A dance showcase and a shoe drive go hand in hand, according to Scenic City Dance Center owner Stacey Perkinson, or maybe foot in foot.
The center will host a winter showcase of all classes Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in conjunction with a shoe drive for gently used shoes that will be donated to Shoes 4 Souls.
Scenic City Dance Center students rehearse in the company's studio space. The performance this weekend will feature a dance from each individual class at the center."Here we don't do a huge recital at the end of the year," Perkinson said. "But it is still important to give students a chance to perform, which is why we put it together with the charity benefit."
Admission is free to the showcase, which will be held at the dance center, located at 6235 Lee Highway. Ample seating will be provided in the studio and each song will feature feet or shoes in the title, she said. The showcase will conclude the center's shoe drive and highlight what students and instructors have been working on since their Sept. 1 launch.
"I think it's really important to give back," said Perkinson. "We've only been open for three months, but I feel like dance should be available to everyone, and we wanted to do something that related to dance."
The showcase will also be a good opportunity for the community to see the wide variety and level of dance that the new center is bringing to the area, she said.
"Ballet training is wonderful here and we're not competing with that," she said. "What sets us apart is that we're so strongly focused on growth and technique. I want to be able to train a dancer so that they could leave this city and dance professionally and know what that's like."
Classes range from $40-$55 per month and include everything from creative movement to a class specifically designed to improve a dancer's leaps and turns. Drop-in class attendance costs $15 per class and five to 10 class punch cards can also be purchased.
"We open our arms to everyone," said Perkinson. "The more teachers, students and perspectives we have, the better."
Continuing her education as a dance teacher and experiencing different perspectives in the dance community is essential to her own success, she said.
"It's important to constantly improve ourselves as teachers," said Perkinson. "The second I stop learning and continuing my education is the second I give up on [my students]."
Scenic City Dance Center is also home to BarreRish, Chattanooga's newest dance apparel store featuring dancewear, shoes, bags and accessories.
For more information, visit www.sceniccitydance.com.