After-school ballroom dance enrichment | TK through 5th Grade

Give your child a stage.

Ballroom dance education meets choreographed performance.

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Our Mission

“The Laird Academy exists to give every child a stage - a place where they discover they are capable, expressive, and worth watching - through the discipline, beauty, and joy of ballroom dance.”

Not a recital. Not a competition. A performance.

01

Real Ballroom Steps & Technique

The dances taught at The Laird Academy — Waltz, Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive, Samba, Foxtrot, Tango, Pasodoble, Quickstep — are drawn from the British ballroom tradition.

The curriculum is built by a world-class professional dancer and dance educator, US National Vice Champion in Professionals, with twenty years of experience

Students at the Laird Academy learn the real thing. Taught by someone who has lived it.

02

A Progression System

From Rising Stars to Principal, our program is designed to meet every student exactly where they are — with a clear path forward.

Students progress steadily from their first basic steps toward genuine performance quality, advancing through four levels: Rising Stars, Ensemble, Soloist, and Principal. Each level is earned through the teacher's observation.

The skills built along the way extend well beyond the dance floor. Leadership, focus, discipline, and confidence of someone who has worked toward something real — these are what a Laird dancer carries with them long after the music stops.

03

Performance

Dancing in class and performing on a stage are two different things — and both matter.

Performance is not just a goal post. It is where every dancer discovers something in themselves they did not know was there — how to carry themselves on stage, how to hold their presence in front of a real audience, how to move with grace under pressure, and what it means to be part of a team where every individual matters to the whole.

It is a moment to be seen, to feel capable, and to know that they are worth watching.

And it is genuinely joyful. Dancers get to dress up, step into the spotlight, and be the stars of the show.

Every dancer has a next chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Enrollment & Commitment

There is no wrong age to begin — but there is a right age for each kind of program.
The Laird Academy accepts students from age 4 (TK) through 11 (5th grade). Our Rising Stars group is designed specifically for TK and Kindergarten children — ages 4 to 6 — with a 45-minute class format, a gentler pace, and content built for where they actually are developmentally. Our main Ensemble company begins at 1st grade.
For very young children — 4 and 5 years old — the most important thing a dance program can give them is joy, rhythm, and the experience of belonging to something with ceremony. Technique comes later. The Rising Stars program is built on exactly that.
For older children joining for the first time — even at 9 or 10 — it is never too late. Older beginners often progress faster than younger ones because their bodies and attention spans are ready for more. A 9-year-old joining as an Ensemble student can reach Soloist within a year.
The honest answer: the best age to start is whenever your child is interested. Interest is the only prerequisite.
The Laird Academy is a full academic year program — September through June. Attending consistently, every week, is what produces real results.
Ensemble and Rising Stars students attend once a week for 45 minutes. Soloists and Principals attend twice a week for 60 minutes each session.
Dance is a cumulative skill. A child who attends every class builds something. A child who attends occasionally does not — and more importantly, feels it. Consistent attendance is the single most important factor in a child's progress and enjoyment of the program.
Enrollment at The Laird Academy is for the academic year — September through June. It is a structured program that builds toward an Annual Show performance in May.
Families who join mid-year commit to the remaining months of the academic year — from their start date through June.
Monthly payment is available as a convenience. Withdrawal requires 30 days’ written notice before the next billing date.
New families who enroll receive a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If, within the first 30 days, the program is genuinely not the right fit, we will refund the remaining balance.
All new students begin as Ensemble (1st through 5th grade) or Rising Stars (TK and Kindergarten). This is where every Laird dancer begins.
Soloist and Principal tiers are for continuing dancers who have been attending Ensemble group classes. Teacher observes each student throughout the year and issues promotions based on readiness. A Soloist promotion typically occurs after one to two semesters. Principal is by invitation only.
Yes. The Laird Academy accepts new students at five enrollment windows throughout the academic year — in August, October, November, January, and March. Between windows, interested families are added to the waitlist and contacted directly when the next window opens.
Students who join mid-year are not behind. Every routine in the program is designed with three levels of difficulty built in from the start — a child joining in January can learn their part in four to six classes and perform at the May Annual Show alongside students who have been in the program since September.
Mid-year enrollment is prorated to the remaining months. A family joining in January pays from January through June only.
Note: The program closes to new enrollment in April and May as we prepare for the Annual Show. Families who inquire during this period are added to the waitlist for the following September.

