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.
Awesome recital!!!
Our “Magic of Dance” student performance June 2nd 2018 was absolutely beautiful. Thank you to all of our amazing dancers that performed their hearts out to a packed audience. The Contempra faculty was unbelievably impressed. We can’t wait to start again in the fall! We also hope to see you in class this summer.
Thank you parents for sharing your fabulous kids with us all year. We hope you enjoyed it as much as us!
Ms. Gail, Ms. Daria, Ms. Jenn, Ms. Tia, Ms. Tweety, Mr. Bilal, Mr. Jerzy, Mr. Dre
Beyond the Stars Competition Results!
Our dances received numerous awards at Beyond the Stars Dance Competition. May 19th & 20th.
The dancer’s hard work and determination certainly paid off this year. Not only in competitions but at our Youth Festivals, charity events and in ContempraDANCE Theatre’s winter and spring productions.
We are extremely proud of all of the Ensemble Dancers and their talented choreographers. WAY TO GO!!
- Lola Contained Platinum and 5th Overall And Choreography award for Contained
- Visually Effective for The Trail
- 2nd Overall The Trail And Ultimate Emotional Execution award for The Trail
- Claudia Solo If I had my Way Diamond 1st Overall
- Austin Sound of Silence Platinum 9th Overall
- Eyes High Gold 3rd Overall
- Elusive High Gold 4th Overall
- Terrilyn Love is In Control High Gold 1st in Category
- Trio On My Own got platinum and 1st Overall
- Duo life of the party got High Gold and 3rd Overall
- Maya Time After Time got High Gold and 9th Overall
- Audrey placed 1st in Contemporary category, Platinum and 4th overall.
- Hanging Tree got Platinum and 3rd Overall
- Work Me Down High Gold 7th Overall
- Jailhouse Rock High Gold 6th Overall
- Virus Platinum 2nd Overall and Judges Award Creative Concept
- Ellie Solo Ciao Adios Platinum and 2nd Overall and standout technique award
- Maria Between the Lines got High Gold
ContempraDance Studio Named A Family Favorite Business By the Main Line Parent LOVE Awards!
Congratulations to ContempraDance Studio again being named a Family Favorite Business From Main Line Parent LOVE Awards!
Congratulations Mr. Dre!!!!!!!!!!!
Ms. Gail with Dre at his wedding in the outer banks Saturday April 28th.
Dre has been teaching hip hop at ContempraDance for over 11 years.
We are so excited we were able to be there to celebrate with him and his new wife, Kathy.
Congratulations Mr. Dre!!!!!!!!!!!
Ms Gails Little Mermaid kids
Ms Gails Little Mermaid kids posing after trying on their recital costumes Ms Jenn made.
They are under the sea lol !!!!
Oldie But Goodie – Gail with Jerry Blavat – 2008 “Best Of Philly Awards”
Gail With Jerry Blavat aka “The Geator with the heater” at The 2008 Philly Magazine “Best of Philly Awards”
ContempraDance School was voted Best Dance School on the Main Line.
Elevate Competition March 17th 2018
Elevate Competition March 17th 2018
Awards:
- 2 High Platinum’s
- 15 Platinum’s
- 1 High Gold
- 5 1st place awards
- 1 Judges award for superb staging for “Work me Down”
- 1 “IT” award from the judges for Audrey’s Solo
Special DJ award for Virus.. selected as most favorite dance of the day!
Youth Ensemble dancers in Philly Nutt Crak-Up as “Philazzle Canes”
Youth Ensemble dancers performing “Arabian Night” at 2016 World Dance Festival in Philadelphia
ContempraYouth Dance Ensemble performs “Hershey Kisseritas” in the Philly Nutt Crak-Up
ContempraYouth World Dance Ensemble 2016
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"