Central Virginia Dance Academy

Central Virginia Dance Academy opened in 2008 under the direction of Anne Wash, owner and artistic director. The studio is renowned for providing exceptional training in both ballet and commercial dance for dancers of all levels, from serious students to recreational enthusiasts. CVDA believes there is a place for every dancer, and its mission centers on creating an atmosphere of acceptance where dancers develop fearlessness, innovation, and continuous growth.

The studio offers multiple divisions and class tracks. The Open Division serves ages 12 and up with ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, and modern classes. Ballet offerings range from Open Ballet (for those new to ballet or with 1–2 years' experience) to Open Pointe, which requires recommendation from a ballet teacher and completion of Ballet 3. Contemporary blends ballet, jazz, lyrical, and modern techniques. The high-energy jazz programme includes warm-ups with isolations, flexibility, and strength building, plus jazz skills, leaps, turns, and original choreography. Hip-hop classes at foundations, progressions, intermediate, and pre-advanced levels feature current dance trends and popular steps. Modern students explore free and expressive technique including parallel, floor work, fall and recovery, and improvisation. Musical Theatre classes at foundations, intermediate, and advanced levels develop characterization, self-confidence, and Broadway-style performance skills.

The studio's faculty includes Anne Wash, who trained at Radford University (B.F.A. in dance), performed with Concert Ballet of Virginia in roles including Sugar Plum Fairy and Myrta in Giselle, and trained at Broadway Dance Center, Steps, and Dance Sport in New York City. She has attended teacher workshops at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019) with Marcia Dale Weary and Darla Hoover, completed a Royal Ballet of London teacher's workshop in 2014, and attended Pacific Northwest Ballet's teacher seminar in 2018. Abigail Brunet, production coordinator and faculty member, has been with CVDA since its opening in 2008, trained in the Balanchine method at Richmond Ballet, and has performed lead roles including Snow Queen and Sugarplum Fairy in CVDA's Nutcracker production. Erin Miller, Competition Director and faculty, graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Dance and Choreography, and has taught summer choreography and technique camps with the Randolph-Macon Dance Team since 2013. Gin Smith, Production Director and faculty, received her BA in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Musical Theatre from Point Park University and has worked as choreographer and assistant director at Orlando Repertory Theatre. Mackenzie Cherry teaches yoga and pilates, holding 200-hour Yoga Alliance certification from 2004 and study with Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India, as well as Stott Pilates and Niche Pilates certifications.

Students at CVDA have gone on to dance at Appomattox Regional Governor's School, Henrico Center for the Arts, James Madison University Dance Program, George Mason Dance Program, Radford University Dance Program, AMDA College and Conservatory for Performing Arts, and Joffrey Ballet Trainee programme. Dancers have also been accepted to Longwood, George Mason, and Virginia Tech dance teams, and to summer programmes across the country. The studio's dance company performs The Nutcracker yearly at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen. CVDA was recognised in Richmond Magazine's 'Best Of Richmond Edition' in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 as 'Best Dance Studio for Children's Classes'.

Classes in the Open Division perform their Showcase routine in two shows annually. The main season runs from mid-September through the end of May (30 weeks), with a separate summer session. Summer adult classes include Adult Ballet on Wednesday 7:30–8:30pm and Adult Modern on Thursday 7:15–8:15pm, with specific dates offered in June, July, and August. Private lessons in dance and pilates/reformer are available at $75–$100 depending on the instructor. Enrollment is season-based, and families receive an automatic discount as the hourly rate decreases with more total hours taken. Students who pay the full season upfront by September 1st receive 5% off. The studio offers monthly payment options and auto-draft sign-up through an online portal.

Classes are organised by level and age group, with clear dress codes for each style. You can drop in for adult summer classes or enrol for the full 30-week season (September to May) with flexible monthly payment options. The studio emphasises technique alongside characterisation and performance skills.

Anne Wash, owner and artistic director, trained at Radford University and performed with Concert Ballet of Virginia; she has studied at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, the Royal Ballet of London, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Abigail Brunet, production coordinator and faculty, has been at the studio since 2008 and trained in the Balanchine method. Erin Miller, Competition Director and faculty, holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. Gin Smith, Production Director and faculty, earned her BA in Theatre Arts with a concentration in Musical Theatre from Point Park University. Mackenzie Cherry teaches yoga and pilates with 200-hour Yoga Alliance certification and Stott Pilates and Niche Pilates certifications.

Open Ballet is designed for those new to ballet or with only 1–2 years of experience; Hip-Hop Foundations serves ages 7–10; Musical Theatre Foundations serves ages 7–11.