Stage Door Dance Arts is an award winning dance studio in Conway, AR. Come join the dance party! SDDA was co-founded, and is now owned, by Haley Ashford.
Founded in 2015, Stage Door Dance Arts is located in the heart of West Conway in a state of the art studio designed specifically for dancers! SDDA is proud to offer the highest quality instruction in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, modern, contemporary/lyrical, musical theater, hip-hop, acro, and many other supplemental technique classes. We offer classes for dancers who desire a pre-professional dance
education, as well as those who simply desire to dance for fun! Best of all, each program takes places in an environment that is encouraging, safe, and full of joy! We are proud to offer our families a “family friendly, modesty promise” as it pertains to costuming, choreography, and music choices. Finally, SDDA employs only high quality teachers who have years of experience in the dance field. Each and every season, SDDA offers Master Classes with professional dancers and companies from around the world. No matter the level of commitment, or which dance program your child chooses, every SDDA dancer receives our absolute best! Originally owned by Michelle and Kevin Knell, SDDA has had the benefit of being managed by an accomplished business man and a former professional dancer and actress with 11 years of performance history, 30+ years of teaching experience, and over 25 years of studio management experience. She has over 25 years of dance experience, and currently dances professionally for UnTapped. Haley serves as a judge for Starquest Performing Arts competition. She loves teaching master classes as part of the world renowned faculty of The Little Rock Tap Festival and National competitions all over the country. She has also been involved in film and live performance work for the Conway Chamber of Commerce. While highly skilled in all disciplines of dance, she has become well known as the "go to" dance educator of Modern, Tap, Musical Theater, and Hip-Hop in the Central Arkansas area. The final member of the SDDA leadership team is Kevin Knell, Mrs. Michelle's husband. Kevin has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and will lend his knowledge of technology, finance, and business management to Stage Door Dance Arts as the CFO. The philosophy of Stage Door is simple and clear: arts education should not only empower and define discipline, creativity, self-confidence, and a sense of community, but it should also spark JOY! We desire to make dance a wonderful experience for all involved while providing a dance education program that includes training in technique, performance, choreography, dance history, dance health, and employability. Our fundamental mission is to maximize the physical, social, emotional, and academic benefits of dance in the students we educate, in a loving, encouraging, and joyful environment!
04/30/2026
Join us May 17th or July 13th to learn about how to be a part of our Elite Team’s 12th season! ✨
We have spots for interested dancers who are age 4+. The parent meeting is required for all, and auditions are for dancers age 8+.
Competitive dance is a fantastic way for children to receive supplementary instruction to improve their technique, continue exploring their creativity and artistry, and to have FUN! The SDDA Elite Team brings dancers more performance opportunities, lasting friendships, and memories to last a life time, all while learning about goal-setting, teamwork, and perseverance!
We cant wait to see you there! 🪩
04/29/2026
Happy International Dance Day 💃
At Stage Door Dance Arts, every step builds confidence, passion, and joy. So proud of our dancers and the stories they tell ✨
04/13/2026
Crawfish, sunshine, and our dance family 🦞☀️💃
Days like this = why we love SDDA ❤️
04/10/2026
Costume Week is almost here!! 🎉
April 13–17, dancers will get to try on their recital costumes AND take them home! Parents, we’d love for you to come watch your dancer in class this week and see all their hard work coming to life 💜
We can’t wait for you to get a little sneak peek of recital magic ✨
04/08/2026
Happy Birthday, Ms. JoHanna!! 💕✨
Thank you for inspiring, uplifting, and loving our dancers so well. We love you!!
03/31/2026
Summer is calling ☀️💙 and so is the dance floor!!
SDDA summer registration is officially OPEN! Whether you’re looking to grow your technique, try something new, or just keep dancing all summer long—we’ve got a spot for you.
Don’t wait… classes fill fast 👀
Sign up now and let’s make this summer unforgettable ✨
03/30/2026
Happy Birthday, Miss Kylie!! 🎉💖
Wishing you a day as bright and fun as you make every SDDA class! 🩰✨
03/25/2026
Happy (belated) birthday, Mrs. Hannah!! 🎉💖
We’re so lucky to have you at SDDA—thank you for all the love and energy you bring to our dancers! 🩰✨
03/22/2026
✨ March Students of the Month ✨
Help us celebrate our March standouts!! 💜
🌟 11 & Under: Violet
Violet loves all things creative—especially painting, drawing games, and expressing herself through art! 🎨 She says her favorite part of SDDA is our kind teachers, fun games, and of course… stamps!! 💖
Fun fact: She recently played a zebra named Stripes in her 2nd grade musical and had to memorize tons of lines—so impressive!! 🦓✨
🌟 12 & Older: Neema-Rose
Neema-Rose shines both on and off the dance floor! She loves participating in pageants and singing, and her favorite part of SDDA is making friends and learning new techniques 💃
Fun fact: She’s involved in FBLA and was selected to sing the National Anthem in front of 500 people at a conference this year—how amazing is that?! 🇺🇸🎤
We are SO proud of both of these dancers and the joy, hard work, and positivity they bring to SDDA every day!! 💜
03/17/2026
weekends like this >> 💛 platinum memories, proud moments, and dancers who make it all so special ✨
03/12/2026
🦞 STAGE DOOR CRAWFISH BOIL 🦞
📍 SDDA Parking Lot
🗓 April 11
⏰ 10AM–3PM
$15 per pound (includes potatoes, corn & sausage 🌽🥔🌭)
⚠️ Must pre-order — no day of sales!
🎟 Last day to pre-order: March 27
💵 Pre-orders can be purchased through the front office (cash or check only).
Swing by and grab it to-go, or bring your lawn chairs, quilts, and tailgate with us in the parking lot. Let’s make it a fun Saturday and support Stage Door 💙