“Thousands of families have videos of Kathy dancing with their kids,” Miss Betty said as she pointed to the bulletin board in the studio filled with letters, pictures, and postcards from former students, prideful parents, and people who have been transformed by Miss Kathy Massot and her Dance Center of Kirkwood.
“I never thought owning a dance studio would be my path, but I love it. It’s the perfect thing that could have happened to me,” stated Kathy. As the owner of Dance Center of Kirkwood, Kathy credits her sister Betty and her family for helping her grow the business and expand the studio. Today, The Dance Center is renowned for teaching dance technique as well as life lessons of kindness and inclusion.
“We teach technique, but we also teach kindness, encouragement, and inclusiveness,” said Kathy. “We want our students to feel welcome. We create a healthy atmosphere for kids—a safe and happy place.”
She acknowledged that invoking a culture of kindness aligns with the standard of etiquette that defines ballet. “When the teacher gives a correction, the student says thank you,” Kathy said. “The students applaud the teacher at the end of class and vice versa.”
Kathy says dance classes benefit students of every age. “Dance teaches the smallest 3 and 4-year-olds how to focus, and it shapes how they learn. It’s fascinating to watch how their brains grow and develop.” As the students progress, they build stage presence, concentration, physical and mental strength.
Kathy smiles as she talks about how Dance Center helps kids set goals and feel good about themselves. "Each student sets a goal. We work with them as they face setbacks and disappointments,” said Kathy. “We encourage them to do their best in everything they do, and to be grateful for the opportunity to dance.”
Her success as a business owner inspired Kathy to launch The Dance Concert Society of Kirkwood, a nonprofit that provides educational programs for the community. “We develop a small Nutcracker performance for the Kirkwood Library, The Magic House, Girl Scout troops, and senior living communities,” said Kathy.
Dance Center's public performance of The Nutcracker will be at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center this November.
Kathy's passion for dance started when she was 9 with her first lesson at Lucille Rapp. At 19, she pursued a professional dancing career in New York. After over a decade of traveling throughout the United States and Europe as a dancer and co-rehearsal director, Kathy decided to retire as a professional performer.
“When I came home to Kirkwood, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she said. She decided to stop by the Dance Center to inquire about teaching. That decision turned into a second career as an instructor—not just in dance, but in life. She taught for 10 years before buying the studio from the retiring owner in 1998. “I didn’t want to lose my students,” she said. “They inspire me. They always make me smile.”
“I would like our kids to look back on their years with us as one of the highlights of their childhood,” said Kathy. “I hope dancing made them happy.”
Dance Center of Kirkwood, 10308 Manchester Road, 314.821.6663, DanceCenterKirkwood.com