Adults and kids catch the performance bug at Dance Connection

Owner has been teaching classes at studio for five years

photos by marlene karas/viewTop left, Cherilyn Beanan, owner of Dance Connection, 7501 N. Cimarron Road, Suite 103, works with one of her classes, Feb. 20. Top right, Shelby Miyama, 11, works on a routine. Bottom, Beanan watches as, from left, Miyama, Carly Damboise and Ashley Van Metter practice to "All That Jazz." photos by marlene karas/viewTop left, Cherilyn Beanan, owner of Dance Connection, 7501 N. Cimarron Road, Suite 103, works with one of her classes, Feb. 20. Top right, Shelby Miyama, 11, works on a routine. Bottom, Beanan watches as, from left, Miyama, Carly Damboise and Ashley Van Metter practice to "All That Jazz." photos by marlene karas/viewTop left, Cherilyn Beanan, owner of Dance Connection, 7501 N. Cimarron Road, Suite 103, works with one of her classes, Feb. 20. Top right, Shelby Miyama, 11, works on a routine. Bottom, Beanan watches as, from left, Miyama, Carly Damboise and Ashley Van Metter practice to "All That Jazz." Advertisement

The children never stop moving. Most of them are around 6 years old, some of them are aspiring performers, but mainly they're just kids being kids, and Cherilyn Beanan is attempting to teach them the newest part of a dance routine.

Even as she sings quickly through the song's lyrics, prompting her young pupils to follow along, they're still in a state of constant motion, hopping around and rolling on the floor.

And then, when the kids miss their cue for the new part of the dance, all she can do is laugh.

"I guess we're having too much fun," Beanan said.

The professional performer turned dance director and owner of Dance Connection, 7501 N. Cimarron Road, Suite 103, will no doubt whip her students into shape before it's time to take the stage. Beanan has been offering classes to all ages and operating her northwest studio for five years.

"Back then, it was different because we were pretty much the only (dance studio) out here," she said.

"The children had no other activities going on in this area, so it was nice for them to come here and stay out of trouble."

Other studios have sprouted up to serve the growing Centennial Hills area population, but Dance Connection is still going strong. Beanan and her staff teach tap, jazz, ballet and contemporary dance to more than 200 students from age 21/2 up to adults.

One of those adults is Martha Kiowski, who decided to join the fun after her daughter Isabel had been involved at the studio for two years.

"She was having so much fun I thought I'd take a few classes," Kiowski said.

"I take jazz and the Broadway performance classes, and Isabel takes those and tap, and she's in a new group Cherilyn just started this year called Mini Minstrels."

Kiowski said she has noticed a difference when she sees other youth groups performing at competitions.

"It tends to be really competitive, and I think our girls and boys are very level-headed," she said. "And every year, there is a recital, and it's kind of a cool bonding experience for me and my daughter. The whole family comes to watch. It keeps me young at heart."

Even the youngsters agree that Dance Connection offers a little something different.

"It's like a family here," said 13-year-old Ashlyn Miyama, who's been taking classes and performing for four years.

"We have a lot of fun. The most fun was when we got to perform at Disneyland, and we had workshops and got to work with professionals."

While a family-friendly environment is important to Beanan -- her own kids, Caitlin, 6, and Jared, 8, are very heavily into dance and performance -- she also believes exposure to a higher level of performance is essential.

In addition to rehearsing for shows at Disneyland, for regional dance competitions and in preparation for community events like the Lied Benefit Dinner and Centennial Hills Day, the students are regularly visited by guest professionals and choreographers.

Three finalists from the popular TV competition show "So You Think You Can Dance?" have dropped by the studio.

"All of our staff is professionally trained, they're not just dancers teaching," Beanan said.

"I think if you expose kids to that higher level, even though they are young, they are getting so much more out of it."

Dance Connection currently is gearing up for an all-ages performance of "The Music Man." For more information, visit www.dance connectionstudio.com.