Jenkintown Dance Arts, a performance-based dance and movement school, has officially opened the doors to its new facility at 827 Glenside Avenue after a decade of instruction in Jenkintown.
Chrissie Leech, known as “Miss Chrissie” to her students, first launched the studio in 2013 in a building on West Avenue and changed locations to 459 York Road five years later. The Wyncote venue opened on September 9.
“I loved having my business in Jenkintown, but the building is up for development and it was time,” Leech said. “We had grown after the pandemic and we needed a larger space. We went from around 1700sf to over 3500sf. It has big, gorgeous windows and the best dance floors you can ask for. It’s a dancer’s dream, the kind of place you always want to dance in. The floor is almost 1000sf itself.”
Interior of JDA’s new location
The new Wyncote facility is the former Kencrest Daycare, a space which has been divided into smaller units. The complex currently houses a yoga studio, a jujitsu studio, and a large unit available for lease.
“I like being in a complex with other activities that are movement-driven. It has a lot of fit people,” she said. “Summer dance classes in Jenkintown ended mid-August. It’s been a good transition and things are going super well.”
Leech, who is a resident of Jenkintown and a University of the Arts graduate, also serves as the Jenkintown Festival of the Arts‘ chairperson and her younger students have made appearances at the Jenkintown Night Market and Winter Market. She sees the new venue as an opportunity to further expand dance in the community.
“For ArtsFest, I helped to bring in 10 dance companies, including Ballet X out of Philadelphia, who are performing in New York City right now. They’re the real deal,” she said. “It’s been a goal of mine to expand the festival’s dance portion, so that’s been nice to see.”
Leech and company in action at ArtsFest 2023
The studio offers classes, camps, and workshops for kids as young as two and as old as 17. The fall schedule includes Ballet/Tap/Gym, Musical Theater, Senior Ballet, Acro/Jazz, Hip Hop, and a Tiny Dancers class for toddlers, among others. Trial classes for newcomers are offered year-round.
For more on Jenkintown Dance Arts, you can visit their Facebook page and website.
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Photos: Ben Bergman, Chrissie Leech, JDA’s website