We met Miss Charity and her family when our kids went to Pre-K back in 2017/2018! We would talk when we waited at drop off and pick up. It was at that time I could tell Charity was a very genuine person. Her heart is so big. A few years later she opened Elements Dance Center. I reached out in December of 2020 and without skipping a beat she warmly welcomed our very quiet daughter into her dance center. She remembered her personality and things she likes from our PreK time together years prior, which really meant a lot to us. Our daughter started with one ballet class as we were in the middle of the year at another dance center as well. As the year went on, I learned so much from Charity, I myself never took dance and the dance world can be overwhelming at times but Charity makes it SO easy, she doesn't let you stress! Her communication is amazing. She responds quickly, she's helpful, she genuinely appreciates all of her students, families, teachers. She shows this with appreciation weeks.
She does a red carpet walk and gives awards to students for all their hard work! She makes them feel like the stars they are! My daughter LOVES these opportunities she says she feels loved and appreciated and motivated to try her best and to want to learn more!
Our very quiet daughter has grown SO much at Elements. Exploring different styles of dance. We love the summer sessions and mini sessions which allow her to try a style she might not be sure about without committing to a full year. After taking her first Ballet class with Charity we knew this was the spot for her to grow and be healthy and confident and feel loved and seen even though she's so quiet! Last summer she explored Jazz and a week-long Ballet/Contemporary Boot Camp. Come Fall she was doing Ballet, Contemporary and Jazz! This summer she is trying Tap, which she did at another center but wanted to try it at again at Elements and is loving it! She's taking Contemporary again this summer because she loves it so much. This Fall she's taking Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz with the possibility of musical theater. Our daughter has to be careful doing splits for medical reasons and Charity has always been more than caring and helpful to her to help her progress safely. She has gained so much confidence in herself at Elements Dance Center.
As a parent I can't say enough about how much Charity cares for the health and wellbeing of her students as a whole. I have heard Charity say practice makes progress/progress over perfection! To me this is everything. Kids need a safe space to be themselves and be mentally healthy. Mental Health is incredibly important to her, just like this year's recital theme shows. I knew this when we came to Elements. I knew that she is breaking the mold of the dance culture and making sure all students are healthy as a whole. She wants them resting and eating healthy and have a healthy body image. This is something I was extremely concerned about as my daughter particularly loves Ballet. I want her to be a strong athlete in dance (her sport of choice) not falling into eating disorders or body image issues.
The growth we have seen within Elements Dance Center in two PANDEMIC years is amazing! I am getting emotional as I type this because to think that we met years ago and now our daughter has this amazing opportunity to learn from her and be loved by Charity and the teachers at EDC really warms my heart. We are so grateful. If you have ever had or have the opportunity to be at the recital shows to see the emotion from Charity it is so real. If you know her, you know this if you don't you will soon learn this about her. I can hardly look at her because I want to cry because I'm so happy for her to see where she is taking her dance center. I'm so proud and excited for her and any student that has the opportunity to attend her dance center. I can only imagine how she must feel taking it all in.
My daughter has had other teachers during her time at EDC as well and they have all been wonderful, warm, welcoming, helpful everything EDC stands for.
Thank you, Miss. Charity for inviting us in on this amazing journey you have created! We can't wait to see what's next : )
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Our story with Elements and Charity started a long time ago.....so long ago now that it seems like forever ago.
My two daughters had been dancing at another studio when we met Charity. They were taking her contemporary class and it didn't take us long to fall in love with her, her teaching and her choreography. She has a way of making everyone feel welcome and worthy of being in class. And when I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE! After taking an adult class with her, she encouraged me to try a teen class! I thought she was crazy. I was a middle aged woman, who used to dance, and was just trying get back to it. But she promised I could handle it. I tried it and was so insanely happy after every class because I was able to fill a HUGE missing part of who I am. This is only one of the things I came to appreciate most about Charity.....the way she met her students where they were, yet challenged them to dig deeper to really connect with all they were capable of. She really sees the potential in all of her students and works hard to help them ALL accomplish things they might never have thought possible.
