Broadway Star, Ridgewood Resident Gives Back, Holds 'Sas Class' Feb. 1

Ridgewood is home to a star, and not just any star - one that’s giving back.

Rachelle Rak has been on Broadway, has had her own one-woman show, has appeared on ”Dance Moms” and is currently a judge on “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition” on Lifetime.

Now beginning her journey as a mother after moving from New York City to Ridgewood with her family, Rak has decided to give back to her community and is setting up her very first master dance class in the Village on Sunday, Feb. 1 at the Ridgewood Performing Arts Center.

“I love it here ... [it] just seems perfect,” Rak said before adding that Ridgewood is a “little city within itself.”

Having been born into show biz, Rak has danced for as long as she can remember.

Her mother, Rosalene, was a dancer herself and had her own studio in Pittsburgh called Rosalene’s Dance Studio, which also served as Rak’s “babysitter.”

Her professional career began when she was cast in “Cats” at just 17-years-old and she hasn’t stopped since.

Her latest venture came when the infamous Abby Miller, who Rak has known “most of [her] life,” watched Rak perform in Pittsburgh. The next thing she knew, “Dance Moms” producers were calling and so was the Lifetime channel.

“I had no idea of [the amount of] exposure it would give me,” Rak said.

For all the “Dance Moms” fans wondering if everything on the show is real, Rak has an answer for you.

“The show is not scripted and the drama is serious,” Rak said. “How angry [and] how people get is very real.”

“I know how nice and how not nice [Abby] can be,” Rak said.

But just because they have worked together doesn’t mean that Rak believes in teaching children the same way.

“Abby and I are from two totally different worlds,” Rak said. “I wasn’t trained like that.”

And after having friends ask why she was teaching in Ridgewood, Rak has decided to give students the same opportunity that was given to her.

“I’m glad someone took a shot at me,” Rak said before explaining that show biz is different now than when she was 17.

“[Now] you need to do everything,” Rak said. And her Sas class aims to teach just that.

The class is designed to find that extra sass everyone has inside of them, but just haven’t found yet. Rak says the class is ideal for anyone who is a a singer, but not a dancer, and has to learn how to move around better and vice versa.

The class is about “finding your own sass and not being afraid of rejection.”

Rak will hold a class for 8 to 11-year-olds from 12 to 2 p.m. and children 12 and up will have a class from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Her reason for doing this is simple: now a mother to 8-month-old daughter Delilah, Rak is giving back after she says life has given her a new beginning.

“I feel like everyone has their journey,” Rak said. “What you do with it is what you do with it.”

But Rak isn’t quite finished there.

She is working on a reality show that’s positive for kids and is teaching tap and musical theater until May.

“I’ll always be a performer [and] I’ll always be a teacher - I came from a teacher,” Rak said.

With so many accomplishments, one must wonder what goal Rak has left.

That was an easy answer.

“To be a good mother.”

To learn more about the Sas Class, visit http://rachellerak.com/sas-master-class.

For more information on Rachelle, visit her website at www.rachellerak.com.