There’s one less empty storefront on Main Street in the Village of Webster. ROC Dance has moved into the former Whimsies shop at 32 East Main St., at least doubling the dance studio’s space for classes and rehearsals.
Owner Charlotte Buckley said she’s still using her original studio at 30 East Main, which is located beneath the new space, its main door opening to the back parking lot. But when she saw the opportunity to expand, she jumped on it.
“We love our space downstairs,” she said, “but it is a basement, and this is just a great, beautiful light space.” It provides much more room for her ever-growing programs, with the added advantage of being spacious enough for her competition groups to rehearse, rather than having to rent rehearsal space. Plus, being right on Main Street will give the dance school much better exposure.
Charlotte also plans to use the new space to offer free programs for the community.
They’ve already begun that, with their “Wiggly Wednesdays,” a program designed for parents and their toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy a morning of active fun together. Every first Wednesday of the month at 10 a.m., the dance studio transforms into a “playful paradise featuring a variety of across equipment and toys that inspire movement and creativity.”
Charlotte explained, “Moms and their little ones can come, take a class, maybe grab a coffee at Village Bakery after and just get a chance to connect.”
Looking ahead, Charlotte is planning special Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Easter events at which parents can drop off their children, who will enjoy crafts, games, music and dancing, all for free. And she’ll continue to participate in Village events like the Firemen’s Parade and the Trick or Treat Trail. Except this time she’ll be able to set up her candy table outside her own front door on Main Street.
Charlotte would eventually also like to introduce more retail sales into the much larger space.
“There’s no dance store on the east side, outside of Pittsford,” she said. “So a lot of our families have to go to Pittsford. My goal is to turn this the next couple of years into a fully-fledged dance store,” which would benefit her students as well as other local dance studios.
Significant renovations had to be completed before she could open, like putting in new flooring, removing some walls and building an office. And even a few days ago they were still finishing up some final painting. But classes are already using the new space, so next time you’re walking by the studio, peek in the front window to see what’s going on!
And better yet, mark your calendars now to stop by during ROC Dance’s Grand Opening on Friday Oct. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. Check out the details on the flyer below and find out more at the event website here.
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(posted 9/22/2024)
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