It was through this experience that I got to know Charity better. I learned first hand of her dream to one day own her own dance studio a long time ago. She had SO many ideas! I watched as a fire ignited in Charity like I've never seen in anyone before. She dug in, did the work and made her dreams come true. I am still amazed at all the incredible things she has accomplished in such a short amount of time. And there is no doubt in my mind that one of the things that fueled her fire was the love of her students.
My oldest daughter, Maddy, who seemingly took every class under the sun, one day expressed interest in trying Acro. She wasn't a gymnast and had never done any kind of tumbling, but thought it looked like fun and wanted to give it a try. We talked to Miss Charity and asked if she'd be willing work with Maddy one-on-one during the summer before putting her into an acro class. That one-on-one time not only created a love for a new form of dance, but created a trusting and loving relationship between my daughter and Charity. And he quickly became a person with whom Maddy could unashamedly be herself and trust.
My youngest daughter, Ashlyn, has a completely different skill set than her older sister, connecting more with tap and hip hop. These were both styles of dance she came to late as well. At Elements she was nurtured and given the chance to blossom in those areas as Charity saw where her individual dance passions fell. She was given the opportunity to perform a solo this year and the confidence that came from that experience is immeasurable. She taps ALL THE TIME!
As a parent, it's important to know that the places your children spend most of their time away from home are safe and loving environments. A place you feel comfortable leaving them knowing that they'd be taken care of. Charity has worked hard to create a space where her students know they matter and are loved. A home away from home. She teaches the dancers to encourage and support one another in a way I've never seen. For example, around Valentine's Day she gave each student a heart and asked them to put their names on it. Those hearts were then passed around the room where the everyone wrote nice things about that particular student on their heart. I couldn't help be get emotional at the fact that their dance studio was creating such loving bonds between all the students. Both of my girls have those hearts hanging in their rooms. They serve as a reminder of all the wonderful things others see in them. Sometimes things they don't see in themselves.
Charity continues to implement new and exciting things for the dancers. She brings in guest teachers, adds classes geared toward mental health and overall dancer health. There are red carpet events, opportunities for the students to assist in the teaching of classes through the JAM program, dance history week......she is constantly looking for new ways to make the Elements experience something special for everyone. And for that, we are so grateful!
We feel so incredibly lucky to be on this journey with Charity and are PROUD to be a part of the Elements Dance Center Family. "
The Shurtliffes
From Maddy,
"Being at Elements has changed my life. My previous dance experiences were full of self doubt, and worrying whether or not I was good enough to stay in my class or if the other dancers liked me enough to be friends. The change that has come with switching to Elements has not made me dread coming to class for a while now. The environment that Charity made has rekindled the love I have for dance, and has helped me to feel more loved, respected and heard at the studio. Charity makes sure to create a personal bond with each student, so the dance studio feels more and more like home every day. I remember when she asked me to introduce myself to a new student who had never taken a class before that was arriving in the fall. Charity wanted to make sure that she didn't feel awkward around all the other dancers. Needless to say, our friendship is only growing, and she has made more friends at the studio. Dance environments can be hazardous for young students, but Elements is the fresh air that I am proud to call 'My home away from home.'"
From Ashlyn,
"Dance plays a very important role in my life, and being at Elements has only made it grow. Miss. Charity has created such a positive and welcoming environment, and because of that, I feel that I can share things and not feel silly about it, because I know that all of my friends won't laugh at me, even if its really embarrassing. I am so glad that I get to be a part of this wonderful dance studio"
We have immersed ourselves in the Elements family more than we ever could have imagined in the past two years. The journey has been nothing but wonderful because of Miss Charity and her amazing staff. We first found Elements Dance Center when our daughter Hailey wanted to try out an acro class. She was previously a gymnast, but wanted to try something new. From the moment she stepped into the studio, she knew that it was exactly where she wanted to be. Hailey was 14 years old at the time, completely new to the dance world. There were many days where she felt so behind her peers that she considered giving up. Once Charity was aware of this, she pushed and encouraged her to keep trying and working hard. After just a few months, she showed incredible progress. I have a feeling that if it wasn’t for Charity, the other teachers, and her kind and supportive classmates, that she would have given up. I am over the moon excited that Hailey has been able to find her passion in dance. Her confidence has skyrocketed as well. Seeing her confidence on stage at recital was incredible, as I never saw her as one to be comfortable with being the center of attention in front of so many people.
