Tye Chua Dance

09/18/2026

🎙️ We’re on ShopTalk!

Angi had the chance to sit down with Jay Morris to talk about something we’re incredibly excited about - what’s next for Tye Chua Dance and Kalamazoo Ballet in downtown Kalamazoo.

We talked about our new space, our capital campaign, and the opportunity in front of us to create a home that reflects the level of training, artistry and community that has grown here.

Three large, professional studios filled with natural light. A welcoming lobby. Costume room. Dancers’ lounge. Office space. Private bathrooms. Room for our dancers to train, rehearse, create and simply be.

And, most importantly, room to grow.

Tye Chua Dance has called downtown Kalamazoo home for generations, and we are incredibly excited about what the next chapter could look like.

Thank you to Jay and ShopTalk for giving us the opportunity to share the story. ❤️

🎧 Listen to ShopTalk S4E3 on Spotify - and if you’d like to be part of what we’re building, learn more about the Kalamazoo Ballet Capital Campaign at kalamazooballet.org.

Shop Talk · Episode

09/15/2026

What. A. Day!

Once again we are humbled by all the wonderful dancers and families who choose to make Tye Chua Dance their home. Thank you for entrusting us with your dance education, and for helping us create and maintain the warm and positive culture TCD is known for.

Big things are on the horizon for Tye Chua Dance & Kalamazoo Ballet - and we took the first step today by holding classes in our new space. Thank you to the village it took to get us here - from cleaning to installing the sprung floor to adding the finishing touches - it was a whirlwind but well worth it!

And we would be remiss if we didn't send a great big THANK YOU (see slide 3 😅) to City Centre's owner, Harvin Sandhu, who made this happen for us. Thanks to Harvin & the entire 5 Rivers team for continuing to support the arts in Kalamazoo!

09/10/2026

Hands-on correction is an important part of ballet training.

There are things a dancer can understand intellectually - square your hips, lengthen through the spine, engage the turnout, lower the shoulder - but still not quite feel in their own body. A knowledgeable teacher can use careful, hands-on guidance to help a student recognize correct placement, alignment, weight distribution, and muscular engagement in a way that verbal instruction alone sometimes cannot.

That physical feedback can create an immediate connection between what a dancer hears, what they feel, and what they need to reproduce independently. Over time, those corrections help build stronger technique, greater body awareness, and safer movement patterns.

At Tye Chua Dance, hands-on correction is always used thoughtfully and appropriately - and always with respect for the individual dancer.

Personal boundaries matter. Students are encouraged to communicate if they are uncomfortable with physical correction, and our faculty will always respect that boundary and use another teaching approach.

Because excellent ballet training requires both: teachers who are willing to teach with precision, and dancers who feel safe, respected, and comfortable enough to learn. 🩰

09/08/2026

A place at the barre. A place to belong. 🤍

The friends you look forward to seeing. The older dancers you look up to. Someone with an arm around your shoulder as you wait for your turn.

These little moments are a big part of growing up at Tye Chua Dance.

We care about the dancers our students become - and the way they feel when they walk through our doors. Known. Encouraged. Free to be themselves. Part of something they love.

Whether you’re taking your very first class or finding your way back to ballet, there’s a place for you here.

Come dance with us.
tyechuadance.com

09/07/2026

We're not crying, you're crying! 🥹🥹🥹

Our hearts are full knowing these three are together at Interlochen this year. We know big things are on the horizon for each of them!

09/07/2026

There is no expiration date on your dreams. 🩰

Many adults carry ballet with them long after they leave the studio - the music, the structure of class, the satisfaction of working toward something that takes time.

But returning can feel vulnerable.

You may worry that you should be stronger, thinner, more flexible, more experienced - or somehow already prepared for the class you are coming to take.

You do not need to be.

At Tye Chua Dance, adult ballet is not an afterthought, a fitness trend, or a simplified version of children’s training. It is thoughtful, substantive ballet instruction designed for adult bodies, adult lives, and a wide range of experience.

Whether you are beginning for the first time, returning after decades away, rebuilding your technique, pursuing pointe or performance, or seeking serious advanced training - there is a place for you in our studios.

You do not have to become the dancer you once were.

You are allowed to discover the dancer you are now.

Read the full article through the link in our bio, and explore our beginner, open-level, intermediate, and advanced adult ballet classes at Tye Chua Dance.

TyeChuaDance

09/06/2026

🚩 Dance Studio Red Flag! 🚩

A studio can have beautiful Marley flooring and still not have a sprung dance floor.

Marley is simply the surface dancers move on. What matters for impact absorption is what’s underneath it.

Ballet dancers repeat jumps, landings, turns, pointe work and other weight-bearing movements hundreds - eventually thousands - of times throughout their training. A properly constructed sprung floor provides controlled give beneath the Marley, helping absorb and distribute some of that repeated impact rather than sending it straight back through the dancer’s body.

Hardwood flooring is not a sprung floor. Rubber mat is not a sprung floor. Standard wood framing is not a sprung floor.

That’s why Tye Chua Dance has invested in sprung flooring in every studio since day one. It is expensive. It takes additional planning and construction. And to us, it has never been optional.

When touring a dance school, don’t just ask about teachers, class sizes and performance opportunities.

Ask what your dancer is training on.

“Do you have Marley?” and
“Is the floor underneath it sprung?”
are two completely different questions.

Because serious dance training should consider not only how dancers are taught but also the safety of the bodies being asked to do the work. 🤍

09/04/2026

Do you know what these are!?

We are E X P A N D I N G!!!

Big things are in the works for Tye Chua Dance & Kalamazoo Ballet! We're adding a BIG new studio and you know what that means - even more sprung floors!

A little road trip was in order so the space will be ready when classes start on September 14th! (Have you registered yet!?)

09/01/2026

Have you ever wanted to take a ballet class but didn't know where to start?

We've got you! 🤝

We offer two paths for absolute beginner adult dancers:

1. Our 8 week course, beginning Tuesday nights on September 14 and running through November 3rd

2. Or! Our regular class which meets every Saturday throughout the season!

We hope you'll join us for another fun-filled season of dance!

09/01/2026

✨ Nutcracker Auditions are TOMORROW! ✨

We’re so excited to begin casting this year’s Nutcracker!

🩰 Wednesday, September 2
⏰ 3:45–5:45 PM
Elementary-aged dancers may arrive as soon as possible after school.

Auditions are open to dancers in Ballet III through Advanced who are interested in performing in this year’s production.

IMPORTANT: Dancers MUST be registered for the 2026–27 season in order to audition. If you’re planning to participate and haven’t completed your registration yet, please do so before auditions.

Junior Company: Ballet III & IV
Advanced Company: Ballet V, VI & Advanced

We can’t wait to get this season and The Nutcracker underway. ❤️🎄🩰