Dance and Beyond the Culmination of a Childtime Dream

Meaghan McHale started dancing at the age of 7, but she said she never dreamed of opening her own studio then.

McHale said she opened Dance and Beyond in 2009, and though she said it was a rocky start, she’s made it a success.

“I started from the bottom,” she said. “When I opened my doors I had zero students.” 

McHale said she started dancing herself when she was 7 years old.

“I wanted to start when I was 4, but my mom made me wait to make sure I was serious,” she said. “I started like any other kid, with ballet and tap dancing. I did that for two years. I kind of went to a few different dance studios and found one I liked.”

She performed in musicals during high school, and was dance captain for her high school’s performance of "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Oklahoma."

She said her favorite type of dancing is called Lyrical dancing, which a combination of jazz dancing and ballet.

“It’s more of an emotional type of dancing, similar to what some have called contemporary,” she said.

McHale said she wanted to run her own place since she graduated college, but had to work for many other places first. She said it was there she found her true calling.

“I was working at the Children’s Fitness Center, and that’s where I realized I love children and I love working with children,” she said. “I really enjoyed teaching children and I did a big turn around. I love all aspects of teaching. When I graduated that was really always my goal.”

She was working at the Fred Astaire dance studio when she decided to branch out and open her own place.

“The manager and owner were out a lot and I took the lead to manage a lot of the bookwork,” she said. “That’s when I realized I can do this on my own. Shortly after that it seemed like the right time.”

McHale said she has developing relationships with her students in the past three years.

“It’s been really good,” she said. “We’ve come from meeting each other now and we’re a really good tight family. I’ve met so many great people from the little kids to the teenagers to the adults. I’ve developed so many great friendships. So many have begun as students and are now some of my closest friends.”

McHale said the studio holds a lot of Zumba charity events, and has donated to the Susan G. Colman Society for Breast Cancer Research, as well as the Congregational Church in Wrentham, the Fiske Library and other events in town.

Dance and Beyond is located on 44 Randall Rd. and classes usually start around 1 p.m.