AC Dance & Company

Legacy Dance Company operates from a location in Mauldin, SC (with a second location in Newberry) and teaches a full spectrum of dance styles to students aged 2 and up. The studio offers classical ballet training that develops line, form, muscle strength, flexibility, balance and coordination, which forms the foundation for all dance forms. Jazz classes use ballet technique to create stylized movement influenced by the mood and music of each decade, with styles including lyrical jazz, theater jazz, funk jazz, and modern jazz. Tap develops rhythmic sounds with the full foot or ball of the foot, evolving from the Irish Jig into many different styles and forms. Hip-hop refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music, stemming from break dancing and popularized by shows like America's Best Dance Crew and So You Think You Can Dance. Contemporary combines elements of classical ballet, modern, jazz and lyrical, focusing on versatility, floor work, and improvisation. Clogging is taught in the studio's American folk dance style incorporating buck and Canadian steps. Acrobatics uses flexibility to perfect contortion tricks and basic floor tumbling. For the youngest dancers, the Rising Stars program (ages 3–4) includes basic ballet, basic tap, and basic acro/gymnastics.

Classes follow a structured curriculum of barre work to stretch muscles and attain flexibility, center work to further progress away from the ballet barre, across-the-floor exercises for combining movements, and combinations of 16 to 32 counts of music at appropriate difficulty levels. The studio runs a Spring Recital in which all classes (except acro-only classes) participate. Young beginners in the Mommy & Me/Get Movin' program (age 2) and Rising Stars (ages 3–4) start at $40 and $55 monthly respectively, while standard 1-hour classes begin at $65 monthly. The studio offers flexible pricing: a 2-class bundle costs $120 per month, a 3-class core training bundle is $165 per month, and unlimited tuition applies once a student enrolls in 5 or more hours weekly ($280 for individual, $350 for families). Family discounts include 10% off the second student and 20% off the third and subsequent students. Classes run from September 8th through May each year.

Ashley Pritchett, owner and director, has danced since childhood and trained under Christie Leonard for 15 years in Cecchetti and Vaganova methods of ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, tap, and Canadian/buck style clogging. She is the former director of Furman University's dance team and has studied at conventions including West Coast Dance Explosion, Jump, and Adrenaline, taking master classes with choreographers and dancers such as Brandon Tyler (Broadway dancer in A Chorus Line), Eric Campros (back-up dancer to well-known music artists), Paul Franklin (works with Cirque de Soleil dancers), and Pavel Romanyuk (dancer for the Bolshoi Ballet Company in Moscow, Russia). She has received several scholarships from dance conventions, won numerous overall titles at regional and national competitions, and has performed in Miss South Carolina and Miss South Carolina Teen pageants as well as productions including The Nutcracker, Enchanted Toy Shop, Little Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel. Ashley's students have won many overall titles at regional and national dance competitions, pageants including Miss Hilltopper, Miss Woodmont, and Miss Golden Strip Teen, and talent portions within those pageants. The studio has worked with Inspire National Dance Competition, Empire National Dance Competition, Marvonna National Dance Competition, and Star Talent Productions. Ashley has taken numerous courses in Anatomy and Physiology, Sports Medicine, and Food and Nutrition and is knowledgeable about injury treatment and proper technique to eliminate long-term damage. The instructor team includes Victoria Yanchuck, Bridgette Watson, Mina Henderson, Jenaiah Callaham, and Karmen Ibarra.

The studio recently transitioned ownership: Ms. Christie, who had co-owned AC Dance & Company and taught for over 30 years, retired from co-ownership. Ashley, who grew up dancing at the studio, has taken over full ownership. In honour of the legacy Christie started, the studio is now known as Legacy Dance Company. Most of the staff—Mrs. Bridgette, Mrs. Jordan, and Mrs. Sara Frances—also grew up dancing at the studio alongside Ashley.

You register online through the parent portal specific to your location (Mauldin or Newberry), choose from classes ranging from Mommy & Me at age 2 through adult levels, select your styles, and pay tuition divided into 9 monthly payments. Dress codes vary by style—ballet requires a solid-colour leotard with pink tights and pink ballet shoes, while hip-hop allows any colour dance wear with clean tennis shoes. You'll participate in the Spring Recital at the end of the season unless you're in an acro-only class.

Ashley Pritchett, owner and director, has trained in Cecchetti and Vaganova ballet methods, pointe, contemporary, jazz, tap, and clogging over 15 years, and is the former director of Furman University's dance team. She has studied at major conventions and with Broadway dancers and choreographers, won scholarships and numerous competition titles, and teaches jazz, tap, contemporary, flexibility, strength and technique to all ages. She is trained in anatomy, physiology, sports medicine, and injury prevention. The teaching team also includes Victoria Yanchuck, Bridgette Watson, Mina Henderson, Jenaiah Callaham, and Karmen Ibarra.

The studio welcomes students from age 2 and offers structured programs for young beginners (Mommy & Me for age 2, Rising Stars for ages 3–4) that introduce basic ballet, tap, and acro/gymnastics.