At Done Right Flooring & Cabinets, The Name Says It All!

Owner Jason Cantin of Done Right Flooring on W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa, has two decades of experience in the flooring industry, but still attends training at least twice a year to stay up-to-date on all the latest techniques and best practices in the industry.

In Jason Cantin’s two decades working in the flooring industry, he’s seen a lot of things go wrong.

In fact, for the past six years, he has worked as a flooring inspector. When someone says their floor is bad and wants the manufacturer or installer to fix it, they call Jason, as a first step toward filing a claim in court.

He says bad flooring installation is so prevalent in the industry that 85 percent of all floors being installed today are being installed incorrectly. He says that nearly every retailer out there is trying to sell more floors, and install them quickly, and move on to the next job, with little concern for whether or not your floor will last.

“Not every floor that is installed incorrectly fails,” he says, “but if you have carpet pulls in the doorway, or wrinkles in your carpet, or your floating floor creaks or makes noise, you have a bad install.”
So, he decided to do something about it.

He opened Done Right Flooring & Cabinets, selling the highest-quality flooring brands, installed in your home, to give people an alternative to the options available in the flooring market in Tampa.

Done Right sells hardwood, tile and laminate floors, as well as carpet, and also offers custom wood floors, in which every piece is hand cut, hand laid, sanded and finished in place.

In addition to selling flooring, Jason has a partner in the store who can help homeowners find the perfect cabinets, following the same philosophy of excellent products and installation that is the trademark of Done Right Flooring & Cabinets.

While Jason and his family live in New Tampa, he wanted to open his store in a location that was more central to all areas of Tampa. Done Right is located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave., 25-30 minutes south and west of New Tampa.

“I started Done Right because I’ve spent the last six years watching floors fail, and it’s taught me the process to do it right,” Jason says. “You can’t do it right and do it cheaply. Most subcontractors get paid by the foot, so they lay as much floor as possible, as quickly as possible, to get a bigger paycheck.”

Jason calls himself an idealist, and says he wants to elevate the entire flooring industry in Tampa, focusing on doing things the right way, so the consumer gets the best possible floor installation and floors they will be happy with for a long time.

“Most retailers give a one-year warranty, and then they’re off the hook,” Jason says. “I give a 5-year warranty, in writing, for all of my work.”

He says a well-installed, good-quality floor can be expected to last much longer.

His wife, Ashley, helps him with the business. “Our focus is on the customer,” she says. “Are they as happy with their floors one year, five years, even 20 years later, as they were when they got them?”

She says they also want to ensure that if you are selling your home, your floor will bring top value and the new owners will be happy with the floor, too.

Custom wood floors are a specialty of Done Right Flooring and Cabinets. You can see this one in person, along with the samples of Carlisle Wood Plank floors (hanging on the wall) at the store, located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa.

Quality Installations
Jason says they do this by hiring the best installers, who are certified by taking hands-on and written certification tests and are required to do ongoing continuing education. He adds, however, that this approach is not typical in the industry.

“There is no license needed to install wood floors in Hillsborough County,” explains Jason. “There is no recognized body to verify that the work done is correctly.”

In the absence of recognized standards and holding flooring companies accountable for installing floors correctly, Jason says he is doing all he can to change the industry, one consumer at a time.

Done Right recently replaced the floors for Scott Miller in his Bayshore Blvd. condo in South Tampa. Scott had just renovated his condo and was already having problems with his brand new floors, so he hired Jason for a consultation. “There were gaps, I could hear glue squishing and boards creaking,” Scott says. Because the floors were beyond repair, Scott then hired Done Right to do the floors again – this time, the right way.

“I was blown away every step of the way with his service,” says Scott of Jason. “After going through the first experience, there’s really no comparison. (He) took the time to do every step of the process correctly. (He) didn’t rush it.”

Scott says Jason’s knowledge was impressive, and that he took the time to educate him. “He knew about the trees the boards came from,” says Scott, “and explained the importance of prepping the floor and more.”

And, Scott notes that his new floor, purchased from and installed by Done Right, has none of the problems the first floor did.

