Classes & Workshops

Creative Dance Center is located in the beautiful Haller Lake Community Club in a residential neighborhood just off Aurora Avenue North.

12577 Densmore Avenue North is just south of the North 128th Street and Densmore Avenue North intersection.

From Aurora Avenue North, go east on N 128th Street. Northbound on I-5, take the NE 130th Street exit. Southbound on I-5, take the NE 145th Street exit.

From either exit, head west and turn south on Meridian N and west on N 128th.

Parking & Additional Info

We have plenty of free parking. Our office is located next door to the studio, just to the north at 12583 Densmore Ave. N.

Visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ for convenient bus routes from your neighborhood.

Here are the dates for the 2021-2022 School Year:

All classes follow the 17-week schedule except Nurturing Baby, Creative Modern for Adults, Dance & Exercise, and Keep Moving for 40+.

FALL/WINTER 2021

Fall/Winter Session: 17-Week Session Monday, September 13, 2021 through Saturday, January 29, 2022.

Fall Nurturing Baby and Adult Class Schedule:
Fall 13-week session: Monday, September 13 through Saturday, December 18, 2021

Winter 11-week session: Monday, January 3 through Saturday, March 26, 2022

No classes:
November 22 – 28, 2021 (Thanksgiving break)
December 20, 2021 – January 2, 2022 (Winter break)
Monday, January 17, 2022 (MLK Day)

WINTER/SPRING 2022

Winter/Spring Session: 17-Week Session Monday, January 31 through Monday, June 13, 2022.

Fall Nurturing Baby and Adult Class Schedule:
Winter 11-week session: Monday, January 3 through Saturday, March 26, 2022

Spring 10-week session: Monday, March 28 through Monday, June 13, 2022

No classes:
February 21 – 27, 2022 (Mid-winter break)
April 11 – 17, 2022 (Spring break)
Monday, May 30, 2022 (Memorial Day)

Covid Information and Guidelines for In-Person Classes and Camps

We are excited to welcome students back into our building this fall! To ensure the health and safety of our students, families, staff, and faculty, the Creative Dance Center will follow or exceed federal, state, and/or local COVID-19 public health requirements and guidelines. Due to the evolving nature of the pandemic, public health recommendations and requirements may change. The Creative Dance Center will remain responsive and adaptive and will adjust safety protocols as needed.

Creative Dance Center is committed to the following COVID-19 protocols: masks are required for students and guardians ages 2 and up, regardless of vaccination status; required Assumption of Risk, Health Screening, and Release of Liability for all students before each session; hand sanitizing stations available throughout the building; break times between classes have been lengthened allowing one class to fully exit the building before the next class enters; cleaning and sanitizing of high use areas and props; only staff, faculty, and students are allowed to stay in the building (exceptions may be made on a case by case basis in consultation with CDC Director, Terry Goetz).

At this time our class sizes are limited to make physical distancing in the space possible. We may implement floor markings to guide students in maintaining physical distance during class.

Detailed COVID-19 procedures will be shared with registered students prior to your first class. This email will include important information on how to prepare for coming to the Creative Dance Center for class, what to bring, parent and dancer drop-off and pick-up information, and more. Working together we can stay safe and healthy as we dance in our physical space once again!

Please review our current COVID-19 Safety Protocols HERE. These will be updated if the Creative Dance Center makes any changes to safety procedures based on guidelines and requirements from federal, state, local governments and public health agencies.

Any additional questions about COVID-19 procedures can be directed to bronwen@creativedance.org.

We are excited to offer our Brain-Compatible Dance Education classes online while COVID-19 precludes gathering safely in the studio. CDC’s virtual classes are taught by our award-winning faculty, all experienced in leading fun and engaging dance classes over Zoom since Creative Dance Center moved online in March.

You should have a clear, safe space to move – CDC students have been dancing in their living rooms, bedrooms, playrooms and basements! For the best virtual class experience, we recommend using a laptop or desktop computer. Make sure your device has plenty of battery life!

Before registering please review these tips from Zoom to make sure you have the technology needed to participate successfully. Please familiarize yourself with Zoom in advance to prepare for the online learning experience. A hardwired connection is recommended over wifi. Check out helpful tips here and here to improve your Zoom connection.

Please note: Covid Protocols may prohibit normal operations as described below. Please refer to the Detailed Covid Guidelines when they become available for protocols during the pandemic. Thank you!

