Foundations of Dance Are Learned at Avenue to Broadway

If one is looking to begin their journey in the world of dance, they need search no further than the studio, located at 7 Union Avenue in downtown Lakehurst. Owner and director Corinne Ponzio encourages all who are interested in learning this graceful art form to come to her studio.

“It’s my third year running it,” Ponzio said, having taken over the operations of Avenue to Broadway from former owner Kristen Barker. “I have a background in dance, and had always wanted to have my own studio. Then, I was married and had children, and later went back to the idea of obtaining my own studio. It’s like my second home.”

Ponzio explained that of all the established local studios she toured, Avenue to Broadway seemed to be the best fit; a key reason being that it contained adequate space to conduct classes.

“It’s definitely the one I liked the best,” she said. In addition to preferring the layout of the building, Ponzio also took a liking to the name “Avenue to Broadway” and retained that aspect even after she claimed ownership of the studio.

Ponzio added that seven types of dance are taught at Avenue to Broadway, namely tap, ballet, jazz, pointe, contemporary, hip-hop and acrobatics. She specified that ballet is the foundation of

all dance taught at the studio, and is the most fundamental of all the disciplines. “Pointe is ballet, just with pointed shoes; hip-hop is what you see in music videos on MTV; jazz is a very structured style, while contemporary is a mix of both ballet and jazz,” Ponzio said.

“I teach seven of the classes, and have two other instructors besides me,” the studio owner said. “Here, we are a very family-oriented dance studio.”

Ponzio agreed that Avenue to Broadway develops positive relationships with its students, in addition to teaching them how to dance for both enjoyment and competition.

Avenue to Broadway’s owner said that many of her students come from the surrounding towns, including Lakehurst, Manchester, Toms River, Jackson, Brick and Browns Mills, to name a few.

“It’s my intention to keep the class sizes rather small, in order to provide more meaningful instruction,” Ponzio said.

The studio also boasts a highly-regarded company team, which has been very successful in local dance competitions – a fact evidenced by the rows of trophies found on shelves in the studio’s lobby.

“The trophies on the wall are only from the last few years,” Ponzio said with a smile.

The owner mentioned how the studio began its first week of classes just before fall – operating on the same schedule as local school districts, from September to June.

“Some of our students come here straight from school,” Ponzio said.

Classes take places in the evenings on Mondays through Thursdays, and on Saturday mornings. In addition to Ponzio, classes are overseen by her two fellow instructors, Courtney Pett and Gabrielle Cantelme.

Though classes have already begun, Ponzio encouraged newcomers to sign up through the studio’s website www.avenuetobroadway.com, or to do so by visiting the studio in Lakehurst. Avenue to Broadway can also be reached by telephone at 732-323-3232.