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Updated Dec 14,
2006
Revolution Dance
Center
 Julie Kay and Darrell Stallcup are owners of Revolution Dance
Center.
Revolution Dance Center,
which held its grand opening in
September, is a source of enjoyment
for children, teenagers and
adults who share the passion to
dance.
Owners Julie Kay and Darrell Stallcup, who started JK’s Dance
Company, feel that their dance
center, located at 10105
Commerce Ave. in Tujunga, is a
“second home” to their dance
teachers and over 400 students.
Working formerly as the
directors at the Vibe dance studio
in Montrose, Julie Kay and
Darrell have years of experience
performing, dancing and choreographing,
not restricted to dance,
but also to performances such as
magic shows and Las Vegas showgirl
performances.
“We love the foothills — we
live here, and it’s so different from
Vegas and everywhere else,” said
Kay and Stallcup. “People here
are motivated, whereas in other
places, they seem to be stuck in a
rut.”
While the dance center offers
a variety of classes for people of
all ages, such as ballet, hip-hop,
jazz, tap and clogging (which is a
type of flat-footed tap dancing),
they also offer vocal and acting
classes, belly dancing, stretching
classes, yoga and pilates. Perhaps
needless to say, this gives students
many opportunities to perform
and take part in community activities.
Aside from teaching their
dance classes, the instructors,
including Julie Kay, devote time
to teaching students outside of
their dance center, by choreographing
performances for a local
high school show choir and drama
classes for their musical performances.
Many parents of the students
at RDC provide a support system
for the dance center, and essentially,
are the adhesive that keeps
RDC as successful and qualified
as it is.
“Our parents are the best,”
said Julie Kay. “Everyone believes
in our cause, and we are all friends
with the families and staff. We’re
one big, happy family.”
Students at RDC also have the
opportunity to venture outside the
walls of their dance studio and
make a difference in their communities
by dedicating time to the
less fortunate. RDC dancers perform
for the City of Hope cancer
patients, at Holy Redeemer
School for disabled adults, at
fundraisers and at other venues to
raise money and supplies such as
blankets for the homeless. The
staff donates free dance classes to
those who cannot afford to pay
tuition to learn to dance.
Students at RDC and in the JK
Dance Company have the opportunity
to participate in four annual
competitions against other dance
companies, have an annual recital,
and march in parades such as the
Montrose Christmas Parade
(which was held two weeks ago)
and the Disneyland parade.
The dance teachers are well qualified,
with training in many
different styles of ballet, from
Vaganova to Ceccehtti to
Balanchina. This enables the
teachers to mix all styles of dance
and offer variety to their students.
“RDC strives to provide a positive
direction in teaching dance,
which will enhance the students’
understanding of self-worth and
individual integrity,” says Rebecca
Thorne, the ballet director at RDC.
“We want our dancers to be filled
with a great love of dance, and to
carry this love into all areas of their
lives.”
For the past 10 years, Thorne
has taught at various dance studios
in Arkansas and California, including
La Reina High School in
Thousand Oaks. She also worked
as a dance teacher for the Spotlight
Dance Center all over the nation.
“People should really consider
our dance center because it’s different
from others,” says Kay. “We have a family-like atmosphere, and
although we discipline our students,
we still know how to have
fun.”
RDC’s motto is “Light the Fire
Within”, which essentially means
something different to each individual.
However, the thought
behind the phrase is, that it is
important to find a passion in life,
to build confidence and to dig deep
for inspiration.
“We teach our students to commit
to what they believe in,” says
Kay.
Upcoming events for RDC
include their performance of the
“Nutcracker” on Dec. 16 and 17 at
the Crescenta Valley High School
MacDonald Auditorium. Tickets
are on sale to the general public at
the studio and at the theatre for $10
(for reserved seating) and $5 (for
general admission). The Saturday
night performance will begin at 7
p.m.; the Sunday afternoon performance
at 2 p.m.
RDC will also be hosting its
recital in June, and will host its
first theatre production of High
School Musical next August.
For more information about
Revolution Dance Center, call
(818) 951-5700 or visit www.revolutiondancecenter.
com.
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