Welcome! Our Caregiver-Child classes include Nurturing Baby and Family Dance (formerly Caregiver/Toddler, Caregiver/Tot/Child, and Caregiver/Child). Children and adults should wear comfortable clothing (we get down on the floor!) and we dance in bare feet.

When we are back in studio, in our main lobby you will find a poster easel with the Dance Concept we will be exploring that week in class as well as any important information. The upper studio is right off the main lobby. If the doors are open to the studio come right in and introduce yourself and your child to your teacher. If the doors are closed, please wait in the lobby until your teacher invites you in. If your class is in the lower studio, take the interior stairs to the lower level and introduce yourself and your child to your teacher. Only water bottles are allowed in both studios, no other food or drink. Food and other drinks are allowed in our waiting room.

The waiting room, off the main lobby, has wifi, tables, chairs, toys, crayons, paper, and a library of wonderful books for children and adults. We have a girls dressing room/bathroom and a large all-gender ADA equipped restroom on the main floor. There is an all gender restroom on the lower level as well. Please keep your valuables and personal belongings with you at all times. You may bring your belongings into both studios. At the beginning of class your teacher will welcome everyone, share printed resources about classes at CDC as well as helpful tips for having a fun and playful experience with your child/children in dance class!

Please note: Covid Protocols may prohibit normal operations as described below. Please refer to the Detailed Covid Guidelines when they become available for protocols during the pandemic. Thank you!

Pre-Class Prep for classes in the Studio:
How exciting! A drop-off, independent dance class is a big step – as much for parents and caregivers as it is for preschoolers! We have close to 40 years teaching experience with this age group. We understand every child and caregiver is unique and we also have some tried and true tips and recommendations to make this transition a smooth one.

Please arrive a few minutes early to support your dancer’s transition into class. Separation anxiety is eased when there is ample time for greetings and good-byes. In our main lobby you will find a poster easel with the Dance Concept we will be exploring that week in class as well as any important information. We have a girls dressing room and bathroom and a large all gender ADA equipped restroom on the main floor. There is an all gender restroom on the lower level as well. If your class is in the lower studio take the interior stairs down to the lower level. If your class is in the upper studio please wait in the lobby and your teacher will invite you in to the studio when they are ready for students. Please introduce yourself and your child to your teacher.

We invite you stay for the first 5 minutes or so, then quietly move into an area where students do not see you. This allows students to bond with each other and their teacher and maintain focus in a more effective way. Our lobby and our waiting room are right off of the upper studio for those taking class on the upper level. For classes in the lower studio, parents/caregivers are welcome to stay on the stairs (which are out of sight but easily accessible if you are needed by the teacher) or move upstairs to the waiting room. We ask that you plan to stay on-site during your child’s classes in case you are needed. If you do need to leave CDC while your child is in class, please confirm with your teacher that your child has adjusted to being on their own before leaving. Always notify your teacher if you will not be on site during class.

Director Terry Goetz is at the first class of new sessions to help ease this transition for young dancers and their parents and welcome everyone. Each situation that may arise is handled on an individual basis. Our waiting room has wifi, tables, chairs, toys, crayons, paper, and a library of wonderful books for children and adults. Our instructors will communicate with you if there are any issues that come up regarding separation and participation in class. We do our best to resolve these issues keeping in mind what will work best for the individual child and the class as a whole. If your young child is not ready to dance on their own, Parent/Child class may be more developmentally appropriate. Please call Terry Goetz, Director, at 206-363-7281 if you are unsure of appropriate class placement for your child or email terry@creativedance.org.

First Time Transition Tips

Please prepare your child by letting them know they will be dancing with their teacher and other children and that you will be nearby in our waiting room or on the stairs. We ask that you plan to stay on-site during your child’s classes in case you are needed.

Class Attire & Bathroom Breaks

Make sure your child uses the bathroom right before class, and have your dancer wear clothes they can handle on their own (take on/off) for bathroom visits during class. Be aware our teachers cannot accompany students to the bathroom while they are teaching so caregivers of students that need restroom assistance must stay in the building during class. Email bronwen@creativedance.org if you anticipate separation issues at your first class or if you have additional questions/concerns.

For adults, we recommend wearing dance or exercise clothes. 

