Founded in 1986, the Logrea Dance Academy, an esteemed dance school in Ossining, is celebrating its 40th anniversary next year and celebrations will begin this month. Founded by Beth Fritz-Logrea and Jean Logrea, the academy has brought the joy and the discipline of ballet to generations of dance enthusiasts. And it won’t be stopping anytime soon.
Nick Logrea, Beth and Jean’s only child, has already begun the process of taking over the school’s management and will be maintaining the high standards inculcated by them. “We are not a competition school,” he points out. “So when kids come to us, they are dancing for the love of dance. We do have performing opportunities for them throughout the year, but in addition we teach them about responsibility. They learn respect, they learn time-management, they learn work ethic, and discipline. And so many of our alumnae have gone on to be super-successful individuals.”
The anniversary celebrations will include honoring four academy instructors by affixing plaques in the school that will effectively name studios after them. But in addition, there will be an alumni weekend, scheduled to start on Friday, Sept. 12, at Ossining’s Waterfront Park, and including a studio visit and class on the 13th, with an evening opportunity to say hello and have a drink with the Logreas, at The 19th Hole in Ossining.
“I know there are many alumni who are out of town now, and I’m just looking to bring back as many people as possible,” Nick explains. “We’ve been around for a long time and there are now kids in our school who are second and third generation who have come through our school. I look at them all as part of our extended family. We’re a tight-knit group, in a tight-knit community, and I just want to celebrate that.”
Jean Logrea and Beth Fritz-Logrea met in Austria in the late 1970s, when both were dancers at the Graz Opera House. Beth was born in Memphis, Tennessee, moved to New Jersey, became a dancer at the Met Opera in New York, then worked in Switzerland before reaching Austria. Jean, born in Romania, left home and began his dance training as a young child. Nick was born in Graz in 1985. But the health risks after the Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion drove the family back to the U.S., and when an opportunity to become artistic directors of a non-profit ballet company in Ossining arose, the Logreas seized it.
It was Nick’s mother who wanted to shift the business to a for-profit dance academy. She brought administrative skills to the company, as well as focusing on choreography and rehearsing. Unfortunately, her health obliged her to step back three years ago, but she still offers support to Nick as he takes over the reins. And his father continues teaching, almost every day. “He loves it. This is what he was born to do,” Nick says, laughing.
So, will the switch of leadership bring other changes? “I’ve always been involved,” Nick points out. “I played here as a kid. The foundation of how my parents started this school will never change. I believe that ballet is the foundation for all other dance styles. That will never change. But I’m thinking about what kind of other elective classes the parents or kids might want to see. So, I’m going to be offering an Acro/Contemporary fusion kind of class. Hip hop was recently added to the schedule. And I’m looking into the potential of a youth Latin class. So, we’ll be offering more variety in addition to the ballet and pointe that we currently offer.
“I feel a responsibility to continue the legacy. This is what I know. I’ve grown up with this business and as an adult I see what it’s done for people. That makes me proud and motivates me to want to enable the academy to continue for as long as possible.”
