Dianna Durkin Dance Studio turns 50 years

There are few who see the 50th anniversary of their companies; even fewer than those are the still-teaching dance studio owners who celebrate this momentous occasion. Dianna Durkin, however, happens to be one of these lucky and talented people who has the pleasure to commemorate the golden anniversary of her self-named studio: the Dianna Durkin Dance studio.

Durkin accepted the abandoned studio of Martha Fritz when she was just a 16 year old high school senior. “There were only five students in the studio,” she remembered. “But I knew it was something I always wanted to do. I started small, and I built up.”

Durkin's studio has certainly grown. After four location changes, the Coventry studio now boosts more than 250 students - all girls.

“I only had boys when I was young and pretty,” she joked. 
She has ten instructors-Durkin included.

“I teach seven classes a week--but I don't teach hip-hop,” she said, laughing. “I usually teach tap.”

The studio does offer hip-hop though-along with many other types of dance. Tap, jazz, lyrical ballet, modern dance, and Broadway dance are among the other types that are included.

Her fervor for teaching has also been transferred to Cindy, her daughter and now studio teacher.
“One of my best memories was taking Cindy to the studio and having her run around and watch,” Durkin said. “When she was finally tired, she would fall asleep in a chair, every day.”

Cindy, sitting next to her, smiled. “I don't know what she's talking about,” Cindy said. “That was my worst memory!”

Teaching is hard work, though-especially when you're Dianna Durkin. Every year she gives a dance performance at the Canton Palace Theater-complete with costumes.

“Imagine that you're putting on a wedding,” she said. “Only, there's 200 mothers of the brides.

That's the type of stress we have.”

The Canton Palace theater seats 1,500 people. According to Durkin, last year it was nearly full.

This year's recital will be Durkin's 49th.

According to Durkin, these students who make up these huge recitals come from everywhere in the Akron/Canton area. These students include very young children through even high school students, despite the amount of extracurricular activities that high schools are now offering.

 “When I first began teaching, there wasn't a lot for them to do but dance classes,” she said. “Now, it's hard for them to do everything,”

However, there isn't a big turnover, according to Durkin. “Many of them come to us when they are young and continue to stay with us. We want everyone to succeed,” she explained.

“Dianna Durkin Studios offers their students a chance to compete, as well as to perform. “We think it's important for the kids to hear comments from someone other than their teachers,” Jen Lehaney, another dance teacher, said.  “We want the entire experience to be positive. We try to give kids the opportunity to experience what dance is all about.”

Durkin thinks the attitude of her dance studio is what brought it to its 50th anniversary, however. “ We want our students to be good people as well good dancers,” she said. “My advice? If you aspire to be a dancer, you have to have focus and dedication. Attitude is everything. It's not what happens to you in life, it's how you respond to it.”

Her students have gone on to do impressive things, as well. According to Durkin, her students have been featured in Carousel plays, a soap opera, a hip-hop video; some have even taken their dancing to a collegiate level.

Her teachers also take their education seriously. This summer, Cindy and Lehaney will be visiting New York City to participate in a dance workshop with the greats (think Dancing with the Stars) such as Mia Michaels, Wade Robenson, and Brian Friedman.

The studio might be aging, but Durkin isn't-at heart.“I love to teach,” Durkin said. “It comes from the heart and I never want to do anything but teach.”

For more information, visit DiannaDurkinDance.com