This year is milestone for Chehalem Valley Dance Academy – we are celebrating 10 years of operating our McMinnville studio. It’s hard to believe how CVDA Mac has changed and grown in just a decade.
We love this community and how we’ve had the opportunity to bloom not just with enrollment and our physical space, but as a dance family. Our instructors are dedicated to giving our dancers the highest quality instruction in a caring and supportive environment.
Come with us as we walk down memory lane and relive some pivotal moments for CVDA Mac:
2007 – CVDA owner Holly Derville-Teer decides to expand beyond Newberg and open a studio in downtown McMinnville. She rented space the McMinnville Grand Ballroom just two days/week. She had a couple of instructors who were excited and willing to take it on, so in Holly’s words, she said “Let’s go for it!”
That first year only 6 classes were offered. The first Annual Showcase was held in Ice Auditorium at Linfield College.
2008 – Kristen Stoller becomes the artistic director of CVDA Mac. Class offerings expand and enrollment ticks up. The dancers sell calendars to earn funds for Showcase costumes.
2009 – Kristen Stoller assumes ownership of Chehalem Valley Dance Academy. Former owner Holly Derville-Teer stays on as an instructor and choreographer in Newberg.
The Annual Showcase moves to the Doug Anderson Auditorium at McMinnville High School.
2010 – The Annual Showcase joins with the Newberg studio and moves to Bauman Auditorium at George Fox University in Newberg.
2011 – The studio space moves from the Grand Ballroom to the dance studio above Gallery Theater on Galloway Street.
2012 – McMinnville assembles its first Performing Company for competition dances.
2013 – CVDA Mac dances in the nationally known UFO Festival Alien Dayz parade for the first time, making it an annual tradition.
Another Performing Company team is added and both teams compete at three competitions at the Oregon Convention Center.
2014 – CVDA teams with 4 Elements to open up The Studio on the corner of 2nd and Evans Streets. The new studio boasts Marley floors, elegant black and white decor, chandeliers, a lobby, dressing rooms, restrooms, and two studio spaces. The grand opening party is held on June 12, 2014.
Amanda Hoban, a CVDA alum from Newberg, returns from California to teach many McMinnville classes and direct the Performing Company.
Several dance camps are offered this summer, and dancers perform at Turkey Rama.
CVDA Mac grows to three PC (Performing Company) teams.
2015 – Aerial dance classes are added, thanks to the installation of silks that suspend from the ceiling in studio A.
2016 – Mac boasts its own Annual Showcase, having outgrown the option of sharing the show with Newberg.
A third studio space is acquired next door on 2nd Street to accommodate growing enrollment.
2017 – Currently 115 students attend classes at CVDA Mac. Over 36 classes are offered five days/week.
The teen PC earns its first diamond award at competition.
There are five PC teams ready to compete at four dance competitions this season. The Performing Company plans to travel to Los Angeles in the summer for specialized instruction.
My girls have grown up at Chehalem Valley Dance Academy. It has been a foundation for them and I am so grateful to the teachers and Kristen for the guidance, leadership, and dedication they have provided. For more than seven years, my girls have danced, laughed, cried and built real skills that serve them as athletes and citizens. CVDA is more than a dance studio, it’s a family.
-The Bowman family
Abby has danced with CVDA since she was 3. At first it was just a fun pastime, but over the past few years, she’s become very serious about dance. Even though she is only 11, working with CVDA instructors has taught her to be very responsible and driven. She has also learned that it takes hard work to become better at something, and that it’s OK to make mistakes along the way. Abby has made so much progress as a dancer, but we see the benefits in sports, school and home life, too.”
-The Eitzen family
At CVDA they stress that dance skills are life skills. Through Paige’s time at CVDA, I saw my daughter develop flexibility, work ethic, confidence, leadership, teamwork, compassion, self-advocacy, self-esteem and so much more while dancing and more importantly, in life. It brought me much joy to see her grow both as a dancer and young lady!
-The Benner Family
CVDA is like a second family to us. We started with CVDA back in 2007 when they first opened the McMinnville studio. They offer a great variety for both our serious dancer and our other child who just comes once a week. They teach not only dance skills, but also instill commitment, good work ethic, and teamwork all while having fun! Courtney grew up with dance being her passion and the support she received from the staff at CVDA played no small role in nurturing her love of dance. Our experience has truly come full circle as now that she teaches at the studio, she can utilize the skills and qualities that each of those instructors taught her and use that to develop her own way of connecting with each of her students and their varying abilities and goals.
-The Joel family
I’ll never forget walking down 3rd Street in the summer of 2007 and seeing the sandwich board on the sidewalk advertising dance classes with CVDA. I had never heard of them, but I figured it might be the right place for my spunky, yet cautious 6 year old to channel her creative energy. Fast forward 10 years later, and it’s inspiring to witness how Vivian’s experiences at CVDA have shaped her into the young woman she’s becoming. Kristen and all the instructors have set high standards for her, pushed her when necessary, and given her a soft place to land when things are tough – all lessons that translate to success in life. We are grateful.
-The Nice family
