The Northeast Georgia School of Music and Dance has officially been providing private and group music and dance lessons for all ages since 2002.

The company is owned by Justin Holland and Danielle Aikens-Holland.  Other teachers at the school are highly qualified independent contractors with performance experience.  Justin is originally from the Stone Mountain area, and Danielle was born and raised right here in Hall County.  Both are enthusiastic about the amazing changes they've witnessed in Hall County, and say that the growth is great for dance and music studios.

Justin used to be the stage manager for what is now called The Atlanta Lyric Theatre, though it went by another name when he was involved with them.  As a result, he has extensive theatre and on-stage experience.  One of his roles was as Ebenezer at Brenau's Hosch Theatre.

Danielle graduated with a degree in Piano Pedagogy with a minor in Dance from Brenau University.  However, even having a dance degree doesn't secure a teaching spot at this school.  As Justin points out, anyone can get a degree in dance - it's the performance experience that matters most to the school.  As a result, when looking for instructors, a major consideration is how much time they have spent on stage. 

The Northeast Georgia School of Music and Dance is very family-oriented.  As such, everything they choose as far as music and costumes is very age-appropriate.  Their mission statement sums up their goal - To provide students of all ages with the skills they need to enjoy music and dance for a lifetime.  The focus is on education and enjoyment and teaching a true art form.  As Justin so eloquently puts it, "Most kids who go into dance school or music school aren't necessarily going to be a prima ballerina or the next opera star - they just want to learn an art form and enjoy it so that they have stories and memories to pass down to their kids..."

Although they currently only have one location, they are constantly doing renovations and updating the facility.  Walking into the Northeast Georgia School of Music and Dance is like walking into a living room - parents are offered refreshments while they are waiting, there are couches, and Justin and Danielle have made the facility as comfortable as possible.

The school is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30pm to 8:30pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 12pm.  Call anytime though, there is lots of information available on voicemail.

Northeast School of Music and Dance                                          

123 Green Street, Gainesville Georgia 30501

(678)450-8845

http://www.schoolofmusicanddance.org/training.html