Shenandoah Academy of Dance
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Call us at 540-570-0848
Founded in 1999 by Missy Belcher Floyd
Missy Belcher Floyd, Artistic Director
Founded in 1999, Missy Floyd has devoted her teaching to the belief that the dancer strictly trained in classical ballet can achieve proficiency in any dance discipline. Floyd has stood by this philosophy since the opening of her studio 17 years ago.
Shenandoah Academy of Dance is individually owned and operated right here in Buena Vista, VA. Since Missy opened her doors in 1999, students of the Academy have gone on to major in college dance programs and have gone on to professional careers in dance. Each student is encouraged to be their best and is looked at as an extension of Missy's own family. Other companies may offer similar services, but the Shenandoah Academy of Dance offers a truly nurturing and loving environment for the youngest little dancer to the dancer young at heart.
Committed to helping my dancers achieve their dreams
Missy grew up dancing in Bucks County. She began her training in Lower Bucks Country at the age of 3. When her family moved into the Central Bucks County area, she moved her training to the late Joyce Reeves who focused on the RAD method. After Miss Reeves passed away, on the insistence of her mother, she began studying at the Budzynski Studio of Ballet. Later, Missy moved her studies to Dance Elite, then under the direction of Delana Blore, the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Joffrey. Her instructors have included such notables as Marilyn Budzynski, Joan Beard, Michael Loupazanski, Liz Miles, Lupe Serrano, Cherie Noble, Gloria Govrin among many others. Her professional training led her to freelance as a professional dancer with Dance DelBello, Dance Elite and other companies in the northeast.
Missy began teaching classical ballet in Rockbridge County relocating here in 1991. She has taught at the former Lexington School of Dance, as adjunct faculty in dance at both Washington and Lee and Southern Virginia Universities. Missy has also choreographed for W&L Theatre and has taught master classes in studios across Virginia and West Virginia.
In 1999, she founded the Shenandoah Academy of Dance, originally in Lexington. In 2008, she moved her studio to Buena Vista. Since then, the studio's enrollment tripled in size and remains the only studio devoted first to the art of classical ballet with adjunct classes in modern, contemporary and tap. Missy is also a certified teacher of Progressing Ballet Technique and has been teaching that adjunct training method since 2017 in her school as well as surrounding schools in the area.
In December 2012, Missy founded her ballet company, Shenandoah Ballet, to create a performance opportunity for those dancers dedicated to the classics. Unique in its traditions, the Shenandoah Ballet presents two full-length productions under Floyd's direction each year.
About the Shenandoah Academy of Dance
