ContempraDance School is the area’s most comprehensive state of the art dance facility with spacious studios including sprung and marley floors, high open ceilings with track lighting, spacious dressing and waiting areas and convenient parking for parents and students with easy access to shopping. ContempraDance School, owned by director Gail Vartanian, offers more then 60 classes per week to children, teens and adults, in ballet, jazz, modern, hip hop, tap, pre-dance, contemporary lyrical, pointe, creative dance and musical theater. ContempraDance School is voted the Best of Philly, by Philadelphia magazine, “Best Dance Studio in the Main Line” by Main Line Life and Main Line Times and Nickelodeon’s Parents Pick Choice Award. The School was recently voted 2021’s Best Dance Studio by Main Line Parent’s Love Award and 2022 Family Favorite. The studio offers various levels of classes for dancers from beginners to professionals and is dedicated to providing instruction in a warm and caring environment.
ContempraDance School is the home of the critically acclaimed, ContempraDANCE Theatre Company, a professional Dance Company founded in 1993 by artistic director, Gail Vartanian. The Company performs throughout Philadelphia and surrounding areas. For more information about upcoming performances, check out the company website at ContempraDance Theatre
ContempraDance School has a pre-professional student company, ContempraYouth Dance Company formed in September 2003. These dancers range in age from 10-18. They are selected through an audition process and perform throughout the year in ContempraDANCE Theatre’s hilarious holiday spoofs, “Philly-Nutt-Crak-Up”, Youth Regional Dance Festival, Disney World, Competitions and various community events. For more information on the junior division, check out the youth dancers section or call: 610.225.3007.
Photo: Gail Vartanian, owner
Birthday Parties
ContempraDance School offers a variety of birthday parties for all ages… from hip hop to ballet. You name it we have it! Our professional Party Instructors have lots of ideas for you. Feel free to call us anytime!
The party is 2 hours. This includes 1 hour dance instruction, 20 minutes cake/party, 10 minutes freeze dance/games and half hour for the set up and clean up. The kids have a fantastic time… and so do the parents!
The cost is $325.00 for the party. Limit to 14 children. It is a $10 additional charge per child if over 14.
Please call the studio at 610.225.3007 for more information and to book your party. Or email us at studio@contempradance.com
Policies
- Students can join a class at anytime during a session and will be charged a
pro-rated fee. - Classes missed during any payment period can be made up at any time during that period, this includes snow days. Please check with the office when making up classes.
- Any weather related cancellations will be announced on our voicemail and or posted on the home page website. Please call 610.225.3007 for updated information.
- Billing notices will not be sent out. A $25 late fee will be charged for payments made later than the first week of the new payment period.
- There is a $35 charge for any returned checks.
- Sorry, No credits or Refunds!
Class Attire
- Jazz/Musical Theater: Any color leotard or camisole top and black jazz pants. Must wear bloch or capezio canvas tan jazz shoes only. No Sneakers!
- Tap 1-4: Black tap shoes, black jazz pants and any color leotard or camisole top. Please make sure you buy your tap shoes from a local dancewear store. We recommend bloch or capezio shoes. When better quality the shoes will not mark up the marley dance floor.
- Modern: Any color leotard or camisole top with black jazz pants or tights and shorts. Bare feet.
- Contemporary/Lyrical: Any color leotard or camisole top with black jazz pants or tights and shorts. Tan lyrical slippers, half sole (turners)
- Hip Hop: White soled sneakers (no black soles, it can ruin our dance floor), t-shirt or any color tank top, sweat pants or jazz pants
- Ballet 1-5: Black leotard, pink tights, pink ballet shoes. Hair pulled back in bun away from face. Ballet skirts only if teacher allows.
- Pre-Dance: Pink leotard (tank, spaghetti strap or short sleeves preferred), Pink tights, Pink ballet slippers and black tap shoes. (We prefer Bloch tyette with snap closure only. No ties if possible). Please make sure you buy your tap shoes from a local dancewear store. When better quality the shoes will not mark up the marley dance floor. Ballet skirts are only allowed by teachers permission. Please ask your predance teacher before purchasing a skirt or tutu ban. No glitter skirts allowed in class. We appreciate it.