For children, we recommend dance clothes such as leotards, leggings, footless tights, t-shirts, sweatpants or shorts, dance skirts, etc., bare feet. 

For toddlers, we suggest dance or play clothes, bare feet. 

By Class Genre:

Ballet shoes are optional for Pre-Ballet K and required for Pre-Ballet 1 and Ballet I/II & III classes. 

For Hip Hop classes please wear indoor-only soft-soled dance sneakers or athletic shoes.

Please keep valuables and personal belongings with you at all times. Do not leave valuables unattended. Dancers are encouraged to bring valuables and water bottles into the studios while taking class. CDC is not responsible for lost or stolen belongings. Food and drinks other than water are only allowed in our waiting room on the main floor.

Sibling Discount: For siblings registering in different classes within the same session, or in the same class that is not Family Dance (see below), we offer a 5% discount on the tuition of each class. Email bronwen@creativedance.org for the Sibling Discount Coupon Code BEFORE registering for class.

Family Dance Discount: For families registering more than 1 child in a single Nurturing Baby, Family Dance (formerly Caregiver/Toddler, Caregiver/Child, or Caregiver/Tot/Child), we offer a 50% discount for the second and/or third child. Email bronwen@creativedance.org for the Family Dance Coupon Code BEFORE registering for class.

Office Hours to receive Coupon Codes are Monday through Thursday 8:00 am – 2:00 pm.

Classes and camps without sufficient enrollment will be canceled and refunded in full.

Financial aid is available based on need. An application will be sent to you at your request and must be received at CDC before you register. Email: bronwen@creativedance.org

When we are back in the studio, we have several Visiting/Observation weeks throughout the year.

Please note: Covid Protocols may prohibit normal operations including visiting week. Please refer to the Detailed Covid Guidelines when they become available for protocols during the pandemic. Thank you!

Creative Dance Center schedules Visiting/Observation Weeks approximately halfway through and during the last week of our in-studio sessions. Visiting Week is meant for families to observe their child’s class and see the progress that is being made and to witness the fun! If your child is taking a drop-off class, these two Observation weeks are the only time parents are invited to observe classes. We feel it is important to develop bonds with instructors and peers and that the presence of parents/caregivers may impede this opportunity for bonding. Many teachers do invite parents in to watch free dancing or student choreography at the end of each class. Check in with your teacher about this. 

Winter/Spring students in independent drop-off classes including Creative Ballet, Creative Dance, Creative Modern, Hip Hop, Pre-Ballet, Ballet, and Modern classes have the opportunity to perform with their class in the Afternoon of Dance, CDC’s “not your typical recital” school shows. Students share skills they have developed and their creativity with family and friends at Shorecrest Performing Arts Center, usually in mid-March.

Note: The Covid-19 pandemic may affect our ability to hold the Afternoon of Dance school show. We will send updates as we have more information.

View more information about the Afternoon of Dance on our Performances page.

You may make up missed classes in any comparable class during the current session.

Please note: Covid Protocols may prohibit normal operations including make up classes. Please refer to the Detailed Covid Guidelines when they become available for protocols during the pandemic. Thank you!

Make up classes cannot be carried over to the next session.

For in studio classes, do not come to class if you or your child is sick. Make up your missed class after health has returned.

During Fall or Spring Session, If class is not working out for you or your child, you may withdraw from class and request a refund before the 3rd week of the session. We will refund the remainder of the session and charge a $10 processing fee. Refunds are not offered after the 3rd week of the session.

During the Summer Session, CDC Administration must be notified 1 week prior to the start of classes or 2 weeks prior to the start of camps to receive a refund. A $10 processing fee will be levied for classes and a $25 fee will be levied for camps.

Email Bronwen Houck at bronwen@creativedance.org for information on how to process a refund.

Zoom Classes: if class is canceled for some reason, you will be notified by email. The studio will remain closed until further notice, and all classes will continue online. We will continue to update our students and community as COVID-19 phasing, safety, and protocol information is updated.

Emergency closures for in-studio classes: Though CDC often closes when Seattle School District has snow closures, please check the home page of our website for up to the date info and individual class information. Classes canceled due to snow closures may be made up in another comparable class during the current session.

We also have music by Eric Chappelle that beautifully supports BCDE and BrainDance. 

Plus! We’ve curated a list of our favorite things from arts organizations to book authors, as well as links to shop for dance supplies.