The Janice Center's Winter-Spring Dance Session starts next Saturday January 31 with Teen Hip Hop and Lyrical. All other classes will start the week of February 9.

The Janice Center dance program is the largest in Sullivan County, emphasizing development, camaraderie, performance and recreation rather than competition. Recitals are staged on auditorium and theater stages, not gymnasium floors. The cost of costumes rarely exceeds $30, not $300. All in all, it's a program where kids get to express themselves in a comfortable, pressure-free environment, while also enhancing their dance and teamwork skills.

There are four Hip Hop classes, three Ballet classes and one Lyrical class covering ages 4 and up. For all weekday Hip Hop and Ballet classes (except the teen hip hop class on Saturday morning), students can take the bus to The Janice Center directly from Sullivan West Elementary. For those coming from other schools, hip hop classes start at 4 p.m. and ballet at 5 p.m. Lyrical is also held on Saturday morning.

The cost for a class is $240 for the entire session ($230 for returning students from the previous semester). There are sibling discounts available for multiple family members taking classes simultaneously as well as a special multi-dance discount for those taking a combination of Hip Hop, Lyrical and Ballet in the same semester. A one-time registration fee of $25 is required for all new students.

For more information, call The Janice Center at 845-482-3324, visit the Ballet and Hip Hop sections of this site or e-mail ken@janicecenter.com.

Welcome Matt Albeck, The Janice Center's new guitar and piano instructor. Matt comes with an extensive teaching and performing background. He began studying guitar at age 11 and started his first band at age 13. Matt studied and performed music throughout high school and college, where he studied pedagogy and began teaching music lessons.

After college, his band, Daily Supplement toured the tri-state area on the jamband circuit. Next, Matt moved to NYC to study Jazz Performance at the Aaron Copeland School of Music.

After establishing himself as a unique guitarist on the Brooklyn music scene, Matt moved to The Catskills and founded Kenoza Lake Music. He has performed with Thurman Barker, Hal Galper, Nate Zaur, Tony Marino,Tyler Dempsey and Morgan Hoffman.

Matt leads his own Jazz Band group, The Matthew Albeck Trio. He will be teaching guitar and piano at The Janice Center.

To schedule lessons, please call 845-482-3324, text 845-423-8028 or e-mail ken@janicecenter.com

Readers of the River Reporter Magazine have again chosen The Janice Center as The Best Dance Studio in its circulation area. This covers all of Sullivan County, Honesdale and parts of Orange County. The Janice Center has received this honor multiple times.

"It's always feels good to be recognized as the best," said owners Ken and Tanya Cohen. "We have so many supportive families. So we share this honor proudly with all of them."

The Janice Center dance program has come a long way since its inception in 2008. That year, there was one class of ballet with 12 students culminating with a small show at the Center. By 2023, that number had grown to more than 100 students in ballet and hip hop, making it the largest dance troupe in Sullivan County. Dance recitals held at The Villa Roma and Sullivan West have drawn close to 400 attendees.

Busses from Sullivan West Elementary and High Schools stop directly in front of The Janice Center everyday. If your child has a class or lesson after school, you don\'t have to worry about transporting him or her here. Just let the authorities at the school know they will be taking the bus to The Janice Center and they\'re all set. If they have to wait any amount of time for their class or lesson to begin, we have a waiting room and also a common area where they can sit an do homework. Also we provide snacks and water. We will always be here until your child is picked up after the class or lesson -- they will never be left alone.

The Janice Center is the ideal place to host your child\'s next birthday party. Whether it be a dance, Music Together or Paint party, we can tailor the activities to your needs. So instead of trying to handle everything yourself, enjoy the special day and let us do all the work. We even put your child’s name on our outdoor marquis!

Said one parent who recently had a party at The Janice Center, “It\'s a no-brainer to have a party here. The kids have a blast, The Janice Center does everything and you can actually just relax and take in the day!\"

For more information, call us at 482-3324.