Theresa Schoemer of Dance Elektra is a great example of a local business that adds so much to our community and our everyday lives.
Theresa Schoemer owns Dance Elektra. With dance studios in Selden and Center Moriches, Dance Elektra is about to celebrate 40 years in business.
Theresa acknowledges that she, at age 6, was placed in dance at the recommendation of her doctor to overcome a slight physical handicap she was born with. A few classes in, she just wanted to learn more and dance more. Dancing all the way to about 17 years of age, she easily transitioned into teaching dance and then jumped at the opportunity to take over the dance studio where she worked.
Dance classes, in general, start at a very young age and are a very popular activity for all ages. Dance Elektra allows kids as young as 2, but also offers Zumba and social dancing classes for adults: any age and any ability.
They, of course, offer all the styles of dance: ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and acro. What makes Dance Elektra a little different from other studios, however, is that they don’t push competitiveness on anyone who isn’t looking for it. They have recitals and join competitions and produce many winning teams, but if a child or teen just wants to dance for fun, that’s okay too.
If a child has special circumstances, they are welcomed and encouraged into the same classes and teams. The dance studio has a full staff of teachers, some more specialized in one style of dance and some that offer lessons in multiple styles. This can be quite a bonus when you want to mix it up a bit. One such teacher is her daughter, Sarina, who grew up dancing in the studio and now follows in mom’s footsteps.
The Selden studio was first opened in 1987, and when Theresa saw how many kids were travelling a decent distance, she opened the studio in Center Moriches to accommodate even more kids.
While there are other dance studios, one reason why The Messenger decided to spotlight Theresa and Dance Elektra is, well, because of Theresa. She has been a member of the Selden-Centereach community all her life. Her family dates back generations in this community. Her great-grandfather, Charles Furman, was the longest-serving minister at the Congregational Church of Lake Grove – the now-historic little white church on Middle Country Road.
She is an active community member in both areas, taking part in the Chambers of Commerce.
Dance Elektra offers birthday parties at the studios, and Theresa generously donates these birthday party packages as prizes when an organization in the area needs raffle prizes.
The Middle Country Chamber of Commerce offers a $1000 small business improvement grant each year, and last year Theresa was the recipient. She used the grant money to purchase a tumble track that many of her students were really hoping for.
Dance Elektra participates in many competitions and often takes home titles and prizes, but her favorite competition that they do every year is The Power of Dance Competition. Started by Kevin Haver with the sole purpose of having the dancers compete for monetary prizes to be donated to their favorite charities. Every year, Dance Elektra dances their best to bring home the prize money for Keith Caputo’s Helping Makes You Happy. This year’s competition, which they added more money to by way of other miscellaneous fundraising, allowed them to donate $1200 to this organization. Truly amazing all around.
Already an excellent choice for learning and mastering the art of dance, but just as important in choosing them is the woman behind it.
Theresa has made it clear she has no plans to retire any time soon, as she simply loves what she does every day.
Learn more about Dance Elektra at danceelektra.com or by calling 631 878-6168. The Selden location is 616 Middle Country Road, and Center Moriches is located at 10 Wilcox Avenue.