Recently, my son Dylan was inspired to try hip hop after watching his sister perform at the recital. Just like with Hailey, Dylan was welcomed with open arms to the Elements family. He comes home from hip hop each week with a smile on his face and eager to show us all the things he learned that day. Some people in society tell boys that “dancing is for girls”, but Charity has created an environment that teaches that dance is for everyone, and that we should build each other up instead of pushing each other down.
Everything that Charity and her studio stands for is incredibly admirable. The studio values are clearly represented in each class. It’s amazing to see the dancers cheering each other on, helping each other when someone is in need, and showing kindness and inclusion. Charity also ensures that each child is reminded that they should be resting, eating, and talking positively about themselves. This is amazing as many mental health issues often hang over the dance world. It’s fantastic to see the emphasis put on mental health. Everything about Elements is absolutely wonderful. From the performance opportunities, to parent appreciation week, to awards nights, to the JAM program, to the fabulous recitals. It’s safe to say that our family absolutely loves Elements Dance Center and the community that is built around it.”
The Korczynski’s
A word from the family’s dancers:
“Elements Dance Center is 100% my second home. I can’t even put into words how much this studio means to me. Miss Charity is an amazing, kind, and loving person who cares about every single dancer, not just when they’re at the studio in class, but all of the time. When I was struggling with mental health and other issues, Miss Charity and my dance friends helped me through it and I can’t thank them enough for that. This really shows that the supportive community doesn’t only take place in the studio, but outside of it as well.
When I first started dancing when I was 14, I was terrified and overwhelmed. I considered quitting, but Miss Charity pushed me to keep trying. I’m so thankful she did because currently I’m taking 5 different styles of dance and I’m on competition team. It’s insane how much I’ve grown as a person and as a dancer in just the past two years. Going to dance is my favorite part of the day. At Elements we are all like a big family. We cheer each other on, laugh together, help each other out, and support each other. One of my favorite memories is sitting in the audience on dress rehearsal day cheering and screaming for the people dancing on stage. It’s crazy the support and love we have for each other and this moment really emphasized that. Miss Charity has created an extremely healthy environment where everyone is able to be themselves. I was always super shy, but I feel that dancing at Elements has boosted my confidence, and I’m finally able to be myself.
Another passion that I've found being at Elements is assistant teaching. I love that I am able to be a part of the JAM program. It’s such a great opportunity to be able to learn how to teach dance, so that in the future we are able to be dance teachers ourselves. Overall, I cannot say enough good things about Miss Charity, Elements, and this entire community. I absolutely love it.”
Hailey Korczynski
“Miss Charity is an all around great teacher! She treats everybody equally and enjoys teaching all of her students. She is a great combination of serious and funny. Thanks Miss Charity!”
Dylan Korczynski
​Savannah's dance journey began 6 years ago when she was 4 years old. We began at another studio and to be honest we barely knew Ms. Charity. When she decided to move and start her own studio we asked around and heard such amazing things about her. So, we took a leap of faith and followed her and it was one of the best decisions we have ever made. Ms. Charity opened her arms to any dancers that wanted to join her at her new studio. We have been at Elements for 2 years now and I am amazed by how much Savannah has come out of her shell. She was always a shy and quiet girl but when she dances, she is a completely different person. Savannah has grown by leaps and bounds since joining Elements and that is all do to Ms. Charity's dedication to her students. She has created such an amazing space for her dancers to feel safe and to grow. Elements is such a wonderful place and Savannah has made so many special friends. You can always see the other dancers cheering and encouraging each other to try their best. We absolutely love that Ms. Charity is teaching them to support one another. Ms. Charity teaches positivity to her dancers, not just in their dancing but in their self-image. She encourages her students to maintain a healthy lifestyle and impresses how important mental health is. Savannah always comes out of dance class feeling better than when she went in. She even signed up for summer classes just so she could improve her skills before starting up in the fall again. We know we are in the best place possible for Savannah and her dance career."
