Uptown Dance Academy’s Long-Awaited Comeback: Rebuilding Better and Empowering Underserved Youth

After losing a facility in 2007, Uptown Dance Academy announced a return to Harlem - a move driven by the studio’s passion for empowering underserved communities and the founder’s love for ballet.

/EIN News/ -- New York, New York, Aug. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For some, dance is defined as a choreographed sequence of movements performed rigorously to the rhythm; for others, it’s a realm where unbridled self-expression, discipline, creativity, and magic intertwine. For Robin Williams, dance - specifically ballet - is the highest form of artistry, with every sway and pirouette opening the gateway to an ethereal universe of passion, dedication, and beauty. Ignited by her lifelong infatuation with dance, Robin established Uptown Dance Academy (UDA), a premier destination for aspiring performers from urban areas.

Uptown Dance Academy

Since opening its doors in 1996, UDA garnered the trust of youth and parents, helped hundreds of students turn dreams into reality, and curated unique techniques that merge self-discipline with cultural enrichment and artistic expression. Focused on training kids and adolescents aged 3 to 19, the academy ensures future generations of dancers are familiar with the ins and outs of ballet, tap, contemporary, jazz, acrobatics, hip-hop, and African styles. With a mission to bridge industry gaps for minority youth, the enterprise has been a beacon of hope for underserved communities in New York and neighboring regions.

Recently, Robin announced UDA’s comeback to the streets of Harlem, marked by the opening of its new location on 186 East 123rd Street and Third Avenue - in East Harlem. For the founder, the meaning behind that return is personal. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Robin started dancing at the age of five, making it her mission in life to enrich humanity with the power of ballet.

In pursuit of this dream, she obtained a BFA in Dance from Marygrove College and later moved to New York City. Despite being only 5 feet tall and deemed ‘too short’ to perform professionally, Robin became an integral part of regional ballet groups, often getting major roles and solos. What fueled her efforts were inspirational and educational influences, from studying alongside Madonna to being taught by the descendants of people who redefined dance, such as Katherine Dunham, Martha Graham, and George Balanchine. Robin’s teachers also included Talley Beatty, George Faison, Victoria Simon, and Tanaquil LeClerc.

Attesting to the wisdom and skills she refined while learning from the industry’s most renowned names, Robin was selected as one of the three remaining girls during an audition for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has also spent most of her career as a principal dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem Ensemble, Gallman’s Dance Theatre, Nanette Bearden's Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Ballet Long Island.

As well as being respected and admired as a performer, her most fulfilling adventure was sparked in 1994 when she began teaching. As a ballet teacher at the Harlem School of the Arts, Robin reshaped the industry landscape, becoming one of the few African American teachers of classical ballet at the time. That experience helped her gain recognition as a dedicated and detail-oriented dance tutor; soon after, Robin was asked to teach at virtually every minority dance school in the region.

Determined to match the rising demand and instill values and passion among underserved communities, she founded Uptown Dance Academy. “Back then, very few kids of color would get accepted into specialized schools. UDA bridged these gaps, helping youth thrive in a multicultural, supportive, and educational environment,” she adds. “When we started in 1996, I didn’t even realize how big of an opportunity it would provide for aspiring dancers.”

During nearly 29 years of existence, UDA nurtured thousands of talents and helped write hundreds of success stories, such as the one of Khalia Campbell, who - since joining at the age of eight - has won Harlem Cares Gospel 2003, McDonald’s Gospelfest 2009, and Best Talent Hal Jackson’s Talented Teens 2007. Now, she is a member and lead dancer of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Another student, Gabrielle Hamilton, was a finalist to study at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Russia, she received a full scholarship to Point Park College and later began as a soloist in the Broadway rendition of Oklahoma. Hamilton holds both a Chita Rivera and Bessie award.

UDA is dedicated to sharpening 21st-century skills that prepare underserved youth to enter adulthood and thrive as entrepreneurs, executives, and the next generation’s leaders. In 2007, the building was shut down, with Robin losing her facility. Since then, she has been able to raise $250,000 from the artist Prince during a fundraising event at the world-famous Apollo, which hosted Misty Copeland. COVID-19 hid amidst Robin’s efforts to restore the building, further obstructing the school’s success.

A pivotal moment happened when Robin’s beloved mom and facility manager of UDA, who had dedicated her life to supporting her daughter’s dreams of being a ballerina, suffered two severe strokes. “She was unable to speak, move her limbs, and breathe without a tube. I knew I needed to take care of her, just like she has done to me her whole life,” shares Robin. After a two-year-long battle, Robin’s mom passed away. To honor her mother’s spirit and love for dancing, the founder resumed her search for a new facility. In a full-circle moment, the new venue is located just one avenue down from the original building, symbolizing Robin’s inherent place in the neighborhood she serves.

With plans to turn the new facility into a hub where dreams come true, UDA is dedicated to forging meaningful partnerships with artists, nonprofits, and investors who all share the same vision of the world. In this world devoid of racial and socioeconomic barriers, children of all backgrounds have an equal opportunity to succeed in the magical realm of dance. She remarks, “Losing the facility took a toll on us. I was able to maintain the school, but - without a physical location - success was halted. We had an opportunity to return, and we took it. Now, it’s all about rebuilding better, coming back stronger, and creating thousands more success stories.”

Media Contact
Name: Robin Williams

Email: uptowndanceacademyuda@gmail.com