The Dance Factory

The Dance Factory We encourage individuality, creativity, and artistic expression. Emphasis is on quality technical training while encouraging a love and passion for movement.

For over 40 years, the Dance Factory in Springfield, VT has provided quality dance and movement training from experienced teachers in an inclusive, non-competitive, nurturing environment. The Dance Factory is a vibrant, inclusive dance studio conveniently located in downtown Springfield next to the town library. Founded in 1984 by Susan Hagan and now owned by Kate Frizzell-DeRosia, the studio boas

ts five experienced teachers and offers classes in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, hip hop, tap, acro-dance, yoga, and creative movement for preschoolers through adults. Performances include an annual spring recital in May for all students as well as December performances of The Nutcracker, a fundraiser for arts programs in public schools that has contributed over twenty thousand dollars to such programs. Teachers Kate Frizzell-DeRosia, Gretchen Abendschein, Ashley Hensel-Browning, Dana Blake, and Jessie DeRosia thoroughly enjoy dancing with you and your little ones during the school year and summer sessions.

Dancers in grades 8-12 who are taking at least two technique classes a week, do not miss this opportunity to create toge...
09/03/2026

Dancers in grades 8-12 who are taking at least two technique classes a week, do not miss this opportunity to create together and perform at the Vermont State Dance Festival as part of our Repertory class! Students in this class work together to either restage or choreograph a dance to take to the Vermont State Dance Festival at Lyndon Institute in November. Students have the opportunity to perform in a beautiful theater, spend the day taking classes from a diverse group of teachers, and meet other dancers from throughout the region. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to bond with each other and is often a highlight of our dancing year!

This class meets on Sundays from 12-1pm on 9/13, 9/20, and 10/4 through 11/15. To register, please email [email protected].

The Vermont State Dance Festival is held on Saturday, November 21st. Dancers have the opportunity to take classes with incredible teachers and try styles of dance that may not available to them the rest of the year. You can find more information here - https://www.lyndoninstitute.org/vermont-state-dance-festival

09/01/2026

No morning yoga 9/2/26. Dance classes start Sept 8th looking forward to dancing with you all!❤️

Generations of families have watched their dancers thrive at Dance Factory. Along with offering the region's best dance ...
08/30/2026

Generations of families have watched their dancers thrive at Dance Factory. Along with offering the region's best dance training, we provide space for students to create connections, build confidence, and grow as people.

Curious how your student will thrive? Join us this fall! Classes in ballet, hip hop, modern, tap, jazz, and pointe begin on 9/8.

We're thrilled to be hosting auditions and rehearsals for Lily Youth Ballet Project, a new performance opportunity for y...
08/28/2026

We're thrilled to be hosting auditions and rehearsals for Lily Youth Ballet Project, a new performance opportunity for youth ballet dancers. Check out the audition and performance information here!

Did you know that ballet students in 2nd grade through adult are automatically offered the opportunity to dance in our f...
08/17/2026

Did you know that ballet students in 2nd grade through adult are automatically offered the opportunity to dance in our fully costumed, full-length performances of The Nutcracker every December? Our youngest dancers begin as Mother Goose, Mice, and Party Scene children and as they continue to dance they have ensemble and soloist roles such as Snowflakes, Flowers, Mouse King, Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen. This is one of our favorite traditions at the Dance Factory and offers a chance to explore classical ballet and music in the company of others while giving a gift to the community during the holiday season. It's truly a magical experience from the gorgeous sets, lush group choreography, stunning costumes, and the overwhelming enthusiasm of our audiences! We hope you join us!

Photos courtesy of Hannah Lillie and Denise E. Photography

For over 40 years, Dance Factory has cultivated a space for students of all ages to gain self-confidence and find connec...
08/06/2026

For over 40 years, Dance Factory has cultivated a space for students of all ages to gain self-confidence and find connection, friendship, and belonging.

No gimmicks. No competitions. Just inclusive training from our experienced, arts-focused, and community-minded faculty at affordable pricing.

Let's dance together! Fall classes begin 9/8.

08/05/2026

8/5/26 Morning yoga is canceled see you next week
💕

Suzanne Stern is a key part of our teaching team, leading both ballet for younger dancers as well as teens and adults. S...
07/24/2026

Suzanne Stern is a key part of our teaching team, leading both ballet for younger dancers as well as teens and adults. She also runs a popular ballet fitness class for teens and adults. Suzanne is incredibly gratified watching students work to understand how to "put the pieces together," (e.g., technique, musicality, expressiveness) to grow as dancers. She feels thankful to work with a team of teachers whose complementary styles impart a holistic view of movement onto all levels of learners.

As a ballet teacher, Suzanne draws from her robust background in dance, music, French, and psychology to impart a strong technical foundation while illuminating *why*; to help students better connect movement to sound; and to empower students to cultivate expressiveness through movement.

Suzanne began her ballet training at the Dance Factory at age 7. She was offered early acceptance to Burklyn Ballet Theater’s pre-professional summer program and the Walnut Hill School in Massachusetts. As a teenager she trained in modern and African dance, and performed with Black River Dance Theater, RED Ink Dance, and Arthur Hall's NewVerMaine Dance Company. She continued her ballet training in New York City at New York University, Peridance Capezio Center, and New Dance Group, before returning to VT in 2020. In 2023, Suzanne co-founded Avant Vermont Dance with Ashley Hensel-Browning.

Outside of dance, Suzanne is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and composer.

The Dance Factory is a second home for Ashley! She runs our modern, jazz, and hip hop programs, teaches youth and adult ...
07/23/2026

The Dance Factory is a second home for Ashley! She runs our modern, jazz, and hip hop programs, teaches youth and adult ballet, and directs our annual production of The Nutcracker. She is a big believer that there is a place for everyone in the studio and can often be seen encouraging her students to find their inner choreographer. She is endlessly curious about dance and appreciates how teaching at the Dance Factory provides opportunities to see the best in her community.

Ashley Hensel-Browning works as a dance educator, teaching artist, and choreographer. She has received multiple grants for her work in public schools and community sites and is a Juried Teaching Artist on the Vermont Arts Council Teaching Roster. Ashley received her Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and her B.A. from Hampshire College where she designed her own concentration in Dance Education and Community Development through the Arts. Along with teaching at the Dance Factory, Ashley has worked with the Community Engagement Lab to both lead professional development for classroom teachers and teaching artists as well as school and community projects designed to use creative engagement to build collective agency. She has also worked with Inclusive Arts Vermont where she uses the arts to empower youth and adults with disabilities.

Ashley is an established choreographer and is the co-founder and co-director of Avant Vermont Dance with Suzanne Stern. Most recently she has worked on the SEASONS project, an exploration of place through site-specific choreography and community art projects, as well as Thumbelina, an original story ballet set Vermont composer Evan Premo's musical setting. She was a resident choreographer and director with the Opera Theatre of Weston for many years. Personal performances include works by Trisha Brown, Agnes DeMille, Elizabeth Bergman, Amie Dowling, Jim Coleman, and Terese Freedman in venues such the International Festival of Art and Ideas, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, MA, and MassMOCA.

She's very much looking forward to a full fall of dance including classes, Nutcracker rehearsals, and returning to the Vermont State Dance Festival with our wonderful students!

Address

59 Main Street
Springfield, VT
05156

Opening Hours

Monday 4pm - 8:30pm
Tuesday 4pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday 4pm - 8:30pm
Thursday 4pm - 8:30pm
Friday 10am - 11am
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

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