible tap department, contemporary department, jazz etc. They have proven that students of theirs who have studied all forms of dance, were able to gain acceptance to schools of higher learning such as Juilliard, State University of New York/Purchase, Marymount Manhattan, New York University and companies such as Houston Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Alisa Monte Contemporary Company etc. TDS’s extensive curriculum offers classes in Acro, Ballet, 
Baton, Cheer, Clogging, Gymnastics, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Pointe, Tap, Turns & Progressions and Mommy and Me.
Sue attributes this to her faculty and all of the committed guest choreographers and teachers who regularly visit and work with their students. She also commends all of her students and their parents, past and present, who believed in her vision and trusted her with their children. TDS is now teaching the grandchildren of several of her original students from the early 80’s. She is grateful on a daily basis for being a small part of so many children’s young lives and for being able to make a living at what she has been in love with since she was a little girl.
If you would like more information about The Dance Studio of Fresno, visit their website at www.fresnodanceonline.com, call them at (559) 432-0267 or email them at sue@fresnodanceonline.com. You can also “Like” them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and connect with them on Instagram.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Sue Sampson-Dalena of The Dance Studio of Fresno.
