W.D.E was founded in 1983 by Wendy Frederick, then passed on to Jacqui Frederick in 2003. Our main focus is to provide a healthy environment for kids and adults of all ages to learn the art of dance.
WAPPINGERS DANCE EDUCATORS, located in the Nine Mall on Route 9 in Wappingers Falls, offers a unique combination of responsible and comprehensive dance training in a friendly and caring environment. The spacious studio features beautiful sprung oak flooring to cushion against injuries, a comfortable waiting room with observation windows to dance floor, air-conditioning, and convenience to shopping and restaurants. Classes are conducted daily, Monday through Saturday, September through June.
Studio rules are reasonable, tuition is affordable, and special family rates are always in effect. Parents are allowed to view classes whenever they wish. Specially colored dancewear is not a requirement. All students have the option to perform in our annual dance recital, which is given as a benefit each June.
Students are disciplined to work hard, and always encouraged to do their best. It is recognized, however, that everyone’s “best” reflects different results, and our students are taught to take pride in individual accomplishments, whether their own or those of others in their group.
Teamwork is stressed. Comparisons among students are never made, and each person is accepted for their own capabilities.
Friendship is an important part of our philosophy, and it is one of our goals to have our students form enduring bonds that may enrich their lives. The dancing school experience can benefit even those who are not naturally gifted, developing coordination and confidence, respect and self-discipline, self-esteem, and mental awareness.
We take special care to provide extracurricular training opportunities for qualified students, keeping the studio up-to-date with all that is new and innovative in dance. National seminars and conventions held during the year in various cities are attended by members of the studio, sponsored by such organizations as Dance Educators and Dance Masters of America, the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Artists, Dance Olympus, Tremaine, Pulse, ASH, and Dance Caravan tours, as well as several independent workshops.
In 1986 and 1988, several of our students were provided with the opportunity to attend the International Seminar of All-American Dance Congress in Montreal, Canada, where they spent five days studying with well-known teachers from France, Canada, and the U.S.A.