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Our History - 3 Generations of Dance

"My grandmother's love of dance is the true foundation and anchor of the studio. Her picture hangs in every classroom as an inspiration to us all. Her passion for dance has been passed along, not only to my mother and I, but to every one of our students over the years. It's easy to see my grandmother's influence here at The Dance Extension as there is an immediate family feeling the moment you walk through the door."  - Nancy K. Dennis

Evelyn H. Erving

 

Evelyn, Maggie's mother, was born in Boston in 1907. She studied dance with Senia Russakoff, a talented teacher in th Russian ballet tradition. Under Senia’s tuttelage, Evelyn partnered with Ray Bolger (the future Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz). They performed in Vaudville theatres across the USA & Canada visiting every state except Alaska & Hawaii. While performing at the famous Palace Theatre in New York City, Evelyn met and married Richard Erving, a handsome professional baseball pitcher. They made their home in northern New York where The Evelyn Erving School of Dance was born.
 

Evelyn passed on her love of dance to countless students for 50 years. Her studio was located close to the Canadian border and she lovingly taught hundreds of French Canadian students without knowing a word of conversational French.
 

Many of her students went on to dance professionally and opened studios of their own. In the final years of her life, she made her home in Waterford with Maggie and her family. In 1999, the Evelyn Erving Dance Scholarship was established at The Dance Extension in her memory.

Maggie Erving Dennis

Artistic Director of The Dance Extension

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"The passing down of dance tradition to the next generation, whether those students dance professionally or just for fun, is one of the greatest gifts of our profession. It's wonderful to see the children & grandchildren of our former students walk through the door. Knowing their time at The Dance Extension is an experience they want to give their own children is extremely rewarding."

 

Nancy K. Dennis Gaviglio

Associate Director of The Dance Extension

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"My childhood was spent immersed in the world of dance. My mother instilled in me the importance of using your time and talent to give back to others. Teaching hundreds of preschool students in Ecuador while traveling with Global Volunteers was a heart warming experience. Watching the children's eyes light up in their very first dance class was simply amazing."

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