“Our focus is on educating the consumer, so they pick the best product for them,” Jason says. “I’m not a salesperson, but more of a teacher.”

The Value Of Proper Training
Jason adds that he places a high value on education and keeping up-to-date on all of the latest information and trends in his industry. While prefinished floors are still popular, he says, custom finishing onsite is picking up, with wide flooring, grays and French oak some of the hotter trends.

“There’s no one else in town who’s gone to more school about flooring than me,” says Jason. “I go a minimum of twice a year.” He says he originally went to inspector school, not to become an inspector, but to become a better installer.

He is currently on the bamboo committee for the National Wood Flooring Association, writing the standards and regulations that will be put in place for bamboo floors. He says that right now, there are none.

While the industry doesn’t have to adhere to standards, Jason is doing everything he can to help his customers have expertly-installed products that utilize the best practices in the flooring industry.

“We have high expectations and high standards, and we ensure our installers continue to meet those expectations and standards,” he says. “I’m not a rush guy. The process is meticulous and takes time.”

While installation is important, the products are important, too.

“I know which products tend to fail, so I hand select the items we sell in the store,” says Jason. “If I don’t believe in the product, I won’t sell it, and I don’t install anything that’s not sold in the store.”

Jason’s standards are so high, Done Right was chosen as one of only seven retailers in the country that are authorized to sell Carlisle Wide Plank floors. He says that Carlisle is an American-made, premium cut of wood. “They trust me that I’ll do their product justice,” he says.

Done Right Flooring carries other brands as well, like Kahrs, Boen and Preverco, to name a few, and also has Mohawk, Glazzio and Akua tile flooring and Mohawk and Quickstep laminate flooring.

Ashley says that Jason’s many years of experience can really help consumers get exactly the right product for them and their home. At the store, Jason asks a lot of questions to get to know his clients and their lifestyle.

“In our Pinterest world, people see pictures of gorgeous floors, but they don’t know what they’re looking at,” says Ashley. “Flooring isn’t just about the color.”

“I want to improve the industry,” adds Jason. “I want consumers to get the right information. I may be idealistic, but I’ve learned so much about the industry, and I want to make it better for both consumers and installers.”

Done Right Flooring & Cabinets is located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave. It is open Tues.–Fri., 11 a.m.–6 p.m., 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. on Sat., and by appointment on Mon. For more information, call (813) 548-4484 or visit DoneRightFC.com.

New Tampa Foot & Ankle Can Help Alleviate Your Foot & Leg Pain

Podiatrists Stephen Levin, D.P.M. (left), and Dr. Brendan Barrett, D.P.M., provide outstanding care for any injury or other problem your feet or ankles may have at New Tampa Foot & Ankle, located in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center off S.R. 56.

At New Tampa Foot & Ankle, patients of all ages can be treated for injuries to their lower extremities, often with same-day appointments.

Long-time New Tampa resident Stephen Levin, D.P.M., opened New Tampa Foot & Ankle in 2002, moving the practice to its current location off of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel (near I-75 in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center) in 2007.

With 20 years of experience in private practice in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, Dr. Levin says that what makes New Tampa Foot & Ankle great are the people — both the staff he works with and the patients. “We treat everyone — children through the geriatric population,” he says. “It’s fun and interesting.”

Dr. Levin earned his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Urban Studies from the University of Maryland in College Park in 1992. He then obtained his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree from the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia in 1996. He completed a two-year medical and surgical residency at Montgomery Hospital Medical Center in Norristown, PA, in 1998, and then moved to Tampa, when he began working in private practice. He is the past president of both the Florida Podiatric Medical Association and the Hillsborough County Podiatric Medical Association.

Brendan Barrett, D.P.M., joined the practice in 2016. Now with two full-time doctors on staff, patients have more flexibility to schedule appointments when it’s most convenient for them. When one doctor is in surgery, the other is in the office.

“Also, from a surgical standpoint,” Dr. Levin says, “We tackle tough cases together.”

