Lifelong dream realized
Dancer makes dream reality after 30 years
By Bethany Bump May 18, 2015
SCHENECTADY — Fresh out of high school, Kathy Holtz had a decision to make. She made a practical one.
A dancer since the age of 2, she set aside her dream of opening a dance studio to pursue a college degree and a career as a school counselor.
“With my mother, we decided it would be best to go to college and get my degree in something, rather than trying to make it in the dance world because that would be a tough life if you don’t make it,” she said.
Years later, at age 32, Holtz has finally found herself acting on that long-lost dream. She’s opening a dance studio next month on Upper Union Street in Schenectady at the old Jason Candy & News Stand space, and plans to use skills from her practical college degree and career path to make the experience a transformative one for students.
Dance Me will be a school of dance and character development. Students will learn about respect, responsibility, dedication, discipline and much more as they learn the art of dance. The studio is open to adults and children as young as 2.
“I’ve used a lot of the skills I learned through my education and experience in counseling as I got back into the dance world,” said Holtz, who left her counseling job with the Nevada foster care system six years ago to teach dance. “I quickly realized there was so much overlap between the two jobs. In working with kids at a studio, you become really close, like their mentor. They come and talk to you about everything in their life, so you end up counseling them, just not in a professional capacity.”
Holtz was born and raised in the Finger Lakescity of Auburn. At age 2, she began studying ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and pointe dance. For 13 years, she was a competitive gymnast at her local YMCA.
After high school, she decided to study psychology and sociology at SUNY Geneseo. Even as she pursued her practical career, though, Holtz made sure to continue dancing through her college years, traveling back and forth to Auburn to dance at her old studio and attend recitals. Her instructor, Blair Pausley, was a professional ballerina. His mother was a member of Randio City Music Hall’s famed Rockettes.
“That was something I always wanted to do,” she confessed.
Instead, she went on to earn a master’s degree in school counseling from Sage Graduate School. She received her certification to become a school counselor in 2007, but a year later found her credits didn’t quite transfer to Nevada, where she had moved to be with her husband. She was able to find work as a case manager in the foster care system, helping to place children in the right homes.
Two years ago, she and her husband moved back to the region. She most recently worked as an instructor at The King’s Dancers in Scotia.
“I am very passionate about working with kids and raising them to be really great young adults and instill some good moral values in them,” Holtz said. “I find that everything I’ve learned about character development with these kids also applies to dance. We might talk about respect in the classroom and in the studio, different ways you can show respect, whether it might be to me as their teacher or to their peers in the class.”
Depending on the level of commitment, students can take classes in Dance Me’s recreational or CORE programs. The recreational program is for less-serious dancers who want to try out a style or two without any requirements. The CORE program is for the most dedicated dancers: students looking to learn technique and a well-rounded curriculum that includes ballet/pointe, jazz, tap, acro/tumbling, contemporary, jazz funk and musical theater.
Holtz still has some minor renovations to finish inside the studio at 1619 Union St., but said a grand opening will be held Saturday, June 20, the same day as Strawberry Fest. The 2,700-square-foot space features a handmade sprung dance floor, changing rooms and an office.
“It’s huge,” said Holtz, who now lives in Niskayuna with her husband. “I’ve always loved Union Street, and thought it was such a cute little boutique district. There have been so many nice people walking by. It just seems like such a great area. Everyone’s so supportive.”
Once the studio is up and running, Holtz said she plans to reach out to local community organizations that benefit youth and those less fortunate to offer dance programs. She’ll also give her dancers an opportunity to participate in the outreach.
“This initiative will not only provide dance programs to these youth, but will also be part of my character-building for my dancers,” she said.
For more information about the Dance Me studio and classes, visit
http://www.dancemeschool.com.
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