Savannah's words:
"I absolutely love Ms. Charity and dance class. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. She really helps me focus on technique so I can do my best. I love that she lets me be myself too. I feel I can learn and be serious but also have fun and be silly. I have made some wonderful friends and met some pretty amazing teachers. Thank you, Ms. Charity for being such an amazing teacher and I can't wait to be with you for the next 7 years! Love you!!"
Our dance journey with Elements began in the spring of 2021. We saw a cute little dance studio open at the end of our neighborhood and our 6 year old wasn’t feeling gymnastics anymore. I saw a post that Charity was offering a 4 week mini-class to give dance a try and my Emma fell in love with it! We continued dance thru the summer and then our 4 year old Madelyn was jealous. Both were signed up for the fall; Emma continued with hip-hop and Madelyn started jazz bop. Emma came home after every class so excited to show us what she learned from Miss Charity. When Covid struck the household, the girls weren't left out as they participated in zoom classes! It was a bonus to see what they were learning! Both loved their year so much they asked to take more classes! Our 2 year old Natalie just recently started as well with the me and my mini class. We all love Elements and the positive vibes and encouragement from everyone from Miss Charity, to the teachers and jam helpers!
Madelyn: “I love dancing”
Emma: “I love that it’s really fun. I love learning about different styles and hip-hop dances. I love that I also got to perform my dance routine at the burger fest and the fair”
The Monahan Family
Justine Tim Emma Madelyn and Natalie
"Our dance journey began a few years ago when my daughter Liberty decided she wanted to dance again. She did a year at another studio but didn’t like it enough to go back. She loved to dance though, ever since she was a baby she would dance. Her old studio just wasn’t what she wanted. That’s when I came across Elements dance studio. The studio offered hip hop for her age and I signed her up. Fast forward to the first day of class Libby was so excited but when we got there she became super anxious with the new studio, new kids and a new teacher. Being Covid times made it even harder on her. She wouldn’t even step foot in the class, and wouldn’t let me leave her side. Charity didn’t make her feel bad at all instead she let her just observe from outside of the classroom letting her decide when she is ready.Libby was so upset with herself that day that she didn’t do it so we continued to go back. By the third class she was finally dancing! With Charity’s encouragement and also the classmates encouragement she got to enjoy something she loved to do! My shy girl trusted Charity and improved with every class. She improved so much that by the second year she decided to take on Acro. She continue to find comfort, fun and joy in Elements that now entering her third year she added another style of dance..Musical theater! I can’t say enough good things about the studio Charity created. There are many closer studios to our home but Elements has been worth the drive! As a parent I enjoy how updated Charity keeps us. This studio has become part of our lives.I look forward to many years at Elements Dance Center!" - Amanda (Liberty's Mom)
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Liberty: " I love elements dance center it is my favorite place to dance I will never quit dancing here. Miss charity is the best dance teacher I ever known."
By Tammy Prior
Our then 5 year old daughter was in a tap/ ballet class when Covid shut the world down. Our old studio was ALL about dance and perfection. I knew it wasn’t what we were looking for. Our former babysitter who we adore posted about this new studio that was opening in the neighborhood. We trusted her enough to give Elements a try and we couldn’t be happier that we did. Although the studio has a high level of expectations for dance skills, it’s about so much more. It’s about creating happy, self confident, body-positive girls and women. From the dress code to the activities done in class, it’s about building confidence in who are are, not what you might become.
We also appreciate the community that Charity has built. From the welcome back picnic to parent appreciation week to the awards red carpet at the end of the year, this studio isn’t just a drop your child off and pick them up. It’s about making friends and supporting each other which is something we find important to instill in our children. At this studio, no child is left out or made to feel less because of their ability. Differences are celebrated.
We have seen Kaitlyn grow not only in her dance skills, but in her own skin. She loves going to dance each week and is always excited to show and tell us what she’s leaned. We can’t see where her dance journey takes her.!
From Kaitlyn: All the teachers are super kind. Miss Charity is a really good teacher who is patient and kind. She makes it fun while we learn to dance. She is just the best!