Cleveland City Dance — Local services in Cleveland

My husband Mike and I take Pilates in Shaker Square – at Cleveland City Dance. The studio is a short walk away – behind a modest white storefront near the Atlas Theater. The class – offered both in the studio and online – focuses on core fitness, flexibility, balance, and strength building. Several Moreland Courts residents, seeing us walking to Pilates, have asked about it - we’ve been taking for two years. Along the way we’ve learned a lot about Cleveland City Dance (CCD) – its high quality programs and instructors, and the many people it serves. For us, it has become a Shaker Square Favorite. We support it and its continued presence on the Square, including its non-profit component City Ballet of Cleveland, and we hope you will join us in doing so. Cleveland City Dance is recognized regionally and beyond as a premier dance school. Under the leadership of Director Courtney Laves-Mearini, Cleveland City Dance has made its home in the Square for more than 20 years. Students range in age from 18 months to 90 years. In addition to our Pilates class, CCD offers classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, modern, and an occasional class in flamenco and African dance. Another Friday morning favorite for mature adults if Ballet barre & balance. More than 200 youth participate in ballet classes. The quality of the instruction and the instructors is excellent, and the skills gained by the students go beyond technique and discipline to building confidence, focus and physical well-being. Pre-professional students can participate in the non-profit City Ballet of Cleveland which provides further training and performance opportunities. Important to us as Moreland Courts residents is Courtney’s commitment to the Square. She has been a strong and vocal advocate – you may have seen her interviewed on the local news – and she was a member of the Square’s Strategic Planning Committee. Maybe you’ll consider joining Mike and me in our twice weekly Pilates class or find another way to get involved with the School. At the very least you will know that Shaker Square has a gem in Cleveland City Dance.

Michael Devereaux Why I take Pilates: A Physician’s Perspective

Jan briefly describes the Pilates class above which is what first drew us to CCD. Jan started classes before me. I later came to observe a class and decided that I should add this to my other fitness activities aiming at improving flexibility and balance. The class meets from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. While the various exercises can be demanding, participants are encouraged to work within their capabilities. We are both octogenarians and are comfortable managing the sessions.

Anyone interested can come and observe a session which is how I got started over a year ago. Also feel free to contact either one of us for additional information.

Writing as a physician (retired neurologist), medical literature strongly supports the value of regular exercise for all, including seniors. Exercise not only benefits the cardiovascular system as one would expect, but most organs in the body, including the nervous system. There have been studies indicating that regular exercise can benefit the brain, including delaying the onset and slowing the progress of dementia. Regular exercise also prevents sarcopenia meaning the loss of striated muscle. Studies have shown that even 90 plus year old individuals can still build strength and muscle mass with regular exercise. In summary, regular exercise, where at all possible, should be a part of every...

We have not used this company, so please take into account when reading this review. We were considering a studio switch and after seeing an advertisement for a masterclass CCD was offering, we decided it would be a good way to experience what kind of environment it is. Unfortunately we had a negative experience just on the phone and I cannot say we would consider attending any classes for this reason. Not only was the master class advertised without an age limit, only as intermediate/advanced (which is not a universally measured standard of dance), I called to see if my 9 1/2 year old could take the class. After speaking to her current dance teacher, she was confirmed as intermediate (in her current studios opinion. Again, this is subjective), so we thought it might be a good class for her to take to push herself. The Instagram ad said to call or go online for assistance, however after attempting to call 3 times for help, we were pushed to use the website each time. That was frustrating enough, as we were not able to register online. After I and my husband called multiple times, we decided it wasn’t worth the trouble and decided against calling back to get signed up. Then a few days later we got a call from a woman with a not so nice tone saying that I called without leaving a message, which was not accurate as I called and spoke to someone each time. I asked if they would accept my daughter and she listed off a bunch of requirements in order to take the class. My daughter can do most of the listed “requirements”. My issues with this experience are that nowhere on the ad was their definition of “intermediate” listed, nor was there required age limit. This led to confusion, along with no one mentioning any of the suggested requirements on any of the multiple calls just seems ridiculous. The world of dance for young children can be very harsh and competitive and I think there was a better way for this to have been handled. If they believe my daughter would be too inexperienced for this class, maybe suggest a different master class in the future, or tell me to keep an eye on the Instagram for other workshops available instead of making an assumption like she’s just “not good enough”. Very disappointing considering the positive reviews and the reputation of this company. What could have turned into a future relationship was cut short by a not so welcoming attitude. Thank you...

As summer arrives my daughter cannot wait to return to ballet intensive camp at Cleveland City Dance. She experienced a nurturing environment with a smaller number of students allowing her to receive an amazing amount of attention to her ballet technique, foster relationships with the instructor and also build friendship bonds with other young dancers. I was pleasantly impressed by the historical sessions on dancers that have influenced a variety of dance styles from ballet to tap to modern. My daughter came home being energized having learned about these professional dancers in history. Additionally, she absolutely loved that stretching, modern, and jazz were all styles she got to participate in throughout the week. The safety protocols have been well researched from day one and health has been maintained throughout the studio during this time. We highly recommend CCD Ballet camp for...