Signature School of the Arts (home of Future of Dance)

Signature School of the Arts, home of Future of Dance, is a comprehensive performing arts school in Sarasota offering dance, music, theater and creative training. Founded by Melissa Dobbs, who brings more than 25 years of leadership in performing arts education and has taught and mentored more than 10,000 students, the school launched in Sarasota in 2021 after Dobbs relocated and began Future of Dance as a pilot initiative. The school represents the evolution of her time-tested teaching methodology grounded in classical training and informed by research in neuroscience, mind-body connection, and childhood development.

Youth students train in a wide range of dance styles including classical ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop. Early Childhood classes (ages 4–5) blend technical training with creativity, musicality and confidence building through combination tap and movement classes and early childhood ballet, with students performing in winter and spring showcases. Youth dance classes (ages 6–18) include discipline-specific instruction in classical ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop, with students participating in ensembles and performance opportunities. The school also offers youth music lessons in piano and voice, youth theater classes including musical theater and acting, and summer programs.

The Conservatory is a pre-professional, daytime program for highly motivated students, offering sequential training for dancers, musicians, actors and interdisciplinary artists. Students work within a structured, mentorship-driven environment grounded in artistic rigor and informed by research in neuroscience and human development. Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Conservatory divisions meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday with classes including yoga, ballet, modern, hip-hop, theater, tap, musical theater, life skills and self-defense, and music theory. The Conservatory is by audition only, with tuition of $6,750 per year when paid in full or $1,000 non-refundable deposit plus 10 monthly installments of $650. Additional studio classes are available at $10 per class hour per month. The school is eligible for reimbursement through the Step Up For Students PEP Scholarship Program.

Adult programs include private Pilates training on Stott reformers, semi-private reformer classes limited to 4 students, group mat classes combining ballet, yoga and Pilates, and dance classes in ballet, tap and jazz for all ages and levels. Private training costs $120 per lesson or $1,100 for 10 lessons. Semi-private reformer programs are $120 monthly for one class per week or $190 for two classes per week, with single classes at $40 or a 10-class package at $350. Group dance classes are $10 per single class.

The faculty includes distinguished professionals trained and performed at highly respected conservatories, companies and theaters. Named instructors include Melissa Dobbs (founder), Marilyn Baird (early childhood), Liz Fegley (institute), Chloe and Maud (tap/African), Roger (modern/ballet), Lesley and Jackie (ballet), Tamara Crean (Pilates and anatomy), Dan (musical theater and mindfulness), and others. The school produces fully staged, real-world performance opportunities and holds a spring production.

Classes are taught in a professional, age-appropriate environment with strong emphasis on technique and artistic expression. Youth students typically attend showcases in winter and spring, and adults can drop in or commit to term-based classes. The school's approach honours discipline and individuality, cultivating artists who are technically strong, intellectually curious, and deeply expressive.

The faculty includes founder Melissa Dobbs, who brings over 25 years of leadership in performing arts education and has taught and mentored more than 10,000 students. Additional named instructors include Marilyn Baird (early childhood), Liz Fegley (institute), Chloe and Maud (tap/African), Roger (modern/ballet), Lesley and Jackie (ballet), Tamara Crean (Pilates and anatomy), and Dan (musical theater and mindfulness). All faculty have trained and performed at highly respected conservatories, companies and theaters.

Adult classes are designed for all ages and abilities; youth programs include early childhood classes (ages 4–5) and structured progression through age divisions, though the Conservatory is by audition only.