- Boys Ballet: Black shorts, white t shirt and black canvas ballet slippers.
September thru June Class Schedule 2025-2026
Classes Start September 8th 2025
Session 1 Sep. 8th - Dec. 7th 2025
Session 2 Dec. 8th - March 14th 2026
Session 3 March 15th - June 13th 2026 (please email us for availability since most classes are full at this point due to our June recital )
ContempraDance has incorporated online registration and payments through The Studio Director. Clicking the register/login button will take you to the Fall/Spring class list. You will need to sign in or create an account if you have not already. There is also a Studio Director app that you can download. Please contact us with any questions.
Congratulations 2025 Seniors!
Congratulations to our 2025 seniors Alex and Siena! We will miss you so much!
Your passion, dedication, and heart lit up our studio for years. We are so proud of you!
ContempraDance 2025 Rehearsal Clip from “Gotta Dance” Recital
This recital was amazing. The dancers were extremely talented and of course our little ones were a big hit!! I am so fortunate to have such a fantastic faculty and students. The recital video link will be sent to everyone. Thank you for a great season and look forward to the next!
ContempraDance School is the proud winner of the 2022 Main Line Parent Family Favorite dance studio award. Thank you everyone!
Congratulations to Ms. Daria. She has opened her own Yoga studio in Gladwyne called The Yoga Spot. She won’t be returning to Contempra this year due to this, but we wish her the best in her new endeavor!! I’m sure we will be seeing her around!
Our “LIVE IT UP” 2022 Dance Recital was a huge success Saturday June 4th. Over 600 people attended. The dancers were absolutely amazing and blew the audience away! My faculty and I were so impressed and just loved seeing smiling dancers on stage. It’s been 3 years since we had our last recital at Valley Forge Middle School. It was nice to be back.
Our “LIVE IT UP” 2022 Dance Recital was a huge success Saturday June 4th. Over 600 people attended. The dancers were absolutely amazing and blew the audience away! My faculty and I were so impressed and just loved seeing smiling dancers on stage. It’s been 3 years since we had our last recital at Valley Forge Middle School. It was nice to be back.
Austin Johnson amazed the audience with his senior solo, Sound of Silence choreographed by Daria Johston. Austin has been with Contempra for over 10 years and part of the Contempra Youth Dance Company. He was recently accepted to Cornell University. We are so proud of him. Austin is not only a fantastic and gifted dancer but an incredible person. We are going to miss him so much and wish him the best!!
Congratulations to everyone that performed on Saturday. AMAZING!!!
Picture below is Austin with Ms. Gail and Ms .Daria.
Lola is going to college!! Lola has been with ContempraDance since the age of 3. We are going to miss her so much. She’s a beautiful, talented and amazing young woman. Congratulations Lola!! Ms. Gail
Summer Dance Program
ContempraDance School’s Summer Dance Program
Check out the schedule and join us for a fun-filled summer of dance!
Class size is limited so register early.
Main Line Love Award
ContempraDance School is excited to announce we are the proud winner of the Main Line Love Award Best Dance Studio 2021.
Thank you to those that voted. We appreciate your support!
Congratulations to Ms. Daria!
Our Youth Ensemble Director and Instructor, Ms. Daria has been accepted into Temple’s MFA program for dance. We are so excited for her and very proud!
Good Luck!
Tickets are on sale now for June 8th recital. You can purchase in the office
Elevate Dance Competition 2019. Congrats to our amazing dancers! Great job!
Ms. Daria is now married. Congratulations!
Main Line Parent and Philadlephia Family LOVE award. ContempraDance School 2016, 2017, and 2021 LOVE award winner for "Best Dance Studio on the Main Line". 2019 LOVE award and 2022, 2023 "Family Favorite"