Schedule & Pricing

All Laird Academy classes are held on the school's auditorium stage — after school, at your child's school. No driving required.
Rising Stars (TK and Kindergarten) meet once a week for 45 minutes, beginning after TK/K dismissal.
Ensemble (1st through 5th grade) meet once a week for 60 minutes, beginning after dismissal.
Soloists and Principals meet twice a week — the regular Ensemble session plus a second dedicated session each week.
The specific day and time varies by school location. Once you enroll or join the waitlist for your school, we will confirm the schedule.
Rising Stars and Ensemble — once a week, 45 minutes:
$175 per month · or $1,500 per year, paid in full (save $250)
Soloist and Principal — twice a week, 60 minutes:
$300 per month · or $2,700 per year, paid in full (save $300)
The Dance Book, welcome ribbon, and all in-class materials are included.
Enrollment at The Laird Academy is a commitment to the academic year. We ask families to treat it as such — the same way they would treat a school semester commitment.
To withdraw from the program, 30 days written notice is required before the next billing date. Notice submitted after the billing date will result in one final month's charge before withdrawal is processed.
Families who paid in full and withdraw after the 30-day satisfaction window are eligible for a prorated refund of unused months, minus a $75 administrative fee.
New families receive a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If the program is genuinely not the right fit within the first 30 days, a full refund of unused time is issued.
We understand that life changes. Unexpected moves, family circumstances, and genuine mismatches do happen. We handle every withdrawal conversation with care and without pressure.

Class & Attire

Dance shoes are recommended but not required to begin. Your child may attend their first classes in clean, flat, non-marking shoes — smooth-soled sneakers or ballet flats work well on a stage floor.
For girls, ballroom dance sandals in nude, white, or black are ideal. For boys, leather-soled dress shoes or black leather ballroom dance shoes.
We recommend waiting until the first month of regular classes before purchasing dance shoes — so you can confirm the program is the right fit before investing. Once enrolled, the teacher will advise on the most suitable shoe for your child's level and the dance styles they are learning.
Class attire is simple, comfortable, and purposeful. The goal is clothing that allows full movement without distraction.
Girls: A fitted leotard in black or any solid color, with a practice skirt — attached or separate. Dance sandals. Hair pulled back and away from the face — a bun, ponytail, or braid. No loose jewelry.
Boys: Long fitted pants — dance pants, dress trousers, or fitted athletic pants in any color. Any clean fitted top is fine — a t-shirt is perfectly appropriate for class. Black leather-soled shoes.
We do not prescribe specific brands or require new purchases to begin. What your child already owns is likely sufficient for the first classes. The teacher will advise if anything specific is needed as the year progresses.
The Annual Show costume is simple, beautiful, and yours to keep.
Girls: A ballroom-style skirted dance dress* — a fitted leotard with a layered skirt, in any color your child loves. White frilly ruffle ankle socks. Dance sandals. That is the complete costume.
Boys: Black dress trousers. Crisp white button-up shirt. Black bow tie. Black dress shoes.
*The dress and socks are yours to keep and can be worn to every future performance in the program. Both items are easy to find on Amazon. We send families direct links when enrollment opens — the dress is approximately $28, and the socks are under $10.

The Program

The Dance Book is a hardbound journal given to every student on their first class.
Inside: step diagrams, sticker spots earned each class, space for the teacher's observations, and pages that track your child's progress from their first class through the end of the year.
The Dance Book travels to class every week in the Laird Academy tote bag. It is not a worksheet. It is not a souvenir. It is a physical record of a real journey — evidence that something is being built, one class at a time.
The Laird Academy academic year includes two performance moments and the possibility of additional school community appearances throughout the year.
In December we hold the Season Preview — an open class that parents are invited to observe.
In May, we hold the Annual Show — the culminating event of the academic year. Every student performs. Every level tier has its moment. The programme runs approximately 35 to 40 minutes and is held in the school auditorium. This is what everything builds toward.
Throughout the year, Laird Academy students may also perform at school community events — assemblies, talent shows, spring fairs, and other occasions depending on the school's calendar for that year. These appearances are not guaranteed but arise naturally from the program's presence on campus. When they happen, they are treated with the same care and intention as every Laird Academy performance.
All performance participation is included in enrollment.
Because dancing in a class and performing on a stage are two different things — and both matter.
In class, a child learns the steps, the rhythm, and the world of each piece. They build the vocabulary. They find the beat. They discover what their body can do. That work is real and it takes time.
But something else happens when a child walks onto a stage in front of an audience. The music starts, and suddenly everything they learned in class has to mean something — not just to them, but to the people watching. That demand changes a child. It asks them to be present in a way that no class, however excellent, can fully replicate.
A child who has only ever danced in class knows the steps. A child who has performed on a stage knows what the steps are for.
This is why every Laird Academy student — from the newest Ensemble member to the most experienced Principal — performs at the Annual Show. Not because they are ready in the way a professional dancer is ready. Because readiness is built by doing, not by waiting until the conditions are perfect. The stage is not the reward for learning. It is part of the learning.
What we have seen, consistently, is that the child who performs once comes back to the next class changed. They stand differently. They listen differently. They want something from the music that they did not want before. The performance unlocks something in them that the class prepared but could not deliver alone.
The Laird Academy exists to give every child a stage. Not someday. This year.