Dr. Barrett graduated from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH, in 2008, with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology. He earned his D.P.M. degree from the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland, OH, in 2013. He then completed a three-year medical and surgical residency at Bay Pines VA Hospital in St. Petersburg and at the James A. Haley VA hospital in Tampa.
Dr. Levin is Board-certified in foot surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. Dr. Barrett is Board-qualified, meaning that he has passed the board exams and is in the process of becoming Board-certified.

The office accepts many forms of insurance and also offers in-house financing options.

Everything For Your Feet
Dr. Levin and Dr. Barrett care for people with all kinds of foot, heel and ankle pain. They treat issues such as ingrown toenails, fungal infections, Achilles tendon problems, ankle instability, flat feet, walking deformities, diabetic foot care, arthritic foot and ankle care, geriatric foot care, bunions, corns and warts.
Dr. Barrett explains that it’s rewarding to help people in this way.

“A lot of times, you can give people relief right away,” he says. “For example, with ingrown toenails, it’s a lot of pain, but we can take care of it so a patient is completely pain-free, often within a couple of days.”
The doctors commonly see teenagers with sports injuries, and overuse injuries in teenagers and even children.

The office is completely state-of-the-art, with on-site, digital X-rays, ultrasound and laser technology.
“We’ve upgraded to scanning the foot for orthotics, too,” explains Dr. Levin. “It’s much higher tech than plaster molding.”

Among the many services offered is a non-invasive screening tool for people who are concerned they might have poor circulation in their feet, especially for people who have diabetes or a history of smoking. The doctors use a device called PADnet to compare the blood pressure in the arm to the blood pressure in the upper leg, lower leg and ankle, to determine if circulation is good, bad or severely bad.

New Tampa Foot & Ankle also offers Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology (EPAT), a method of treating heel pain. In lieu of traditional treatments, such as anti-inflammatory injections or physical therapy, EPAT uses acoustic shock waves to signal the body to increase circulation. Dr. Levin says this allows the area to heal itself more quickly and effectively.

“The technology has been around for one or two decades, but it has become more amenable to an office setting,” he says. “There’s no downtime, no medications and no infections.”

Another major concern for many patients is toenail fungus. “It’s unsightly; it’s embarrassing,” Dr. Levin says, adding that the fungus can be caused by trauma and even by pedicures in unsanitary conditions.

For anyone who wants to be sure their pedicure is clean and sterile, New Tampa Foot & Ankle also has a partnership with an aesthetician who provides medical-grade pedicures in the office.

“Women come in because they’ve had a poorly done pedicure and have gotten a bacterial or fungal infection,” explains Dr. Levin. “We can do their manicure and pedicure here, where everything is sterile and clean and the conditions are controlled, so our patients know what they’re getting.”

Diabetic Foot Treatments
New Tampa Foot & Ankle treats many diabetic patients, who often have poor circulation and nerve damage, need special care for blisters or sores, and need special shoes with more room and protection.
Annette Knecht is a patient who says she has been seeing Dr. Levin regularly for her foot issues related to diabetes since she was diagnosed in 2012.

“I like going there because everyone is very friendly, kind and supportive,” she says. “Dr. Levin is always smiling and gentle. I feel at ease when I’m there.”

Annette says she appreciates Dr. Levin’s approach, where he’ll try the most conservative options first. “For my diabetic nerve pain, he started me on a vitamin regimen,” Annette explains. “It worked, and I didn’t have to go on any more medication.”

Finding You Shoes, Too
Dr. Levin says that some foot problems actually can be solved by wearing the right kind of shoes, so New Tampa Foot & Ankle also carries a full line of Vionic shoes. Men and women can buy everything from dress shoes to sneakers, sandals and even flip-flops, right at the office.

“These are shoes that have an orthotic built into the shoe,” explains Dr. Levin. “They work well for people who have flat- or high-arched feet, or those who experience heel pain. Especially for women, dress shoes don’t typically have great support, but these do, so you can wear a high heel or wedge shoe, and get that built-in support.”

