Albemarle Academy of Dance

For two weeks, these dancers spent their days at the UNCSA Young Dancers Intensive before heading to AAD for their regular evening summer classes.
No shortcuts.
No days off. Just a commitment to getting better.
We're proud of the discipline, determination, and love of dance they demonstrated all summer.
Experiences like these don't just create better dancers. They build the habits that help dancers reach their goals.

From Studio to Stadium! Congrats to AAD students and teaching assistants Maddie and Thora, who will be performing with the Carolina Panthers TopCats at Panthers Fan Fest tonight. Catch them on the 50 yard line for the opening number.

Summer classes start today! We can't wait to see our dancers!

Dance is not a seasonal sport. These are dance facts of life!

Dancers who take an entire summer off should plan to begin the fall having lost a significant amount of the strength, stamina, flexibility, placement, and skills they worked so hard to build during the year. For many dancers, that loss can be 50% or more.

The good news? Dancers do not have to spend their entire summer in the studio to maintain what they have achieved.

A few classes each week can help dancers hold on to the progress they made during the year, making the transition back to fall classes much smoother. Consistent summer training also helps prevent frustration and allows dancers to continue building confidence and skills rather than spending weeks trying to regain lost ground.

If dancers want to improve, summer is where it happens. Summer training often creates the biggest leaps in technique, confidence, artistry, and maturity. The dancers who return in the fall strong, confident, and ready for the next level are almost always the dancers who stayed consistent over the summer.

Every dancer's goals are different. But whatever those goals may be, summer choices matter.

Our six week summer session, and summer workshops are designed to help dancers maintain their progress, build new skills, and return to fall classes ready for their best year yet.

Registration closes July 7, Classes begin July 13. Don't spend September trying to get back what you worked all year to achieve.

What an incredible weekend. Recital 36 is complete!

Congratulations to all of our dancers on two wonderful performances. We’re so proud of the hard work, growth, and confidence you showed on stage. Thank you to our families, faculty, staff, and volunteers for making it all possible. .

Celebrate all you’ve accomplished and then keep dancing! We hope you’ll join us for summer classes as we continue learning, growing, and having fun together.

Thank you for sharing this season with us. We can’t wait to see what’s next.

For every leap taken in the studio, there’s a moment like today.

We’re so excited to watch our dancers take the stage, share their artistry, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Here’s to courage, joy, and soaring into the spotlight.

Join us in celebrating graduate Thora Kilde as she prepares for her next chapter at East Carolina University this fall!
Thora has been part of our dance family since she was just 2 years old. Over the years, her dedication to her training has taken her to summer intensives with Atlanta Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Ballet Austin, Kansas City Ballet, where she has continued to challenge herself and grow as an artist.
This fall, Thora will attend ECU as a dance performance major after successfully auditioning for admission into the program and earning the Mavis Ray Dance scholarship.
We are incredibly proud of all she has accomplished and grateful to have been part of her journey. We look forward to recognizing and celebrating her at our 6:00 PM recital on Saturday and can’t wait to see where her hard work, determination, and love of dance take her next.
Congratulations, Thora!