Fun and growth emphasized at El Cajon dance studio

As artistic director and owner of Dance Scene in El Cajon since 1997, Sandy Arce has her hand on the pulse of East County’s dance scene. The studio has been a favorite place for dance moms before the name was even coined.

Originally a teacher at Dance Scene before she purchased the studio, Arce has the philosophy that the studio should be a place where “dancers can attain their personal best.” In fact, Arce believes that the prominent foundation of having fun while dancing is the secret of the studio’s longevity.

As artistic director and owner of Dance Scene in El Cajon since 1997, Sandy Arce has her hand on the pulse of East County’s dance scene. The studio has been a favorite place for dance moms before the name was even coined.

Originally a teacher at Dance Scene before she purchased the studio, Arce has the philosophy that the studio should be a place where “dancers can attain their personal best.” In fact, Arce believes that the prominent foundation of having fun while dancing is the secret of the studio’s longevity.

“We provide a safe environment,” Arce said.

What that means for dance moms is that Dance Scene is family-friendly. Arce often brings her own daughter Hollee around to dance for fun with the other girls. The focus at Dance Scene is on learning different dance styles rather than forming competition teams.

Karen Van Gogh’s two daughters have learned dance from Arce for nearly nine years, loving the studio for its warmth and family feeling.
“Sandy told me when I started looking for a dance studio for my seven- year-old that she believed dancing should be for fun and for life,” Van Gogh said.

Van Gogh said that her 16-year-old daughter, who had been feeling stressed out and cranky because of the new school year starting, had at first not wanted to go to the studio.

“I talked her into dancing; I told her just do it and just get in there. Sandy understood because she has kids, too. When my daughter came out from the studio, she was all smiles and back to a happy 16-year-old,” Van Gogh said.

Many of the moms—Van Gogh included—dance at the studio and even with their own daughters in various dance classes.

Kayla Passalacqua has attended classes at the Dance Scene for the last seven years. She fondly refers to as Arce as Mrs. Sandy, who she says inspired her to do her best and improve on what she is learning.

“I consider Dance Scene to be like a second home to me because Mrs. Sandy and Hollee are always in such a good mood, they make you feel welcomed and you feel like you want to be there,” Passalacqua said.

For some students, dance does not come as fast as what they would like, as for Passalacqua.
“Mrs. Sandy has taught me how to be more patient, and most of all she has taught me to be confident in the dance that I’m doing, even if it looks silly, because if I look confident doing it then that is what people see, the confidence,” she said.

Confidence is what dancers need when circumstances work against them. Sisters Kaelyn and Kara Church, who danced a jazz routine recently at the Cajon Classic Cruise, demonstrated what that confidence looks like. When the sound system failed less than halfway through their routine, they kept right on dancing with big smiles. Their charisma won them shouts of ‘Bravo’ and loud applause from the crowd.

Dancing is not just for young girls. Dance Scene has been a pleasant surprise for adults, too, like Terri Rochambeau. Six years ago, Rochambeau started taking the adult Hip Hop class.

“At sixty-two years-of-age I have to say that I love every minute of this creative, energetic, and very cool genre of dance,” said Rochambeau, who is also taking hula classes at the studio.