Shreveport Dance Academy

Shreveport Dance Academy is a full-service studio committed to nurturing dancers of all ages and experience levels. The academy traces its roots to 1962, when Marion Mills opened Theatre School of Dance, which later founded the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet in 1973. After Mills' retirement in 1999, the studio continued under new ownership, and in 2003 Emily Huber Seale—a former Mills student and Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet performer—took over Theatre School of Dance. Under Kendra Feazel Meiki's direction, the Shreveport location expanded with new studio space and competitive dance teams, evolving into Shreveport Dance Academy. In 2021, Keeley Pratt, a longtime SDA instructor, became owner and director. The current faculty includes members who trained directly under Marion Mills as well as several SDA alumni.

SDA's 9,900 square foot facility features four separate studio rehearsal spaces with safe, sprung wood floors, large mirrors, closed-circuit cameras for classroom viewing, and a spacious lobby with plenty of seating and a lounge where dancers can relax and store belongings.

The Academy Classes program is designed for younger students and beginning dancers ages 2–7, as well as adults ages 12 and up. Classes teach the fundamentals of ballet, tap, jazz, acro, and hip hop in a more relaxed environment using ROADMAPS, SDA's innovative skill reinforcement plan. Dancers must be potty trained to begin classes. No previous dance experience is required. Academy Classes pricing begins at $95 per month for the first class, with each additional class at $57 per month.

The Elite Academy Classes program is for dancers ages 7 and up who wish to pursue dance at a higher level. Elite Academy follows a more rigorous curriculum and requires greater dedication. Dancers in Elite Academy jazz or tap must enroll in at least one Elite Academy ballet technique class. Dancers receive personalized feedback through year-end progress assessments. Elite Academy offers beginning through advanced+ levels in ballet technique, tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, lyrical, musical theater, pointe, and variations & repertoire. Pricing is the same as Academy Classes but extends to 9 classes per week at $551 per month.

SDA offers a College Dance Team Prep Class on Thursday 5:00 pm–6:00 pm for dancers preparing for college auditions. The studio runs a Summer Intensive program each June, welcoming professional dancers and choreographers for a week of training. Performance opportunities include the annual recital (held at Scottish Rite Cathedral Downtown Shreveport), participation in Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet productions, and regional competitions. The studio observes holiday breaks for Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, Martin Luther King Day, Spring Break, and Good Friday. The program runs from late August through mid-May (36 weeks). Make-up classes are available when a dancer misses a scheduled class, provided they are scheduled within thirty days of the missed class.

You can tour the facility, observe classes, and speak directly with staff to determine the right program for your dancer. Contact the office or visit 2537 East 70th Street to discuss placement and get answers to your questions.

The faculty includes members who trained directly under Marion Mills at Theatre School of Dance as well as several SDA alumni. Owner and director Keeley Pratt is a longtime SDA instructor.

Academy Classes require no previous dance experience and are designed to teach fundamentals in a relaxed environment for ages 2–7 and adults ages 12 and up.