A Legacy of Excellence
At Anita’s Dance Center, we’ve earned a national reputation for being a leader in dance education. Our dancers have a passion for dance and a love of performing, and we strive to provide them with the proper technique while emphasizing creativity and individuality!
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We're passionate about providing the best dance education in Southeastern Wisconsin at prices lower than the national average – all in a safe, nurturing environment! Now in our sixth decade of operation, we’re known for bringing out the best in our students, and preparing them to be independent, creative, and motivated adults.
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Whether your child is just beginning, enjoys dance as a hobby, or wants to be part of an award-winning national competition team, Anita's Dance Center is the right choice! We’re centrally located (on the Muskego / New Berlin border), classes are paid weekly (no charge if absent), and our students’ performing / competition opportunities are second to none, making us the only choice for your dancer!
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Award-Winning Competition Teams
Our dancers have performed across the country in front of millions of people (including Bowl Games, Disneyland and Disney World, and even the Olympic Games in 1996)! Anita’s Dance Center itself is a state-of-the-art facility and our front desk staff is always friendly and accommodating.
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Unrivaled Variety
We offer one of Southeast Wisconsin's widest varieties of classes with the flexibility of 10 studios – from hip-hop to ballet, and from tap to ballroom. Each student is placed personally by Anita and her team, according to age and experience. And all classes are paid weekly with no charge if absent! Whether your child enjoys dance as a hobby or wants to compete on a national stage, Anita’s Dance Center has something for everyone!
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Master Instructors
Anita Olson (owner and director) has both east and west coast experience, having trained in dance and acting with legends like Joe Tremaine and Lee Strasberg. After her years in New York City and Los Angeles, she moved back to Wisconsin to help run her mother’s dance studio. Most of our teachers have been selected and trained by Anita. Many receive continuing education and attend conventions to stay current on the latest dance trends and training methods. We also bring in world-famous Master Teachers to work with our dancers several times per year!
OUR STORY
At Anita’s Dance Center, we’re passionate about providing the best dance education in Southeastern Wisconsin at prices lower than the national average – all in a safe, nurturing, family-friendly environment!
​
Now in our sixth decade of operation, we’re known for bringing out the best in our students, and by preparing them to be responsible, independent, creative, and motivated adults. Whether your child is just beginning, enjoys dance as a hobby, or wants to be part of an award-winning national competition team, Anita's Dance Center is the right choice!
We’re centrally located (on the Muskego / New Berlin border), classes are paid weekly (no charge if absent), and our students’ performing / competition opportunities are second to none, making us the only choice for your dancer!
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From the Beginning
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Audrey Scheck, Anita's mother, grew up in Milwaukee and pursued her dream of a dance career throughout the Midwest. She began dancing Spanish and ballroom styles and was a featured dancer in shows in Chicago and St. Louis. Eventually she married John Bronk and settled down in Muskego. Audrey, a city girl at heart, was determined to bring arts to the community. In 1961, Audrey opened what was then Muskego Dance Studio in her family's garage. One of her first students was her 4-year-old daughter, Anita. As the studio continued to grow, money was never a consideration; she taught for the love of dance! Anita recalls that classes in the early days cost a dollar, and Audrey occasionally accepted potatoes and tomatoes as payment. As her dance school quickly outgrew the small garage space, her husband added an addition to the house, and later supported a move to a larger space in Muskego.
In 1971, Audrey started taking Anita, 14 at the time, to dance conventions, where she trained with the best of the best, including Joe Tremaine and Gus Giordano. At 18, Anita's parents gifted her a ticket to New York City to pursue her dance dreams. Anita quickly signed on with an agency and became a lead dancer and choreographer on the East Coast. This led to an opportunity to move to Hollywood where she continued her dance training and performing, coming home to visit her proud parents at every opportunity. While Anita danced in LA, Audrey continued to expand the studio and eventually added the Midwest Connection Dance Company (MCDC), a dance company that often raised money for muscular dystrophy and other causes. This tradition continues today!
In 1981, Anita was on a visit home to help with a dance recital when her dad suddenly passed away. Everything changed. Soon after, Audrey was diagnosed with ALS and since her 14-year-old sister could not care for her alone, Anita gave up her apartment in Hollywood and moved back to help run the dance studio and care for her mother. Anita soon started her own family. In April 1988, Audrey passed away. Anita and her sister ran the dance studio together for a short time, before her sister began a new life out west.
Anita, named after the grandmother she never met, took over the dance studio and eventually renamed and relocated it in 1994, in honor of her namesake grandmother. Since that time, Miss Anita has continued the legacy her mother began. Today, over 35 years after she took over the studio, she has approximately 750 students and over 30 staff members. Classes continue to be "pay as you go" and Anita's Dance Center has raised tens of thousands of dollars for community charities, dance scholarships, and for our graduating seniors to pursue higher education.
Truly, a legacy of dance 60+ years in the making!​