Madison Dance Academy

Madison Dance Academy serves families from Sun Prairie and surrounding areas, offering competitive and recreational dance classes for ages 3 to adults. The studio occupies a 4,200 sq ft location in the Sun Prairie business park, providing a safe, clean environment with room to socially distance.

The academy teaches a full range of styles: pre-ballet, ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, acro, musical theater, and technique & conditioning classes. Classes are designed to fit individual needs and developmental stages, from tiny tots and preschool through adult dancers. The studio runs a competitive dance team and a hip hop team, and offers solo, duet, and trio training. They produce an annual recital (tickets available for the 2026 recital) and run summer intensives and summer sessions.

The teaching staff includes dancers with significant professional and competitive credentials. Maurissa Powell is a native of Madison who trained at the School of Madison Ballet, performed with Madison Ballet and other professional companies, and was recognized as a Silver medalist in Ballet at the 2019 NAACP's Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics. Jared Cataggatan is a UW-Madison student in the First Wave Hip-Hop & Urban Arts program who won a national title at the 2024 World Of Dance Summit in Los Angeles and teaches hip-hop choreography with emphasis on authentic technique. Rachelle Fochs is a former Madison Ballet principal dancer who became Ballet Master and School Director for Madison Ballet before retiring from professional performance in 2016; she teaches ballet with a focus on muscle and bone alignment. Courtney Kopchinski holds a BFA in Dance from UW-Madison and specializes in hip hop and contemporary with emphasis on floorwork. Isaac Knuteson is a professional dancer with extensive competition and summer intensive experience who has performed at major festivals including APAP, Trifecta Dance Festival, and World Of Dance Chicago, and currently judges for Fly Dance Competition. Carol Beld has over 42 years of teaching experience and holds master certification in dance. Many other instructors bring backgrounds in competitive dancing, teaching across multiple studios, and diverse style training.

Emily and Marcus Williams purchased the studio in July 2017. Emily grew up dancing from age 3 and is certified in ballet, tap, and jazz; she has coached a middle school dance team and taught at other studios. The studio emphasizes a family-friendly, nurturing environment with an anti-bullying policy. According to student reviews, it offers great communication, professional yet welcoming instruction, high expectations set in fun classes, and a strong team-building atmosphere.

Classes are age and developmentally appropriate across all levels. Instructors guide dancers through proper technique and choreography, from basics to professional level, in a safe, clean studio space. For first-time visitors unsure of level placement, the studio encourages you to email or call with questions.

The studio employs a large and accomplished teaching staff including Maurissa Powell (professional ballet dancer with Kennedy Center performance history), Jared Cataggatan (hip-hop specialist and World Of Dance Summit national title winner), Rachelle Fochs (former Madison Ballet principal dancer and Ballet Master), Courtney Kopchinski (BFA in Dance, hip-hop and contemporary specialist), Isaac Knuteson (professional performer and current competition judge), Carol Beld (42+ years teaching experience, master certified), and many others with competitive and teaching backgrounds across styles.

Pre-ballet, toddler, and preschool classes introduce basics and fundamentals through music, movement, and creativity in a fun atmosphere; the studio welcomes dancers new and old across all levels.