Presence Thru Movement

After a year that’s tested the creativity of many a dance studio, one local stalwart is chomping at the bit to return to form. And as its done successfully over the past 12 months and then some, BritZa Studios will continue its track record of trying new things and taking new approaches in order to keep inspiring young performers to love the artform of dance.

New owner Amanda Hahn sees the opportunity in a return to the stage after a year of adjusted protocols, schedules and expectations. The studio has a more than 25-year history, and, since being founded by longtime owner Jill Kunstle, its focus has been on providing a safe and positive environment for students to challenge themselves and develop self-confidence.

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“We really strive for progress over perfection, for sure,” Hahn said. “We want to provide excellent dance instruction, but also help create well-rounded humans. The arts can help form people and create people who become well-rounded, awesome adults.”

Instilling the values of teamwork and lifting others up is at the heart of BritZa’s approach to dance, and that hasn’t changed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students and parents alike have embraced the studio’s approach in navigating the past year, including largely virtual rehearsals. But as BritZa approaches a light at the end of the tunnel in time for its annual recitals this spring, students and instructors are looking forward to a return to the space the studio calls home.

The spring performance, to be held May 13-15 at the Washington Pavilion, will still include protocols, such as dancers being masked backstage, spacing out audience seating and conscious entrance and exit strategies for dancers going to and from the stage, but Hahn sees the enthusiasm to perform outweighing the restrictions.

“I think that’s a small sacrifice to make as long as you get to be back on the stage and have people feel as safe as possible,” she said of the event, which will also serve as an alumni celebration of founder Kunstle, affectionately known to all involved as “Miss Jill.”

“I think there’s just a lot of celebration to be had when we get back on stage—to celebrate everything Miss Jill instilled in all of us. And the dreams we can continue.”

This careful approach to providing a great experience for all is nothing new for BritZa, which puts painstaking effort into placing students in the best possible scenarios for them to thrive. This includes finding the best fit for a student’s age group and keeping students together over time to develop bonds that last years.

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“Just like other sports, you gain those friendships—something you can stick with from the age of three to when you graduate from high school,” Hahn said. “These friendships are just so rich and full.”

And finding new ways to build interest in the artform of movement is something Hahn strives to continue well into the future, including a planned summer performance of Seussical the Musical Jr. as part of the studio’s musical theatre curriculum headed up by fellow instructor Emily Smith. Once participants have received their COVID-19 vaccines, BritZa also hopes to start back up its Dance for Parkinson’s program, which uses dance as an inroad to open up pathways to positive movement.

“I always knew that it was so good for your brain to dance, but to see someone with Parkinson’s. where even just that first step that is such a barrier, moving from the carpeted side of the studio to the wood-floor side … movement creates new pathways, new little highways for your brain. It’s amazing.”

A former student of BritZa herself, Hahn has a devotion to the studio’s mission that’s lifelong. She understands the richness that dance has brought to her life during her ups and downs, and she’s dedicated to continuing Miss Jill’s endeavors to give that same level of self-confidence and satisfaction to other generations.

“It goes back to what I got out of it,” she said. “The essence of dance is joy and the emotional outlet it can bring for you. When hard times come along, there’s dance. You can leave it all at the door and you can be present through movement.

“And when you pick it back up, it feels different. It feels lighter. It gives you a new perspective.”