Step ‘N’ Time Dance Studio expands

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Sondra Smith displays some of the dance attire that will be sold in the new dance shop.

By Dan King

Step ‘N’ Time Dance Studio in Whitehall is expanding.
The studio, which was once housed in one room of a large building, has since grown to encompass the entire building.
Owner Gretta Hochsprung purchased the building, located on Lower Boardman Street, from the Mt. Carmel Society in December. Since that time Hochsprung and her fellow teachers have been working diligently to expand the services the building offers.

Sondra Smith displays some of the dance attire that will be sold in the new dance shop.
Sondra Smith displays some of the dance attire that will be sold in the new dance shop.

“We’ve been in this building for 13 years,” she said. “We rented the upstairs and shared it with church school, the Knights of Columbus and the school. Now it’s all ours. With around 200 dancers we were really bursting at the seams upstairs.”
With the purchase of the downstairs portion of the building, the studio can now offer two dance rooms. Also being added is a dance shop, which will sell dancewear, shoes, shirts and bags, among other things.
The store, which will be operated by Hochsprung’s co-worker Sondra Smith and her mother, Cheryl Putorti, will offer students the opportunity to purchase dance attire without leaving Whitehall.
“It’s really exciting to do this – it’s amazing the community support for this,” Smith said. “Now the kids don’t have to travel to Glens Falls or Saratoga or Rutland to get dance shoes – they can do it right downstairs.”
With other businesses in Whitehall closing their doors, Hochsprung said the expansion of Step ‘N’ Time speaks volumes to the community’s passion for dance.
“There’s a huge history of dance in Whitehall,” she said. “There’s not a lot for 3-year-old girls to do in Whitehall, and their mothers and grandmothers say ‘I used to dance, we should do that’.”
The downstairs dance shop is expected to open Monday, Aug. 29 and is expected to be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday that week.
As for the studio, Hochsprung said the four teachers are preparing for a busy year.
“We already have 30 new dancers signed up,” she said.
In addition to Hochsprung and Smith, the other teachers are Lexi Diekel and Taryn Tracy. The studio offers lessons in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, Irish tap, lyrical ballet and contemporary. The studio is adding an adult fitness class this year and plans to do a “Princess Dance Camp” either during Whitehall school’s February break or next summer.
For more information on Step ‘N’ Time Dance Studio, visit www.stepntime.net.