Altadenans.com

Sue B. Dance Company

Sue B. Dance Company, located at 2525 N. Lake Ave., is celebrating their 20th anniversary of offering their services to the Altadena community. Sue B. Dance Company is a full-service dance and performing arts studio with a curriculum including Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Creative Movement, Hip Hop, Hula, Folk Dance, and the recent addition of Drama. Altadenans.com recently had the opportunity to sit down with Owner and Director Sue Black between classes and ask her some questions…

Can you tell us a bit about what you have to offer to the community?
Dance provides many benefits. We teach students from age 2 and a half to adult. For children, taking dance teaches you discipline and time management, which helps your academic life. Many recent studies have also indicated that studying arts improves math skills. I don’t think there is enough physical education in schools these days, and kids need to get off the couch with the TV and video games, and be more active! In addition to inactivity, what kids eat has been contributing to increasing levels of obesity. Dance encourages physical fitness and activity. It also helps enhance agility and flexibility, which helps in other sports such as soccer and football and helps prevent injuries.

What have you noticed about the community of Altadena?
I think that Altadena has a very nice, small community feel. There is a closeness among the people here. It’s community. I feel the support of the people here. And since I live in Altadena myself, I enjoy seeing people I work with on a daily basis, like running into them at the bank or the grocery store. It wouldn’t be as enjoyable for me to live somewhere else – I believe that when people have a business, it’s important for them to live in that community.

What are you most proud of?
I’m always most proud of the achievements of my students. Our crowning moment is when we see the End of Year Program – our next one is scheduled for June 27th, 2010 at the Wilshire-Ebell Theatre. We also have a Christmas program, which is a dinner show called “The Twelve Days of Christmas” on December 13 at the Davis Auditorium at Farnsworth Park. I am also proud of the kids when I see them perform for events such as the recent LA Sparks half-time show and the upcoming Pasadena Art Night on Oct. 9. I love to see my former students, and I’ve even had former students grow up and bring their own children to me for classes. It’s not easy to sustain a dance business. We haven’t been in business for 20 years for nothing!

What message would you like to communicate to Altadena?
Support the local arts! Altadena has so much to offer. There’s really no need to go outside the neighborhood. Go local!

Sue B. Dance Co.
2525 N. Lake Ave.
Altadena, CA 91001
(626) 797-1837