When was the last time you truly danced the night away? For generations, dance has been woven into the fabric of society. I’m a product of the 80s, and dancing was not only on everyone’s minds and schedules, but it was encoded in our DNA. Your biggest decision on Friday and Saturday night was which club you would go to. The new age of the MTV VJ was in full swing, and country line dancing was still a bit far off on the horizon. In LA, where I was living, there were Goth clubs

A place to feel safe and seen, Broadway Beginnings allows musical theatre students to build their chops with an emphasis on connection. Founder Elizabeth Lyons boasts a Broadway background and has turned that into an opportunity to teach. Lyons, from Lakeland, went to college at Florida State University and earned her BFA in Musical Theatre. She opted out of the graduation ceremony in favor of moving straight to New York. During her seven years in the Big Apple, Lyons perform

The Florida Dance Theatre, founded in 1993 by Carol Krajacic Erkes, is a “home and a community rather than a program,” according to Artistic Director Stefan Dolbashian and Board Chair Tiffany Van Wieren. Florida Dance Theatre (FDT) is Lakeland’s only nonprofit professional dance company and a hub for dance education, excellence, and outreach. The studio’s inclusion and community outreach are what drew Stefan Dolbashian to the dance company. Dolbashian was born and raised in

Described as radiant, encouraging, one-of-a-kind, Betsye Kay Finch left an impression on everyone she met. Perhaps most important were the impressions made on her thousands of dance students over her three decades of teaching dance in Lakeland. Now, her daughter, Alexis Rocker is carrying on her legacy by providing an opportunity for young people who share her mother’s love of the performing arts. Born in Fort Meade in October 1926, Betsye started dancing at just four years o

Looking for a place to go dancing and a way to impart their love of dance onto others, Finley and Carmen Walker stepped in to create a community for Salsa and Swing in Lakeland. In partnership with the City of Lakeland’s Parks & Rec., The Walkers teach group and private social dance lessons with their company, Lakeland Salsa & Swing. A high school Spanish teacher who would teach Fin and his classmates Salsa, and a Swing-dance-themed senior prom were Walker’s foray into dance.