West Valley Dance Company - Willow Glen

West Valley Dance Company's Willow Glen studio opened in 2016 as the company's second location, near bustling Lincoln Avenue. The studio offers year-round classes for all ages from 18 months to adult in ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, acrobatics, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, ballroom and Latin, and competitive team training.

The Willow Glen location is directed by Traci Colons, a teaching artist in the Bay Area for over 25 years with extensive background in tap, ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, musical theatre, and hip hop. Traci has worked as a school librarian and instructional assistant, bringing her love of storytelling and reading into dance and performance classes. She teaches Musical Theatre Camps in San Francisco during summers and works with local community theatre companies including Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre and Stage 1 Theatre, where she serves as Board Member and Director of Education.

Classes range from Tiny Tots (18 months to 2.5 years), designed to develop balance, coordination, and simple dance technique through exciting activities and props, to advanced competitive teams. Performance Team Classes combine jazz technique with choreography performed at holiday events and the end-of-year recital. Competitive teams focus on ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop technique, competing February through July at local and national competitions. The studio also offers wedding dance lessons for couples of all experience levels.

Monthly tuition runs from $106 for one class per week to $452 for five classes per week. Unlimited plans cost $519 for one student, $682 for two students, or $774 for three students (same household only). Drop-in classes are $35, and a 10-class pass is $275. Competition dancers pay $30 per month for each additional class (all classes except Acro), plus 1 hour of Acro or stretching and conditioning under the unlimited plan; each additional half-hour Acro class is $30 per month. Tuition is due on the 1st of each month and remains the same amount year-round, as it is averaged over the entire dance year.

The studio runs an Open House on August 22, 2026, and presents the Toy Story! Recital in June 2027. Birthday parties are available in four packages: Gold ($525 for members, $575 non-members, 1.5 hours), Diamond ($575 for members, $625 non-members, 2 hours), Platinum ($750 for members, $800 non-members, 2.5 hours with pizzas and craft), and Acro Package ($575 for members, $625 non-members, 2 hours). All packages include a mini dance routine performance, cake and food time, WVDC gift for the birthday child, and one class coupon for all guests.

West Valley Dance Company traces its roots to Action Day Schools, founded in the mid-1970s as a nurturing place for children while parents worked. The first dance class took place on April 5, 1976, in a small classroom on Moorpark Avenue in San Jose. The program flourished, and by the late 1990s Action Day Dance Academy had grown to over 800 students. From 1976 to 2009, more than 15,000 dancers passed through its studios. In 2009, founder Cathy Jelic—inspired by her oldest daughter's passion—launched the West Valley Dance Cats team with 20 dancers. The team performed at Disneyland's Main Street USA and won numerous awards. By 2015, the program had expanded into West Valley Dance Company (WVDC) with teams for various age groups, including Dance Kittens and Tom Cats (all-boys hip hop). In April 2015, WVDC opened its first independent studio at Bascom Avenue with Tiffany Blue accents, crystal chandeliers, and plush seating. The Willow Glen studio followed in 2016. That year, the annual recital production of Peter Pan featured a flying cast and three sold-out shows. In 2020, WVDC shifted to virtual classes and a virtual recital. In 2021, the company added ballroom dance classes and an Acrobatic Arts program, including Tiny Tumblers for toddlers and Buddy & Me classes.

Classes range from tiny tots through advanced performers, with year-round instruction in ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, lyrical, and acrobatics. You'll find age-appropriate group classes and competitive teams, plus specialized offerings like musical theater and ballroom dance. The Willow Glen studio is located on Lincoln Avenue and offers flexible schedules with multiple class times per week.

Traci Colons directs the Willow Glen studio. A teaching artist in the Bay Area for over 25 years, Traci trained in tap, ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, musical theatre, and hip hop. She has worked as a school librarian and instructional assistant, integrating storytelling into her dance teaching. She teaches Musical Theatre Camps in San Francisco and works with local community theatre, serving as Board Member and Director of Education at Stage 1 Theatre.

Classes serve all ages from 18 months to adult; Tiny Tots introduces dance basics through activities and props, and wedding dance lessons are offered for couples with no experience needed.