Buffalo Dance Center

Buffalo Dance Center has been teaching dance in Elma since 2012. The studio serves families across Western New York, including Lancaster, East Aurora and Alden, with an open-concept space that lets parents see and hear their child's class. Classes are intentionally kept small to ensure personalized instruction and accelerated development.

You can start as young as 18 months. The studio offers Dance With Me (parent-assisted for 18 months–3 years), Twirl & Tumble (ages 2.5–4), and Kinder Combo classes (ages 4–6) using the Once Upon a Ballet and Leap N Learn curricula. From age 7 onwards, students explore ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, acro, lyrical and contemporary, and musical theater. All music, choreography and costumes are age-appropriate—the studio explicitly avoids bare midriffs for toddlers and questionable lyrics.

The teaching team includes Stacey Dentinger (owner and director, with over 20 years of experience and advanced certifications including Yoga Alliance RYT 200), Justine Pettit (Buffalo State graduate with 15+ years of dance and 11 seasons performing in The Nutcracker), Amanda Klimek (University at Buffalo BA in Dance, Acrobatic Arts certified), Molly Derkovitz (SUNY Fredonia BFA, Acrobatic Arts and American Barre Technique certified, former Buffalo Bandette), Katrina Bierk (BFA in Theater & Dance, 20+ years of professional performance including principal roles, choreographed Carmen for Buffalo Opera Unlimited), Abhishek Sharma (20+ years of performing experience, Indian television dance show winner, teaches hip hop, Bhangra and Bollywood), Kelsey Martin (competitive dancer background, 4th grade teacher in Lancaster), Ali Steinmetz (UB Dazzlers performer, three-year Buffalo Bandettes member), and Hailie Suk (over a decade in dance education, PhD in Mechanical Engineering).

Performance and competition are woven into the year. All dancers perform in the annual recital 'Rhythm of the Night', and the Performance Team (ages 7+) adds one regional competition. The Company Team (ages 5+) pursues further competitive opportunities and conventions. Beyond formal performances, the studio creates community performance opportunities and master classes. The school year runs September through June with roughly 35 weeks of classes. Summer dance camps begin in July. No annual commitment is required—families can also join six-week workshops year-round. An After School Program serves grades K–5, and a Leadership Academy offers additional development.

On your first visit, you or your child will experience small-group instruction in an open-concept studio where you can observe. Classes emphasize proper technique, age-appropriate music and choreography, and personal attention. The studio offers a complimentary 'Dancer For a Day' trial class for all ages.

The studio is led by owner Stacey Dentinger, an award-winning choreographer and educator with over 20 years of teaching experience and Yoga Alliance certification. The faculty includes specialists trained at Buffalo State, SUNY Fredonia, University at Buffalo, Syracuse University, Cincinnati Ballet and Joffrey Ballet School, with several holding degrees in dance and professional performance backgrounds ranging from 15 to 20+ years. Several instructors are Acrobatic Arts certified and bring experience from professional dance companies and Broadway-adjacent work.

The studio welcomes dancers of all experience levels from toddlers (18 months+) through teens, with no prior dance experience needed.