Dance Centre North celebrates 30th anniversary

By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

“This girl has to dance. She’s floating all over the house all the time.”

That’s how Cathy Mucci’s mother pleaded her 5-year-old daughter’s case to a relative who owned a dance studio. After working her way up through local dance schools, musical theater, Dance Masters of America master classes and more, Mucci opened her own dance studio in 1988. Located in Mattydale, Dance Centre North is celebrating 30 years in business.

“It [isn’t] an easy task to keep something going for 30 years and still have a passion like she has and still have a desire and joy to work with the community,” said Larry Crabtree, who teaches at Dance Centre North as well as Le Moyne College and Syracuse University.

Mucci attributes her success to her teaching staff as well as “a little bit of the Italian hardheadedness that’s in my system — that, and a whole lot of prayer.”

In a case of “mother knows best,” Mucci said her mother scouted the location for the studio. Mucci’s mother had been bringing her grandchildren to karate lessons, and the karate teacher said he was moving his karate school to a new location.

“My mother’s wheels started turning in her head,” Mucci said.

So, in 1988, Mucci opened Dance Centre North in a mirrored upstairs classroom at 101 W. Molloy Road in Mattydale. As the school grew, she opened a second classroom downstairs and is thinking of further expansions in the future.

Including Mucci and Crabtree, DCN has 10 instructors and offers 10 levels of classes in ballet, tap, modern dance and more to students who range from tiny 3-year-olds to seniors in high school.

“Over the course of the years, we’ve had quite a few young people who have stayed until they’re 18 or out of school,” Mucci said.

Many of those alumni surprised Mucci at the studio’s annual recital in June. Her colleagues contacted former students and invited them — without Mucci’s knowledge — to come celebrate their teacher and their school.

“All these kids’ mothers and generations of dancers came up and joined us onstage for the final bow,” Crabtree said.

As dancers past and present surrounded her on the stage, Mucci said, she stood there with her mouth agape.

“You could have knocked me over with a feather,” she said.

Many of those DCN alumni participated in “The Adventures of Rudolph,” the long-running holiday ballet sponsored by CNY Arts. The production featured students from DCN and the Center of Ballet and Dance Arts.

After the 2013 production, “Rudolph” choreographer Deborah Boughton decided to retire the show, which had run for 35 years. In its place, Crabtree and Le Moyne College Director of Theatre Matt Chiorini created a new ballet, “Dasher’s Magical Gift.”

“I knew I had to have a really good show going in after 35 years of ‘Rudolph,’” Crabtree said.

“Dasher,” which premiered in 2014, is exclusive to Dance Centre North. Mucci said she is hoping to put together a DCN production of “The Wizard of Oz” next year. The school last performed “Oz” in 2013. Of all the productions her students have done, Mucci said, she cannot choose a favorite.

“To say a favorite, I can’t. I can just tell you every year I’m amazed by the students’ performances,” she said.

Mucci’s performing days are behind her — she’d rather help her students perfect their technique from tip to toe.

“I think I’ve been blessed because I get to see these little faces every day,” she said. “You can’t look into a child’s face and not see the beauty in them.”