Lake Zurich Park District Revamps Dance Program

Mollee Johnson believes Lake Zurich families should have access to affordable, quality dance programs. It’s the philosophy behind the Lake Zurich Parks and Recreation’s revamped dance program being unveiled next week.

“We are re-launching everything, it’s all new classes,” Johnson said. “It’s important to me to provide a quality dance program at the community level.”

Johnson has taken over as dance coordinator. She has been a dance instructor with the Arlington Heights Park District for 13 years.

“We have over 1,000 students (in Arlington Heights),” Johnson said. “We built that program based on the community’s needs. I live in Lake Zurich. I took this position because it’s my own community and I saw a need. I know where the interest has gone with shows like ‘So You Think You can Dance’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars’,” she said.

Lake Zurich Dance will offer classes like ballet, contemporary lyrical dance, jazz, tap and hip-hop. Classes will be offered for children as young as age two. There’s also a mom and tot class, she said.

Contemporary lyrical dance was called modern dance but morphed into a new style combining elements of jazz, tap and ballet, Johnson said.

“It’s gotten really popular at the high school level and has trickled down to” other age groups, she said.

All classes will be taught at the Buffalo Creek Park Building, which has had some changes, too. Johnson added ballet bars to the wall, repainted the studio, installed film on windows so parents can watch rehearsals and made improvements to the waiting rooms.

Johnson is hoping to start a dance company in January, once the dance classes are launched this fall. The dance company will require dancers to tryout and would perform locally and compete.

Last year, Lake Zurich’s dance programs had 269 students enrolled. This year, Johnson hopes to enroll 170 and build from there.

An open house will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Buffalo Creek Park building, 675 Old Mill Grove, Lake Zurich. Residents will be able to meet instructors, learn about classes and register. Parents can also learn what level is appropriate for their child.