Danielle Cuzdey has been dancing her entire life, yet hadn’t dreamed of teaching until she was 15 and starting working at Eleanor’s School of the Dance in Albany. There, Cuzdey taught her very first student and after seeing her connection and influence, she knew dancing was the only path she could take.
More than 20 years later, Cuzdey now co-owns the World of Dance Studio at 25B Walker Way in Colonie with her mother, dancer Barbara Pregont. After being open only seven years, the studio has won numerous regional and national awards and has had several students dance their way to Broadway, national tours, theme parks and TV shows.
Just last month, the studio’s dance team was named the Federation of Dance Competitions Studio of Excellence for 2013 at the StarQuest National dance competition in Virginia Beach, Va., making it the third year the studio took home the top prize out of 55 other studios nationwide.
“When they won they were crying, jumping. I think they just felt so unbelievably excited because they didn’t expect it,” Cuzdey said of her dancers. “I think the thing I’m most proud of (about) my team, as strong as they are and as hard as they work, they are very humble. They don’t know how strong they are.”
After competing and succeeding far in the regional competitions this spring, the dancers buckled down and began training for the national competition. Cuzdey took the team of 69 and their families down to Virginia Beach from July 15 to July 20 for the competition.
The World of Dance team separated into several categories depending on age and level: ages 8 and under were in the petite category; 9 to 11 in the junior category; 12 to 14 in the teen category; 15 and over in the senior category. Throughout the week, dancers competed to place in the top five. Those in the top five then danced on Saturday to gain points. The team with the most points wins the competition. By the end of the week, the World of Dance studio earned 103 points, ranking the highest out of every team competing.
Some of The World of Dance teams completely outscored the competition, and many soloists took home the top score, including Cuzdey’s niece Hannah Pregont, who won the overall high score soloist.
The World of Dance studio also holds the title as the No. 1 studio in the state and No. 9 in the country, named by the Federation of Dance Competitions.
Cuzdey said one reason the team works so well together and succeeds in competitions is through the studio’s family-friendly ambiance. The World of Dance studio offers tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop and core dancing, anywhere from recreational to advance competitive training to 2 and a half year olds to adults. While not all of the 250 students compete on the team, Cuzdey said the teachers, which include Cuzdey herself, her mother and her brother, and the teaching methods create a comfortable and positive studio atmosphere, evoking a sense of family by working hard together and learning core values including responsibility and teamwork.
“You feel like home when you come here. It’s a very positive place,” Cuzdey said.
According to Cuzdey, she wanted to have a studio where people could go to have their children learn about not only dance, but about respecting one another, teamwork, and responsibility.
Donna Bell, of Rennselaer, has had both of her daughters dance and compete with The World of Dance. While it just started out as a hobby for both, one daughter is now studying dance in college and the other, 15-year-old Jolie, competed at the StarQuest competition this year. Bell agreed with Cuzdey, claiming the family atmosphere keeps the team strong.
“Everything about dance is personal. You’re putting your emotions on the stage. These girls … they’re spending hours of their time together. That’s what makes it part of the family,” Bell said.
The entire Bell family headed down to Virginia Beach for the StarQuest competition, sitting in the audience and watching their daughter perform. Her team placed in the top 5 for small groups for five of the last seven years they’ve competed together.
“Pretty much every dance Jolie was in placed in the top 10, and that’s really a testament to how good the studio is,” Bell said. “That’s how good Barb and Danielle are.”
While the World of Dance continues to win competition after competition, the dance team offers a unique approach to forming its team: no auditions are required.
“I don’t believe in auditioning. I set up my team for the needs of everyone,” Cuzdey said. “I will make 15 teams if I have to for different levels so (everyone) can be a part of it. I think if you let kids know they can do and achieve anything they want, they’re going to achieve it. It’s something my mom has instilled in me. You set goals, and you say you can do it and you will. Everybody has something to offer.”
For the studio itself, Cuzdey also offers one free class for a full year for boys. With this free option, Cuzdey said it’s easier for boys to join the studio, straying away from thinking dance is a “girls’ sport.” Since starting this method four years ago, Cuzdey has had several boys take classes. Last year, she was able to have an all-boys hip hop and tap team at the StarQuest competition. And, some of her boy students have gone onto Broadway, including dancer Jacob Clemente, who played the lead role in “Billy Elliot.”
A smiling Cuzdey said she couldn’t be prouder of her team.
“I never say, ‘Let’s go out there and win.’ I say, ‘You’ve done your best, now whatever happens, happens. Know we are going against strong competition and you can never expect anything. You just work as hard as you can and that’s all you can do,’” Cuzdey said. “When they won, they were floored.”