Annette says she does buy her shoes at New Tampa Foot & Ankle. “They seem to work really well with my feet,” she says.

She adds that her “summer shoes” the last couple of months were a pair of Vionic orthopedic flip-flops.
“They’re waterproof and I even wear them at the beach,” she says. “They’re very supportive for my ankles. If I didn’t have them, I’d be barefoot and in pain.”

Dr. Levin says Vionic shoes are sold at other places, but his office offers a better variety. They are currently working to set up a full display in the lobby, where anyone can stop and shop for Vionic shoes. For now, they are sold to the practice’s patients,, so he recommends anyone who thinks they would benefit from the shoes to make an appointment for a consultation.

New Tampa Foot & Ankle is open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and is located at 26827 Foggy Creek Rd., Suite 104. For more information, call (813) 973-3535, visit NewTampaFootandAnkle.com or see the ad on page 20 of this issue.

Pasco School Superintendent Kurt Browning’s Back-To-School Updates

Pasco County Superintendant of Schools Kurt Browning meets with school safety guard Connie Novak, one of many to be stationed at schools all across the county. (Photo: Pasco County Schools

In the weeks leading up to school starting two weeks ago, school officials across the state have been preparing to comply with a new state law. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act was passed in the aftermath of the mass shooting at the high school in Parkland, FL, on Valentine’s Day of this year, and requires armed security on every public school campus.

The new law also comes as parents are reporting having more fear about sending their kids to school. Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International is a national professional organization for educators that has surveyed attitudes towards public education every year since 1969. This year’s poll finds that one in three parents fear for their child’s physical safety at school. PDK describes that as, “a sharp increase from 2013, when just 12 percent said they were fearful.”

In Pasco County, middle and high schools will continue to have Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) deputies serving as school resource officers.

In addition, Pasco County Schools has hired school safety guards for all elementary schools, with each one carrying a gun and a Taser, as well as handcuffs.

Simple security precautions are being emphasized, such as locking gates and classroom doors, using scanning software to check for sexual offenders/predators, and making sure everyone who comes on campus goes through the office.

With the new school year just underway, we asked Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning to tell us more about the changes in school security, and what to expect at Wesley Chapel’s schools this year.

WCNN: Now that kids are back at school, what are they seeing and experiencing that is different from previous years?

Browning: The elementary students are seeing armed safety guards for the first time.

The guards will be easy to spot, because they’ll be wearing black polo shirts with our safety guard logo on the sleeve, and a vest with the word “Security” on the back. Students may not see any differences related to mental health services, but there will be a better coordinated effort to respond to students in crisis between the school, the district, law enforcement and community mental health partners.

We are adding social worker, psychologist and school nurse trainers to help school student services staff (members) respond to student mental health issues.

WCNN: Tell us more about the changes to the way that mental health is addressed in schools, and will students or teachers notice those changes?

Browning: Student mental health needs will be broken out into three tiers of support.

Tier 1 is universal prevention for all students. Tier 2 is supplemental/at-risk services involving early identification and social, emotional and behavioral interventions based on need.

 

New River Elementary security guard.

Tier 3 is individualized, intensive counseling and intervention, including behavior support plans, intensive monitoring, and wraparound and crisis planning.

 

We are increasing the number of crisis intervention teams from four to five, increasing the number of trainers for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), creating a 3-year training plan, and expanding the use of social emotional learning in instructional practices.

In accordance with the new law, we also have revised our threat assessment procedures and coordinated threat assessments to include law enforcement.

We will have a new mental health managing entity, the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network (CFBHN), which will provide a project manager to manage mental health services and assist with data reporting.

We are implementing the Sandy Hook Promise: “Know the Signs” programs, and creating a Parent University and other parent training opportunities.

WCNN: What are your thoughts about the changes in school security mandated by the new state law?

Browning: They’re a good start. Without significant funding increases, though, it is difficult to implement all of the safety measures we would like to. We are working within our means to do everything we can to make our campuses as safe as possible.

WCNN: What is the benefit to students and schools of having armed security guards on elementary school campuses?

