Cleveland City Dance

Cleveland City Dance has been serving Northeast Ohio dancers since 1965, when it was founded by Alexis Martin of England. In 2004, director Courtney Laves-Mearini relocated the school to its current home at 13108 Shaker Square. The studio operates with a team of 20 professionally trained instructors and serves students from 18 months to 90 years old.

The school offers classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, contemporary, musical theater, and occasional flamenco and African dance. A significant part of the community is the in-residence City Ballet of Cleveland, a pre-professional, non-profit ballet company. Students may audition for the company in spring, audition for the Uniquely Cleveland Nutcracker in September, and Story Ballet performances in January. More than 200 youth participate in ballet classes alone.

Programs are organized by age and experience: Blooming Dancers serves ages 3–9 in a stress-free, nurturing environment; Aspiring Dancers serves ages 10–19 during a transformative season of skill-building and discipline; and Life in Motion caters to teens and adults seeking self-care through dance. A Pilates class is offered for mature adults, meeting Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00–10:00 a.m., and a Ballet barre & balance class runs Friday mornings. The studio also runs Summer Twirling Tots camps and a broader summer program.

Instructors include specialists in their fields: April Hirsh-Urban teaches tap; Sara Lawrence-Sucato teaches modern, tap, and ballet; Heather Koniz is the Young Modern Dance Teacher and Executive Director to the In-Residence City Ballet of Cleveland; Ethan Michael Lee teaches All Boys' Ballet; Johanna Kester teaches Musical Theater; Mary Caitrin Lynch teaches Irish Dance; Saundra Bohl teaches flamenco; and Tami Small teaches musical theater, jazz, tap, and Zena Rommett Floor-Barre Technique. Recent faculty additions include Johan Mancebo, a ballet dancer who has performed soloist and principal roles with Sibiu Ballet Theater in Romania and joined Cleveland Ballet in 2023; Devan Amber, a certified Pure Barre instructor and Dance Program Manager at Rainey Institute; and Cassidy Cipollo, who graduated from Kent State with a BA in Dance Studies and performed at the American College Dance Association and Ohio Dance Festival.

The studio is located behind a modest white storefront near the Atlas Theater in Shaker Square. Classes run Monday–Thursday 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 4:15–9:00 p.m.; Friday 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 4:30–7:30 p.m.; and Saturday 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. An annual membership fee of $35 includes a welcome gift, priority access to class placement and performance opportunities, early registration for special events, and complimentary costume measuring. Tuition is based on the number of classes taken weekly, with multi-class and sibling discounts applied, and monthly payments divided into nine equal installments from September–May, paid on the 1st of each month. The studio also offers studio rentals and online/virtual class options.

You'll find a warm, welcoming environment where instructors know students by name and provide personal attention in small classes. Classes blend technique with confidence-building, and you'll notice progress—in posture, focus, and strength—within weeks. Birthday Basket celebrations and a surprise welcome gift help you feel at home from day one.

The school employs 20 professionally trained instructors with decades of combined experience. Notable faculty include April Hirsh-Urban (tap), Sara Lawrence-Sucato (modern, tap, ballet), Heather Koniz (young modern dance, executive director of City Ballet of Cleveland), Ethan Michael Lee (boys' ballet), Johanna Kester (musical theater), Mary Caitrin Lynch (Irish dance), Saundra Bohl (flamenco), Tami Small (musical theater, jazz, tap, Floor-Barre Technique), Johan Mancebo (ballet, soloist with Cleveland Ballet), Devan Amber (certified Pure Barre instructor), and Cassidy Cipollo (ballet, modern, contemporary).

Classes welcome dancers of all levels, with instruction tailored to ability; beginners are guided with supportive instruction and confidence building happens naturally.