Dance Cavise

Dance Cavise is everything: it's an incredible learning environment, a creative playground, and a haven for talent, found in both teachers and students alike. The physical building is a spectacle itself with its massive studio space and natural light, but the real magic comes from the studio's leadership. Joe Cavise serves as artistic director for Dance Cavise and Off Center Dance Theatre, and he puts so much of his heart and soul into both that it is impossible not to be inspired. The instructors are nothing short of the best, providing an education focused on technique, which creates such a strong foundation that many students continue to dance well beyond high school.

The thing that makes Dance Cavise truly amazing, however, is its warmth. Joe has created an environment which fosters creative individuality by making sure that each student knows that they bring something special to the table.

What can I say about Dance Cavise AND Off-Center Dance Theatre ? That our daughter spent a HUGE part of her formative years (12 years to be exact--- from 6-18), both personally and “professionally “ at the Dance Cavise studio.

As a dance student, Amanda learned discipline, responsibility, and the “life lesson” that, just because your are in “2C’, does NOT mean that you are automatically moving up to “3C”…NO—Joe Cavise taught her that you have to EARN that next step, that nothing in life is handed to you, that you have to be consistent and confident and ready to accept the time and commitment the next level of dance class demands. As her mother, I knew EXACTLY how much she wanted to move up, but I TOTALLY respected Joe for his courage and strength to make her wait until she was ready.

Fast forward to 5th grade, when she auditioned for the Off-Center Youth Ensemble…and, OH, did she want to be in this amazing group of young women…once again, Joe calls the house, tells me that she can be an apprentice, again, not ready to be a full-time member of the group, and yet, must be at every rehearsal and every event, in case she was needed to fill in. Now, I made sure it was Amanda’s decision…she said “yes”….Not until the following year, after that audition, was she a full member of the junior company.

She spent literally 1000’s of hours with these tenacious and talented and bright and kind and spirited group of young women, every year watching some of the ensemble graduate high school and head out to college and the next phase of their life. This is 3-5 days a week, between rehearsals and performances and regular dance class AND school…and NONE of the Off-Center Youth Ensemble are anything but extraordinary students !!!

And, she learned to be self-confident, to take pride in her body, to eat healthy, to stretch properly, to hydrate, to be on time….she ate many meals in the car on the way and did a LOT of homework in the car, but she was IMMENSELY proud to be a part of this group.

MOST IMPORTANT, Amanda learned about giving back, about helping others who are less fortunate with their health, or visiting senior care facilities and seeing the smiles on the faces of the residents…the true magic of dance is that “anyone with a heart can dance”…a truism from Joe Cavise…how special that young people are exposed to such a great lesson, that the girls learned that we are all just PEOPLE and everyone deserves the same respect.

Was all of this “time” well-spent ?? Was it worth all the personal sacrifice, you might ask?

Amanda attended Wagner College on Staten Island …she participated in the UP til Dawn fund-raising event on campus all 4 years, and was executive director in her senior year…this is the major college fund-raiser for St Jude Children’s hospital. She was a nursing student and graduated with the highest GPA of any nursing student ever at Wagner…3.99 %

Today, she is an oncology nurse on the leukemia/lymphoma floor at the Weill-Cornell campus of NY Presbyterian…is every bit of her compassion and passion from Dance Cavise and OCDT…No, Amanda is, on her own, an extraordinary young woman ( and not because she is my daughter, just because she is)

BUT, Joe and Lori Cavise know exactly how much I attribute so much of Amanda’s development and growth as a young woman to their studio and OCDT…she was given amazing opportunities to learn to give back , and , as Joe always says, to “TRY” and not to give up….

I applaud Joe and Lori and every part of their studio….and I will recommend the studio and OCDT always. Every minute, every hour that Amanda spent at the studio was worth it.

Thanks for your time.

Elaine Diekmann

Dance Cavise is Great!!! The teachers are amazing, and it's a good place for kids to start and learn the techniques of dance and grow with the studio.

A second home to my daughters, having started dancing at 4 years old and continued on through High School. Dance Cavise has brought them the joy of Dance, a community of lifelong friends, and a sense of responsibility and giving back within the world they live in.

I grew up dancing at Dance Cavise and am lucky enough to send my daughter there now. Dance Cavise is an incredible institution that instilled in me a sense of confidence that I still carry with me today. Being back there as an adult, I see the same level of nurturing, professionalism that I experienced as a child. There is a amazing sense of camaraderie among dancers but also a level of discipline that cannot be replicated. My daughter loves going there for dance and is OBSESSED with their performing arts camp. We had to rearrange our whole summer vacation so that she could attend both sessions!