Browning: Elementary schools will have school safety guards trained by the Sheriff’s Office on campus. These men and women will provide a level of security that elementary schools have not had in the past. They will be visible at drop-offs in the morning and during dismissal. They will patrol the grounds to make sure doors and gates are locked, and to assure that everyone on campus is checked in and accounted for. They also will be a resource for students and staff, and will become part of the school community.

WCNN: With all of the continued growth in Wesley Chapel, what rezoning plans are in the works?
Browning: We don’t currently have any rezoning in the works.

WCNN: What is the current timeline for opening Cypress Creek Middle School and transitioning the current Middle/High School to a high school only?

Browning: Cypress Creek Middle School is scheduled to open in August 2020. The transition will occur at that time.

WCNN: Are there any other new schools proposed or under construction in Wesley Chapel?

Browning: We are working on a plan to build a technical high school in East-Central Pasco in the next five years.

WCNN: On a side note, can you explain why there is a transition to call substitute teachers “guest teachers” instead? Does that apply to all substitute teachers or only those in a certain category? Is it expected that staff and students will address these teachers as “guest teachers” and not refer to the more common “substitute?”

Browning: We have some really great subs and are hoping this will enhance their credibility and better demonstrate the scope and caliber of their service to kids in classrooms….as opposed to the “just a sub” mentality.

We’ve also moved to professional guest teachers (formerly “professional subs”) as well as the daily and long-term guest teachers. All students and staff will be expected to use the title, although there will be a natural adjustment period.

New Sign For Freedom High As Eagle Project

Austin Channels (left), a Boy Scout with Troop 180, built this sign for Freedom High in Tampa Palms as his Eagle project. Austin (with Freedom principal Kevin Stephenson) will graduate from the school next May.

To achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank for scouts with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Austin Channels had to lead a project that would help his community.

As a student at Freedom High in Tampa Palms, who will start his senior year this fall, Austin wanted to do something to impact his school for good.

“In previous years, there was a football sign that was up with the football schedule,” Austin explains. “Every year, they had to make a new sign and print it just for the new football schedule.”

So Austin — with the help of his mom, Kim — came up with the idea for an interchangeable sign that could make announcements for all the sports and other important school-related info.

Austin got approval from the school and led a team of fellow scouts and family members to conceptualize, design, build and implement the sign, plus add lighting and landscaping. He had to do his own fund raising to purchase materials, and says he met his goal of about $800 by selling T-shirts.

He worked to pick the perfect spot for the sign, where it could be seen by cars both entering and leaving the school.

Now, Austin’s sign will be maintained by the school, with student assistants changing the words on it as needed.

A final phase of the project will be to add clear plexiglass and a lock, so that no one can switch the letters around without the school’s authorization.

Austin is glad to be able to use his Eagle project as a platform to do something significant at his high school.

“It was cool to give back,” Austin says. “After being there for years with everyone teaching you, it’s good to give back to the school a little bit.”

Austin’s Eagle project is the culmination of his many years in Scouts, starting with Cub Scouts, when he was in third grade at Tampa Palms Elementary.

To achieve the Eagle rank, he’ll need to complete a Board of Review, which he expects to do soon. Once he earns the Eagle rank, his family will host a celebration this fall.

“It’s not as easy as other people made it look,” says Austin, who explains he’s seen many older scouts complete their Eagle projects, “because you’re leading everyone, you’re not just doing the project.”

Austin is a member of Troop 180, which meets at Compton Park in Tampa Palms. He says the best thing about his Boy Scout experience has been some of the incredible trips he’s had the opportunity to take, such as a 50-mile backpacking trip through the mountains of Wyoming, including Yellowstone Park.

He says his journey to earn the Eagle rank is just another part of his Scouting experience, and he looks forward to finishing out the year with his troop before he completes the program when he graduates high school.

“It’s like mountain climbing,” Austin says, “You climb one, but then there’s another one a little bit taller that you can climb.”

His dad, Steve, who is a teacher at Freedom, says Austin’s scouting experience has taught him skills and helped him to be more self-reliant than many kids his age.

