Studio History

La Pine Academy Of Dance Arts has a rich history of providing quality dance education in a nurturing and positive environment. In 1993, Dawn Contreras founded a then named studio, All That Jazz. She began teaching dance in her garage that had been turned into a studio. With great vision in hand, she grew the studio to over a hundred students and moved to a bigger location downtown. In 2004, she met up with current academy owner, April Matteson at the Joe Tremaine Dance Convention in Portland, Oregon and they began to make plans for April to purchase All That Jazz. That transition was complete in July of 2004. Under the direction of Dawn, students that competed on the national level won many awards and trophies. It has been April’s privilege to carry on that “award winning” tradition.

In 2006, our academy took 43 dance routines to 3 different national and regional competitions and brought home 43 first and second place trophies. April won a special teachers award for her outstanding technique and choreography from the Portland ADX competition. In 2007, our academy took 22 dance routines to two different national and regional competitions and won 22  prestigious awards. In 2006, with the same great vision in hand that Dawn had, April changed the name of the studio to La Pine Academy Of Dance Arts with the vision and desire to continue bringing quality dance education to children and bringing the same opportunities to La Pine that kids have in bigger metropolitan city dance circuits.

The Academy is one of the only dance schools in Central Oregon that travels and competes. We offer very fun and educational recreation dance classes as well as classes for the dancer who wishes to compete. Miss April loves children, having four of them of her own, she understands kids of every age and their individual needs.