Collinsville Dance Studio Finds Creative Way to Grow

When it came time to expand her dance studio, Kristin Vilardi faced a dilemma. 

Entering her fourth year as owner of D.A.N.C.E. by Kristin, she wanted to create a larger dance space. But finding one proved a challenge.

“We wanted to stay in Collinsville but there was nowhere to go,” she said.

She could have easily moved out of the village but decided she wanted to stay. 

"I love Collinsville because it's a quaint little town with amazing community support," she said. 

So she and some supporters devised a plan to reconfigure her existing studio at 109B Main St.

“We kind of took a look at the space we had and got creative,” she said. 

While there were some other changes, the most important important involved the dance floor, which was approximately 650 square feet. By changing its orientation, removing a wall and retiling, they were able to get it to approximately 1,000. 

The project started Labor Day weekend and was finished the day before fall classes began on Sept. 23.

“It was a lot of work but it was worth it,” Vilardi said. “I feel like I’m in a new space.”

Vilardi said many helped on the project but especially wants to thank her dad Ralph and dance student parent Kevin Higgins for numerous hours of work. 

“Both of them were here all the time,” she said.

Entering its fourth year, the business offers session in lyrical, tap, ballet and much more. Registration remains open for the fall session. 

See a list of times and more information about the business at its web site and facebook page.