“Austin has little side businesses repairing cell phones and doing car repairs that has taught him to appreciate money,” says Steve. “He bought his own car with his own money, after saving for several years. Not many teenagers do that.”

Steve says his son has spent a lot of his time this summer doing yard work for elderly neighbors, including one he drives to various appointments and whenever she needs a ride somewhere.
“It’s been a delight to follow his journey,” says Steve, “and yes, I’m really proud of him.”

New Tampa Dance Theatre — Still Producing Great Students & Performances

Classical ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and even hip-hop classes are offered at the New Tampa Dance Theatre, where future dance pros and recreational dancers all receive outstanding training.

It may be housed in a quiet building on a busy suburban street, but the New Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT) offers dancers a world-class, professional experience that is unmatched in the Tampa Bay area, whether you or your child like to dance for fun or dream of a career on stage one day.

Located on Cross Creek Blvd. (across from Heritage Isles) in New Tampa, the 7,500-square-foot NTDT is the largest professional dance training facility in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Owner and artistic director Dyane Elkins IronWing is in her 24th season of creating dance memories and futures for her New Tampa- and Wesley Chapel-area students, many of whom have gone on to study dance in college and/or dance professionally.

“As always, I’m so proud of our students,” says Elkins IronWing. “Our dancers become excellent college students, with their impressive time-management skills, perseverance and creative thinking.”

Elkins IronWing herself says she started dancing at age 5, later trained in New York City, and performed with the Ballet Metropolitan in Columbus, Ohio.

She moved to Tampa in 1995 to be near family and friends and immediately opened NTDT in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. In 2002, she purchased the property on Cross Creek Blvd., designed her spacious new studio herself, and moved the school to the new building in January 2006.

With the bigger location, Elkins IronWing was off and running, offering smaller class sizes and larger, more varied schedules.

She says she also has a larger pool of students today, with the ongoing explosive growth in Wesley Chapel.

“Our name might say New Tampa; however, our location is much closer to Wesley Chapel than one might assume,” says Elkins IronWing. “We are extremely convenient to all of the current growth (there). Wesley Chapel families are shocked to discover just how close we are and excited because of how quickly they can drive to our school.”

All Ages & Experience Levels
Elkins IronWing caters to both the recreational dance lover as well as the devoted pre-professional, and every level in between.

NTDT’s leveled curriculum offers multiple art forms for students to explore. Through personalized attention and professional expertise, the NTDT faculty provides a positive educational experience based on the studio’s core principles of respect, responsibility and teamwork.

Teen/Adult classes include four eight-week sessions (from Sept.-May) of classical ballet, tap and Zumba.
Children ages 3-4 can participate in the Early Childhood Program, ages 5-8 can take part in the Children’s Program, and ages 9-18 can participate in NTDT’s Youth Program.

In addition to classical ballet, the studio offers full programs in creative movement, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop.

Each program has its own directors and specific syllabuses guiding students in a structured manner through their studies.

Dyane’s husband, Troy IronWing, is NTDT’s director of tap, while she will instruct ballet, jazz and creative movement classes this season. Both have continued to tour internationally, now for 14 years, with the Rhythm Extreme performance troupe.

In addition, NTDT ballet director Cristy Garcia Tanner started her dance training at age 3 in her native Puerto Rico, and at age 13, she was invited to join the Ballet Concierto Company in San Juan, PR.

Modern dance director Carla Armstrong, who joined the NTDT faculty in 2005, graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Dance.

Jazz director Kristine Morgan has been dancing professionally since age 19, and she earned her BFA degree in Dance from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA, and also currently is the director of entertainment at Busch Gardens.

Hip-hop Director Dreama Davidson, who also has been with the school since 2005, has 19 years of professional performances and choreography to her credit, including participating in the “Katonga” show at Busch Gardens.

The facilities at NTDT are as top notch as the instructors, and include maple flooring for the tap classes, 20-25-ft.-tall mirrored walls, student locker rooms and a large studio space that can accommodate up to 200 people. Sprung floors provide shock absorption to protect the dancers’ joints, and an on-site physical therapist ensures the health of the dancers. NTDT also features a café offering light meals, snacks, coffee and other drinks.

