For the past three years, Stéphanie Maheu has been running Studio de danse rebelle, a dance studio in Godmanchester. The studio started because Maheu is a mother of nine children, two of whom have Down syndrome, and it was impossible for her to return to work full-time. This studio helps her combine her love of dance with the ability to set her own hours and have a flexible schedule so she can care for her kids. The business is also a great way to spread a message of accessibility to young dancers.
The studio teaches many kinds of dance. They have mini ballet for ages five to seven as well as mixed dance, which covers a little bit of everything like cheerleading, hip-hop and musical theatre. For teenagers, she follows the wants of the students. The first class usually starts with exercises, then they sit down and discuss what kind of music they like. This helps decide what kind of movement they would like to explore in their second class. This year, Maheu started teaching an adult class, which is burlesque-style, and a little more risqué.
One of Maheu’s biggest reasons for starting this studio was to focus on both financial and physical accessibility. “I opened it mainly for people who can’t afford those expensive classes you see everywhere; it was really meant to be accessible to everyone,” she says.
“I teach small groups, so I have time with each student. I think that’s important, because I have some students who struggle, who have motor dyspraxia, and who have a little more difficulty. With dyslexia, too, they often mix up right and left and do things backwards.”
She believes that dance should be for everyone. Maheu grew up with a single mother, and the family couldn’t afford the classes she wanted to take. Now a mother herself, she hopes to help dismantle such barriers.
She emphasizes that because dance builds vital self-confidence, making it available to all children who want to participate is important.
Offering these classes in the region also means people don’t have to commute far to dance. Having classes close by is good for the development of children, and it helps create a social life and build community.
“There are a lot of young people who are more withdrawn. So, with these classes, they have no choice but to socialize,” she says.
In the future, Maheu hopes to expand her classes beyond Godmanchester to the surrounding region. Another goal is to start doing colour guard routines, which are a blend of ensemble dance, flags, swords and wooden rifles.
To keep up to date with what she has in the works, follow Studio de danse rebelle on Facebook.