Marcia Hyland Dance Center

Marcia Hyland still attends recitals at the end of the year. She will come out during intermission and speak on stage. She still danced in the Dance Co. number when I first started at the age of four.
Obviously for age-​hindering reasons, she no longer dances. The Marcia Hyland employees – family, really – have grown though. Over fourteen years, I watched students become teachers. My first dance instructor has had two babies since I was there and now takes a few classes and works backstage during performances. Etc.
This is not a school of stuffy Technique and Method. This is where, I am sad to say, the half-​wit girls past the age of 14 come wanting to learn to be seductive harlots. They come in all shapes & sizes though, and you end up loving the teachers. Except Ms. Linda who was the catalyst for my hatred and ultimate quitting of ballet. Unfortunately if you wanted to reach the really impressive classes, you would have to deal with her. In the past few years, an amazing contemporary ballet has been taught by, coincidentally, the woman who lived across the street from me. I don’t know if her relocation means she is no longer at Marcia Hyland, but she had standards for her classes and experience with Philadanco.
The dance center is not a walk-​in studio. You sign up, you pay, you go to classes. You pay for a recital costume. (My class always had the worst one) There are no single day, ten dollar pay classes because throughout the year teachers are working on one choreography per class. Popularity of recitals has grown; they have moved from the Cherry Hill East High School auditorium to the Commerce Bank Arts Center, somewhere about an hour south of Mount Laurel.
After fourteen years of 1 or 2 hours of dance a week, I am no refined prima ballerina. Having started early, I know simple things later kids seemed to have no appreciation for – point your toes, fifth position (there is no third, not really), spot yourself for Chrissakes! Marcia Hyland is where you want to go if you aren’t interested in serious competitive dance. You can find usually snobby place like that all over this area.