Bobbi Wyatt or “Ms. Bobbi” as she is known to the Mason Dance Center (MDC) family, signed the papers to open the studio in May of 1995 as a way to bring formal ballet training to the Mason area for her daughters. Back then, she assumed she would run the school until her daughters moved on from dancing. Now, 30 years later, daughters Emily Bauman and Amanda Wyatt continue to teach at MDC. Amanda currently works alongside her mom as a teacher and school director.
“There are no plans to retire yet,” laughs Bobbi.
“When she’s done, I’m done too,” adds Amanda. “We hear from students all the time, ‘Well, you can’t retire until I graduate,’ so that makes it really hard to not keep going.”
For their 25th season in 2020, MDC had big plans for their recital. While it did become a memorable moment in the studio’s history, the pandemic forced them to get creative. The recital spanned 10 days with parents setting up chairs in the parking lot behind the studio to watch their children perform on a pop-up outdoor stage. They made it work, but it was an unexpected end to their 25th season.
“It was a memorable recital for sure, and our dance family surprised me with an alumni dance via video. It wasn’t quite the same, but it was still very nice,” shares Bobbi.
They are taking a more traditional approach after their unexpected 25th anniversary for their 30th season recital on May 31. The milestone will be celebrated with new choreography set to songs featured in recitals from their many seasons and a performance featuring 99 jazz-team dancers from ages 5 through 18. To spotlight their students from years past during the recital, they hope to put together another special alumni dance–in person this time.
Their annual performance of The Nutcracker-All Jazzed Up! is another highlight and a motivator for competition dancers and preprofessional ballet students who dream of trying out for coveted roles like the Sugar Plum Fairy. The annual holiday tradition grew to three sold-out performances in 2024, with proceeds benefiting the Mason High School (MHS) After Prom and a sponsorship for the MHS Symphony performance at Carnegie Hall.
“It’s not only a big give back for the Mason schools, it’s a draw for our studio and creates a lot of interest in the community for new students who really want to be part of the show,” explains Bobbi.
Bobbi and Amanda have many fond memories of their trips designed to introduce young dancers to real-world arts opportunities and build a sense of community for dancers and accompanying parents. At Amanda’s suggestion, they take dancers to perform in the Universal Studios Orlando parade every few years and will be dancing in the Disney World parade next year. Bobbi’s personal favorite is the New York City trip every four years, where high school dancers get to see American Ballet Theater and Broadway performances, master classes at Broadway Dance Center and experience an inside look at choreography.
The dance family has continued to grow as Bobbi’s grandson was a student and granddaughter Iris now goes to the school. “It’s nice to have a little one still involved in dance,” says Bobbi. That family atmosphere has extended to alumni and their kids as well, with former dancers and teachers now becoming dance moms themselves.
Emily Gural danced at MDC from 1997-2003 and was an assistant ballet teacher for Bobbi’s daughter, Emily. Her daughter Olivia is now a young dancer at MDC as well.
“I always knew if I had a daughter, I would want her to experience the joy of dance at MDC,” shares Emily. “Ms. Bobbi knows all of her dancers and their families so well. I love that the studio isn’t so large that dancers get lost in the mix of growing and moving forward. The teachers are also very experienced and patient with the younger dancers.”
Kayla Cantor followed a similar path at MDC, dancing from 1995-2004 and returning to teach from 2011-2014. Her daughter Cora also now dances at the studio.
“MDC cultivates a love of dance and a supportive culture, especially for young dancers,” explains Kayla. “Ms. Bobbi and the teachers provide all the tools for students to grow and fall in love with dancing. MDC is very much a family, and the students do an excellent job of supporting and encouraging one another to grow and succeed as dancers.”
Last year MDC added three weeks of full and half-day summer camps to their repertoire, available to all dancers. Themes like “Swifties,” “Wicked Awesome” and “Movie Magic” are sure to spark kids’ love for dance, music and theater. Find out more about joining the MDC dance family and register for summer camps at MasonDance.com.
“I always knew if I had a daughter, I would want her to experience the joy of dance at MDC." -Emily Gural
“Ms. Bobbi and the teachers provide all the tools for students to grow and fall in love with dancing." -Kayla Cantor