The Training You Need

NTDT has developed a reputation for creating strong, professional dancers with alumni who have moved on to highly respected companies, Broadway productions and the Walt Disney Company.

Because NTDT students learn to be proficient in multiple art forms, these students have an edge in the competitive world of dance and many of them have been accepted into prestigious summer intensive programs, including the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theater in New York City, The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and the Boston Ballet.

However, Elkins IronWing also is diligent about providing the same quality of instruction to the roughly 60 percent of the students who are enrolled in NTDT’s popular recreational programs, who have no professional dance ambitions.

“If a student doesn’t choose to pursue a career in dance after high school, they can still reach a level of artistry to be accepted into many college dance programs,” says Elkins IronWing. “Believing in yourself, respecting the process of working toward a goal, and having a well-rounded dance education give our students the tools and confidence to continue discovering new passions throughout their lifetimes.”

Great Productions, Too!

All students get to perform in the “Spring Production” and — through the studio’s nonprofit partner, the Dance Theatre of Tampa (DTT) — in the winter production of “The Nutcracker,” as well as the “Summer Concert Series,” held in June at USF.

DTT provides more than 300 free tickets to NTDT’s corporate sponsors, local community supporters, alumni members and students. A small costume rental fee for productions is the only cost over the tuition that parents have to pay at any time — there is never a requirement to buy advertising or pay performance fees.

New Tampa residents Dan and Lisa Sirois relocated here from Port St. Lucie in 2016 and enrolled their daughter at NTDT.

“With Cassidy dancing since she was 3, choosing the correct school was important,” Lisa says. “Right away, we knew we made the right decision. We appreciate the fact that Dyane faithfully believes in running the school with a policy that all students are treated fairly, with no favoritism. Absolutely no bullying is allowed. And, above all, Dyane strives to help guide each student to become respectful, decent human beings as well as great dancers.”

Transferring at 11 years old, Lisa says Cassidy was originally placed in the Youth Program Level 3 and has made true, long-lasting friendships at NTDT. “Her dance technique and confidence have improved tremendously because of all the extremely caring and knowledgeable dance teachers,” Lisa says. “She loves NTDT!”

Every holiday season, Dyane says local residents look forward to the community’s largest and longest-running interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, “The Nutcracker,” now in its 19th season. This year, it will be held Friday-Sunday, December 14-16, at USF Tampa’s College of the Arts Theater 1.
You can catch free sneak peeks of NTDT’s “The Nutcracker” at the Shops at Wiregrass mall on Saturday, November 24, Friday, November 30, Saturday, December 1 and Friday-Saturday, Dec. 7-9.

NTDT’s much-awaited Sugar Plum Fairy Tea fundraiser is now in its 14th season and will be held Sunday, December 2, at USF’s Gibbons Alumni Center. This popular event features a light lunch, desserts (including a chocolate fountain), giveaways, a sneak preview of “The Nutcracker,” and an opportunity to dance with Clara (the lead role of the young girl who receives the beloved Nutcracker as a Christmas gift) and her “party friends.”

Each year, a portion of the proceeds from the Tea is donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities in South Tampa. Tickets for both the Tea and “The Nutcracker” go on sale on Monday, October 1.

“It’s all about the children at NTDT, always has been and always will be,” Dyane says. “We are a company that enables children to succeed. The key is setting high expectations all while having fun and building self-confidence. With the amazing season ahead of us, we would like to thank all of our trusting and loyal families over the years and the organizations that continually support our vision. Without their recognition and time, NTDT wouldn’t be the magical place it has become!”

The New Tampa Dance Theatre offers year-round free trial classes for prospective dancers of all ages. To tour the facility or to rent it for a meeting, party or function, visit NTDT at 10701 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information and to check out the exciting lineup of fall classes, visit NewTampaDanceTheatre.com or call (813) 994-NTDT (6838).