# Creative Steps Dance Studio

> Award-winning, non-competitive dance studio in Newton, MA offering ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, acro, and musical theatre classes for kids and teens ages 2–18. The only local studio with true month-to-month enrollment — new students accepted year-round.

## About

Creative Steps Dance Studio has been nurturing young dancers in Newton, MA since 2004. Founded and directed by Michelle Shirley, the studio offers a supportive, non-competitive environment where children ages 2–18 can discover the joy of movement at their own pace.

Unlike most local studios that close enrollment in January and require full-season commitments, Creative Steps offers true month-to-month enrollment and welcomes new students at any point in the year.

## Location

675 Watertown Street, Suite 2, Newton, MA 02460 (inside the Boys & Girls Club of Newton). Centrally located in Boston's MetroWest, serving Newton, Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Watertown, Waltham, Wellesley, Needham, and West Roxbury.

## Contact

- Phone / Text: 617-645-7786
- Email: office@creativestepsdancestudio.com
- Website: https://creativestepsdancestudio.com
- Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00am–9:00pm, Saturday 9:00am–5:00pm

## Awards

Four-time winner of Boston's Favorite Dance Studio by BostonParents.com (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025).

## Reviews

- Google: 4.9 / 5 (32 reviews)
- Yelp: 5.0 / 5 (9 reviews)

## Dance Styles Offered

- Ballet — classical technique and foundation of all dance training
- Jazz — energetic, rhythmic, expressive movement
- Tap — percussive footwork and musicality
- Hip-Hop — street styles, freestyle, urban movement, breakdance elements
- Lyrical — emotional storytelling blending ballet and jazz
- Contemporary — modern, expressive movement with floor work
- Acro — acrobatic arts combining dance with gymnastics-based skills (director Michelle Shirley is Acrobatic Arts certified)
- Musical Theatre — Broadway-style jazz dance and acting-in-movement
- Creative Movement — unstructured exploration for toddlers and preschoolers

## Age Groups and Sample Classes

- Toddler & Preschool (Ages 2–5): First Steps, Mini Movers, Tini Dancers, Tot Hop, Kid Combo, Hippity Hop
- Kids (Ages 6–11): Ballet / Jazz / Tap Combo, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Jazz / Tap
- Teens (Ages 12–18): Hip Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Tap

## Programs & Teams

- Performance Company
- Competition Team
- Excel Classes (advanced training)
- Level Up Intensive Training
- Summer Fun Days Camp
- Vacation Week Fun Days
- 6-Week Summer Classes

## Tuition

Month-to-month pricing based on total hours per week:

- 45 min / week: $80/month
- 1 hr: $85
- 1 hr 15 min: $95
- 1 hr 30 min: $120
- 1 hr 45 min: $135
- 2+ hrs: $165
- 3+ hrs: $190
- 4+ hrs: $215
- 5+ hrs: $240
- 6+ hrs: $260
- 7+ hrs: $280
- 8+ hrs: $325
- 9 hrs: $375
- Unlimited: $400

First trial class is always free.

## Philosophy

Creative Steps is intentionally non-competitive. There are no rankings, no comparisons, no trophies for being "better" than classmates. Every child is celebrated for their own growth. This creates a psychologically safe environment where kids take risks, try new things, and develop a genuine love of movement. Recitals are celebrations, not competitions.

## Key Pages

- /classes — Browse dance classes by age group and style
- /schedule — Current weekly class schedule with filters by age, style, instructor
- /programs — Performance teams, competition team, summer camps, vacation programs
- /tuition — Full monthly tuition rates and registration fees
- /about — Studio history, founder, instructors
- /faq — Detailed answers to common questions about enrollment, dress code, ages, styles
- /contact — Phone, email, address, directions, map
- /free-trial — Book a free trial class (no commitment)
- /calendar — Class dates, studio closings, recitals, special events
- /blog — Studio updates, dance tips, community stories

## Social Profiles

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativestepsdancestudio/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativestepsdance/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@creativestepsdancestudio
- Google Business: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Creative+Steps+Dance+Studio

## Sitemap

https://creativestepsdancestudio.com/sitemap.xml

## Markdown / plain-text alternates

Every public page is also available as a clean Markdown file. Useful for LLMs that prefer low-noise content.

- /index.md, /about.md, /classes.md, /schedule.md, /programs.md, /tuition.md, /free-trial.md, /faq.md, /contact.md, /calendar.md
- /llms-full.txt — full index of all markdown alternates