Our Story.....
The Amanda Rose Belmont Dance for Joy Center for Arts and Movement was founded in February 2006 by Sandy and Sam Arena after their daughter Alexis – age 13 at the time – asked her parents to open a Christian ballet studio for her. Alexis had been training in a secular classical ballet environment for many years and desired to train at a school providing excellence in instruction while glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ in a joyful and encouraging environment.
Since opening in 2006, the Dance for Joy Center has grown to serve approximately 200 students in the greater Rochester area and is a 501c3 not for profit organization. Founder Sandy Arena is not a dancer, but is rather “just a mom” who loves the Lord and who has dedicated her life to serving His purposes in this season for her own children and others like them. She and her husband Sam in this work for Jesus Christ give Him all the glory, honor and praise for all He has done providing excellence in instructors, finances, facilities and armies of willing hands and feet in support of the vision. The Lord has honored their steps of obedience into a world completely unknown, and opened the floodgates of heaven providing each and every need for Dance for Joy in His time, purposes and season. It has been a miraculous journey proving “all things are possible with God.”
The school's vision is the bring glory to God and joy to our souls through excellence in Christian dance and arts education and ministry. Several programs have been developed including our core program, the Yahweh Ballet Training Program. This program trains the art of the dancer in the discipline of ballet and modern, and the heart of the dancer to glorify and worship the Lord. The Yahweh Ballet - under the technical, administration and creative guidance and direction of Theresa Roesser, Jill Rechlin and Anna Seaman -- performs three full length ballets annually and has a repertoire ranging from classical to modern. See www.youtube.com/yahwehballet for excerpts. Our lower school students are cast into the Yahweh Ballet performances, as are the upper school apprentices. Two annual in-school performances are also held each year to provide our students in ballet training -- as well as students enrolled in other programs and classes -- the time and opportunity to share what they are learning in class and lift up worship to our Lord Jesus Christ.
New this year, is our Rhythms with Joy Community Outreach programs offering free to low cost movement classes in a Christ-centered environment including ballet, hip hop, poplocking, breakdancing and our
latest addition -- African Drum and Dancing.
Sister schools have joined Dance for Joy
with a vision to develop a Christ-Centered
Performing Arts Center featuring
Heartsong (worship dance and Marriage
Builders Ballroom); and Next Generation
Theatre Inc. Click each school for more information!!
Our latest and greatest calling is our
partnership with Next Generation Theatre Inc.
in the writing; directing and producing of
of hope for men and women suffering the shame
guilt of abortion told in song, theatre and dance.
"Let them praise His name with dancing...."
Psalm 149:3
Amanda Rose Belmont Dance For Joy and The Yahweh Ballet
Classes are funded in part by a mini-community grant by the Greater Rochester Health Foundation.
Destinies Lost - A testimony of hope and healing in song, theatre and dance for men and women suffering the guilt and shame of abortion and sharing regrets to tell the next generation to tell the truth about abortion from the real "experts" - the men and women who have had them
Dance of the Unborn Babies...
Aborted Baby, Ruth, Enters Heaven
Programs and classes funded in part by a Community Mini Grant by the
Greater Rochester Health Foundation
Sam and Sandy Arena
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." Psalm 139:14
Join Us For God's Little Princess Camp
and learn more about
being a Daughter of the King!
July 6, 8 & 10
July 20, 22 & 24
Ages 3 to 12
