According to Dr. Cheryl L. Sington, the Owner and Executive Director of The Dance Warehouse, LLC (TDW) in Fort Meyers, Florida, their studio is Lee County’s Premier Performing Arts Training Facility. They provide Pre Professional Training in all genres of the Performing Arts for students starting at the age of 18 months old. They are a family friendly, student focused studio with a 12 to 1 teacher student ratio. They offer over 6,000+ square feet of space, with a comfortable, oversized lobby, dressing rooms, vocal studios, boutique, and personalized service for all!
From Cheryl’s point of view, their dance studio stands out from other studios by the teaching they offer. Not only does their studio bring a family friendly feel to the environment, they are also able to offer multiple teachers so that students can train with various teachers in all genres. They also offer Master Classes each month so that their students are consistently exposed to dance beyond their studio and the industry of commercial dance, dance programs, artists as well as history and the legends that have paved the way for the world of dance today!
Cheryl says her proudest moment coaching was making the decision to separate from a partner because of moral and ethical issues and seeing the studio continue to thrive. While that may not be a “coaching” moment, it was, and is, a very proud moment for her and always will be. A coaching moment that she is most proud of is when a new student came to the studio and was a very dejected young girl who loved dance. The girl was convinced she would never be “a dancer.” Her work ethic was strong and her focus was right. She needed her mindset changed. She needed empowerment and to believe in herself. Over time, and it took a lot of time, she became a strong, physical instrument with the beautiful artistry to tell her story. She was able to soar! The judges saw this and rewarded her for it. She went on to become a dance major in college and Cheryl looks forward to following her career. Through this all, she maintained her character as a person and that was an amazing thing for Cheryl to watch and to know that she was a part of developing that dancer!
The biggest mistakes Cheryl sees dancers make has to do with application. She does not understand how or why a dancer is given the gift of a correction or feedback and does not apply it, or applies it for one run. It is sad and such a reflection of so much of the new generation of today’s dancers. They do not understand that “you must do the work.”
Her goals for The Dance Warehouse are to continue to learn from others that she believes have the right ideals and business mindset. Additionally, she wants to continue to work to remember that it is okay to “make a living” for herself. Many studio owners are of the mindset that it is not okay to do this. She also wants to continue to surround herself with the staff that makes her dance studio a positive place but also makes the business easier for her. Learning that an employee or contractor that makes her life harder is not the right one for her business is always a good step. Being comfortable replacing this with something that works better has been hard but AMAZING! She cannot tell us how she wishes this for all!
Cheryl Sington has been dedicated to theater and dance for most of her life. Even though her career path has had many turns, her love and passion for the art has been steadfast. That is why she opened The Dance Warehouse and developed their Command Performance competition dance team. Her lifelong goal has been to have a place that offers the many various classes similar to the ones provided in New York City and Los Angeles so that all types of classes and styles are included. TDW offers instruction in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Contemporary, Leaps and Turns, Musical Theatre, Acro, Tumbling, Contortion.
Cheryl has been fortunate enough to dance professionally throughout the United States, Europe and Canada and has studied with world renowned artists, choreographers, directors and teachers such as Jaime Rogers, John Landis, Michael Jackson, Mel Brooks, Natalie Cole, Doug Caldwell and Joe Tremaine to name just a few. She has spent most of the last 15 years as a choreographer, judge and director across the United States and abroad. She also teaches master classes in lyrical, tap, jazz, musical theater, strengthening and core training and acting.
She has also worked for ABC, CBS, NBC, appeared in television, film, video and commercials. Her previous roles include: Days of Our Lives, Thriller, Arista, Roseanne, The Young and the Restless, Roseanne, Fame (series), Arista, Pantene, Coca Cola, Pantene, Country Time Lemonade, Metro Goldwyn, MGM, HBO, Kent State, History of the World Part 1, and many other roles.
Cheryl started The Dance Warehouse when families asked her to train their dancers based on her background and training. She began her studio based on it being a small co-op and it simply grew!
According to Cheryl, TDW is the only Full Scale Performing Arts Training Facility in Lee County, with training in all performance arts genres. Their studio is also the only studio bringing in Master Classes on a regular monthly basis. All teachers are certified or hold a degree in their respective areas. Dr. Sington is not only certified and degreed in Dance and Theater, she also holds a Masters in Education, a Masters in Psychology and a PhD in Psychology. These degrees and her other experience and certifications allow her to follow the mission and vision of her school, “educating the whole child.” Dr. Sington believes that training a dancer encompasses so much more than just the ability to dance and do so technically correct. Training the whole child encompasses the emotional, physical and psychological well-being of each student!
If you would like more information about The Dance Warehouse, visit their website at thedancewarehouse.net, call them at 239-275-5678 anytime or email them at tdw.thefrontdesk@gmail.com. You can also “Like” them on Facebook and follows them on Instagram.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Dr. Cheryl L. Sington of The Dance Warehouse, LLC.
