A hopscotch board is used to instill characteristics in dancers before they enter the building. (Photo courtesy of MARGARET MCCANN DANCE STUDIO)

MIFFLINTOWN – Ask Margaret McCann and she will tell you that dance is an absolutely essential element of who we are as humans.

It is an art form that has been a part of civilization since history was recorded. In its breathtaking beauty and diverse array of styles, dance is a way of connecting people to each other, past, present and future.

It is transcendent, and yet culturally divergent, and to some societies it is as important as language itself as a means of self-expression.

“Dance has enriched my life in so many ways, and I strive to pass this on to my students,” said McCann, who has owned the Margaret McCann School of Dance for more than 50 years. Since the 1980s, it has been located at 114 Bridge St., Mifflintown.

She opened a studio in Harrisburg before she moved here and was in two other Mifflintown spaces before buying her current building.

“I hope that I have been able to open some new doors for them, grow their appreciation of the arts and instill the ethic of hard work,” McCann added. “I hope they walk out of dance class a little healthier, more confident and ready for new challenges.”

While the school has provided dancers with proper training for nearly half a century, McCann’s goal is also to build respect, confidence, imagination and friendship skills in students while providing a well-rounded, age-appropriate dance education.

The long-time dance instructor grew up in the Harrisburg-Hershey area. By the time McCann graduated from Bishop McDevitt, she knew she was destined to teach ballet.

“I was fortunate to be mentored by Caroline Delone of the Harrisburg Civic Ballet, where I studied methodology,” McCann explained.

“I have never stopped studying,” McCann added. “I am an honors graduate of Dance Masters of America’s teacher training program at Kent State University and Central PA Youth Ballet Teachers Program, among many others. I am currently working with a master teacher in an international ballet program.”

She believes dance classes are an excellent source for gaining strength, grace, physical fitness and body awareness. Students are given opportunities to perform, learning to express themselves in a confident manner in front of an audience. McCann and her instructors instill responsibility, teamwork, excellent work ethics and self-discipline in students; they have fun while working hard.

“We believe in teaching respect for the arts,” McCann said. “We believe in teaching ethics to our young people. We believe in practicing ethics professionally; therefore, it is our job to furnish a good education with a caring heart and a giving hand. We value the opportunity to be part of each of our student’s lives.”

She also views children as a vital part of the future and a most precious resource. “They should be exposed to high quality and excellence in all that they do.”

McCann said the school prides itself in bringing out the very best in each dancer. “We happily contribute to the development of not just good dancers, but of good citizens and caring hearts,” she added.

McCann inherited her love of music and theater from her mother, who started her in dance as soon as possible at age 4. She would attend dance lessons, while her brother took music lessons. Her three sisters also tagged along and ended up dancing, too.

“She was our biggest supporter and continued to be in row A, seat 101 at every show until she was no longer able to travel at age 95,” McCann recalled.

As a teenager, McCann caught the teaching bug while in dance class.

“When I was 15, my teacher ran short on staff,” McCann explained “She asked me to fill in. Immediately, I fell in love with teaching as much as I already loved dancing. She began teaching me how to teach along with my regular classes and soon assigned me classes to teach for her each week.

“By the time I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to have my own school,” McCann added. “I started my school in Harrisburg in 1970.”

And her dream seemed to come true. Until one fateful day, a nuclear disaster forced her to reassess her situation and put her family first.

“My second child was born a few days after the Three Mile Island accident in 1978. It scared me as we lived between Harrisburg and Hershey,” McCann explained.

“I wasn’t familiar with Juniata County until we started looking to move somewhere safer,” McCann added. “It was – and still is – so beautiful here, we knew this was where we wanted to be. I sold my school in Harrisburg and moved here thinking I would give up teaching but it wasn’t long before I started again in this area.”

Years later, she couldn’t imagine teaching dance anywhere else as she has influenced so many lives by introducing them to the arts.

“Truthfully, I never really thought about it,” McCann said. “I am honored to have been a part of the lives of so many past and present students.

“It brings me great joy to be teaching a new generation of dancers as I taught their mothers,” McCann added. “There are four home-grown teachers in my school. It is a source of great pride that these women – all my students since age 4 – want to share their dance experience with our students. I am humbled by the support my school receives from our dance families and the community.”

McCann loves every minute that she spends in the dance studio. The arts are so intertwined that she couldn’t fathom life without them, at this point in her career.

“I love the culture, the music, the work, the costumes, the little shoes – everything,” McCann claimed. “Often when I’m teaching a class, the students are totally immersed in their work, it’s quiet and beautiful music is playing, I think to myself, ‘There is no place I’d rather be right this very minute.'”

It’s been that way since day one for McCann.

She hopes her students never lose their sense of wonder. Whenever one door closes for them, she hopes one more opens. She just asks that they promise her that they’ll give dance a fighting chance.

And when they get the choice to sit it out or dance, she hopes they dance.