By Cheryl Ricer | Photo by Karina Eremina of Joy of the Moment
Photography
Boni’s Dance & Performing Arts
Studio has grown dancers in The Woodlands since 1984, but Bonnie Schuetz, owner and
director, has been dancing her whole life.
“I started my training in Alvin in 1963 when
I was eight,” shared Schuetz, “and I started teaching at 16. In 1976 at age
21, I opened my first studio in my dining room. In 1982, we moved to The
Woodlands, and I started teaching neighborhood kids in my garage. All I ever
wanted to do was teach dance.”
Schuetz and her husband initially opened a
one-room studio in Panther Creek. After several expansions, they purchased
the land at Gosling and designed and built a 15,000-square-foot dream
studio.
“The rest is history,” said Schuetz. “We
moved there in 1999. Now we have three locations — including a brand-new
studio at 2978 — and here we are celebrating 40 years.”
They’ve accomplished so much by developing
each student to their fullest potential, nurturing them in a positive and
loving atmosphere. Schuetz believes that dance is a way of life that instills
poise, discipline, and personal fulfillment, as well as art appreciation.
Schuetz’s dancers also learn loyalty, time management, and respect for
themselves and others.
Many of Boni’s students dance 20 hours a week
and are part of the elite teams: Boni’s En Avant, a pre-professional ballet
company; Boni’s En Toure, a competitive team; Boni’s En Stage, a performing
team; and The Woodlands Dance Company. Every year Boni’s graduates around 27
seniors who have been with the studio since they were two years old. Now she
is enjoying a second generation of dancers.
“Teaching a former student’s child to dance
is probably the biggest compliment I could ever be given,” she said. “I’m
releasing a huge alumni call for anybody who has danced with me over the
years for our 40th anniversary show at the Pavilion. We’ll hopefully have
generations on stage performing and having fun together.”
Schuetz credits her staff for much of the
success at Boni’s Dance & Performing Arts Studio. Not only is her
husband her business partner, but her daughter also teaches and choreographs,
and her daughter-in-law works at the studio.
“It’s a family affair,” she asserted. “I
could not be doing what I’m doing without my staff, who’ve been with me for
35 years. It’s truly the Boni’s family. And though we are a big school with
about 1,200 kids in three locations, somehow the dancers and parents feel
like they belong.”
Classes
include classical ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, contemporary,
tumbling, and a musical theater
class. Boni’s turns out three full productions a year, including the
Nutcracker in November, a spring ballet in April, and a recital at the
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion over Memorial Day weekend. Boni’s enrolls
children as young as 12 months and offers adult classes, where the youngest
is 19 and the oldest is 85 years young. Registration is ongoing and all are
welcome.
After 40 years, Schuetz remains true to her
vision: To make each person’s experience enjoyable as they explore dance for
fun, exercise, or professional training.
9102 Forest
Crossing Drive
The Woodlands, Texas 77381
