The One Step at a Time Dance Studio, located at 111-17 Lefferts Blvd. in South Ozone Park, Queens, is trying to stay on top of the further crumbling economy.
Patricia Harry, the director and owner of the studio, wasted no time in commenting on the decline of registered members.
“By this time last year, we had 76 students enrolled and right now there are only 53,” she said.
Registration for the classes offered at One Step at a Time ends at the end of December but Ms. Harry says that she doubts any more people will be coming.
One Step at a Time Dance Studio is one of the few in the area that offer many different types of dances for many different ages. Ballet, African, Hip Hop, Modern, Jazz, Step, Tap, even an all male class and a classical Indian dance class are all offered under one roof. The age ranges from 3-7, considered Tiny Tots, and they are the only ones who can receive Tap lessons. The Junior class is from 8-12, 13-18 for Seniors and 19 and up, Adults, with the oldest adult being 72 years old.
The studio, which opened in 2003, is a for profit business funded manily by parents of the many students who take lessons under Ms. Harry and her instructors. They usually put on productions at various high schools around the area like Springfield High, Bayside High as well as Junior High School 226 in Ozone Park and Ms. Harry prides her studio on being multicultural and not “hoochie-mama.”
“We’ve seen a lot of tiny newcomers this year but many adults had to stop coming, some of the parents who have really helped us along the way in teaching their junior and senior children have had to cut down how much they fund, some even stopping altogether, because they lost their jobs” said Ms. Harry.
On the other hand, however, many of the adults who mainly come for classes on Fridays use the time to unwind, relax and get away from all the stresses grappling them. “This is their time to use for themselves, I mean, this is usually the only thing they have,” she said.
But Ms. Harry has not lost hope because she says there is none to lose. She is not feeling it as much as other places and she is hopeful that by next year things will look up again. For now, she is glad to still be in the neighborhood doing a positive thing for young women.