A small storefront on Eagle Rock Bl in Eagle Rock, CA, offers a glimpse into a dance studio with far more to offer in the way of excellence than its humble digs might suggest.
Sometimes, Eagle Rock Dance Center owner Patsy Metzger says, she wonders if passersby peer through the studio’s bay window, see the fairly small interior, and think her studio is rinky-dink. Not the real deal.
It’s easy to see how a first glance around the place could be misleading. The dance studio is a great length for going across the floor, but it’s too narrow to hold many rows of dancers. There’s no space for a studio office. And the washroom is tiny.
“You get so used to it, you can’t stand other floors.”
But Eagle Rock Dance Center’s custom-installed dance floor is high quality. And teachers and students here are dedicated.
“I tell everybody . . . if you want to go to the park and play, go to the park and play,” Patsy says. “But we come here todance!”
Even the 3-year-olds receive real training. They’re taught to take class without their parents in the room, go to the barre, go across the floor, and learn combinations. At the studio’s recitals, they get on and off stage by themselves.
With 40 years of dance teaching experience, Patsy not only teaches herself but is able to hire teachers who grew up as her students. The relationships at ERDC go back decades.
The only instructor on the staff who didn’t grow up dancing with Patsy is the hip-hop teacher. Hip hop has gained in popularity, Patsy says. She didn’t learn it growing up, and didn’t teach it to her students. So she had to look for someone.
At ERDC, you can take hip hop with teens and young adults who are serious about dance. MostERDCstudents are enrolled in a monthly class series and attend class regularly to train. The group in Int/Adv Hip Hop has a high skill level and picks up quickly. Many students have professional aspirations in dance.
Observing the Int/Adv Hip Hop class is recommended before joining. But if you’re an adult beginner, check the schedule. Cardio Hip Hop is a better choice for the drop-in student who just wants a good dance workout.
Patsy hired a quality installation firm to put a state-of-the-art sprung Marley dance floor in her studio, and years later, she’s still thrilled with her investment.
“It spoils you,” Patsy says. “Because you get so used to it, you can’t stand other floors.”
When Patsy bounces in the center of the room, the springiness is visible.
She can really feel the difference when she tap dances or does back handsprings in the studio—in addition to dance, Patsy teaches tumbling.
No one is allowed to clean the floor when she’s not around. Patsy takes care to see that her dance floor is cleaned only with the correct techniques for Marley.
It’s worth the effort. One woman said it was the best floor she’d danced on in her whole life!
Patsy loves to have her students perform, on average once a month. It’s more fun to take dance class, she thinks, if you know you have a show coming up.
Students have performed at the L.A. County Fair and the big Hawaiian Festival in Northridge. Once in a while, students may dance at three events in a single month.
But parents of ERDC students don’t need to buy a new costume for every show. They might buy a few accessories during the year, Patsy says. Tights and shoes.
All the costumes, she provides herself.
“My garage is nothing but racks and racks of costumes,” Patsy says.
If the kids need something she doesn’t have already, Patsy makes it for them. It’s not that she particularly enjoys sewing as a hobby, Patsy says. She just doesn’t trust anyone else to do as good a job on the costumes.
And at her studio, from the floor up, Patsy gives dancers the real deal.
Eagle Rock Dance Center owner Patsy Metzger has choreographed for both live stage shows and long-running TV series such as “Blossom.” One of her favorite experiences was teaching Jimmy Buffett and the Rockettes Irish step dancing for a performance at the Universal Amphitheatre in 2002. Patsy especially enjoys tap dance and tumbling.
The best way to reach the studio is by phone. Owner Patsy Metzger can be reached at either her home or cell phone number. She checks both during the day.
Reply turnaround for a voice message is normally right away.
Reply turnaround for e-mail is normally within 24 hours.
The studio’s hours are roughly the same as class hours. There’s no studio office, so you’ll only find someone at ERDC to welcome you when class is in session. If you have questions or wish to pay a visit to the studio, the best thing to do is call Patsy Metzger and arrange a time.
The Facebook profile has a paragraph describing the Patsy Metzger Dancers.
The Patsy Metzger Dancers MySpace profile is set to private, so send a friend request if interested.
There are over 30 videos of ERDC recital pieces on the Patsy Metzger Dancers YouTube channel.
There is no studio e-mail list. Patsy phones students when she needs to give them information about performances or costumes.
Check with your individual teacher to find out if they have an e-mail list; some of them do.
For a link to the online class schedule, see the Studio Info box at the top of the right sidebar.
When there are subs at Eagle Rock Dance Center, the studio uses regular subs who the students know.
For single class and class package prices, contact Patsy Metzger or check the bulletin board in the lobby at Eagle Rock Dance Center. Class prices are listed for single classes and monthly class packages of various numbers of classes per week, including unlimited classes.
Most students atERDCare enrolled on a monthly basis. Monthly enrollment really is monthly; if a month has 5 weeks, enrolled students get the 5th week of classes free.
Patsy keeps track of who has paid for monthly enrollment, so you never have to worry about losing a class card!
All adult hip-hop classes are ongoing classes that can be taken on either a monthly enrollment or drop-in basis.
New students may enroll for a one-time special class package of one class per week for six weeks for $75.
The studio is flexible on late arrivals.
The minimum age for adult classes is 16, with possible flexibility depending on the instructor.
For single classes, please pay your teacher directly. You can check with your teacher to find out what forms of payment they accept.
Classes may be observed from the lobby through the studio’s observation window.
Be aware that this studio gets quite hot, especially at the height of theL.A. summer.
There are two big fans in the studio, but no air conditioning. We recommend bringing a bottle of ice water, and possibly a small workout towel, as you will sweat!
Gum is not allowed in the studio. Please turn off your cell phone during class.
The studio doesn’t have an office. The three interior doors in the lobby lead to the dance studio, the restroom, and the changing room.
Refrigerated bottled water is available from the studio’s vending machine for 75 cents.
Soda and chips are also available from the vending machine, as are granola bars during cooler weather. The vending machine is located in the front lobby, along with a wastebasket to dispose of your wrappers.
Students can purchase packages of dried fruit snacks directly from their teacher.
The studio is across the street from a coffee shop and a smoothie place, as well as other dining options.
The unisex, single-occupancy restroom is the first door to the left as you enter the lobby. The sink and paper towel dispenser are located one door over, in the studio’s changing room.
The restroom is too small to change comfortably, but the changing room is a nice cozy size that easily accommodates at least one person, and even has a full-length mirror.
The small front lobby has a wooden bench along one wall and a podium by the studio door to hold the class sign-in sheets.
Patsy keeps the lower shelf of the sign-in podium stocked with a variety of dance magazines so her students can keep current on what’s going on in the dance world.
A large bulletin board hangs above the bench in the lobby. General advertisements are not permitted, but Patsy loves it when people stop by to put up a flyer for a dance competition or other dance-related event! She likes her students to know what’s going on.
There’s a large flight of steps outside the studio, so if you should happen to show up early and find the studio closed, there’s somewhere to sit while you wait.
Eagle Rock Dance Center has a lovely sprung Marley dance floor with exceptional spring.
The studio sells PatsyMetzgerDancers t-shirts.
Eagle Rock Dance Center is on the east side of Eagle Rock Bl, in the block directly south of Colorado Bl. However, the entrance is at the back of the building. Coming from Colorado Bl, take the first left turn on Eagle Rock Bl and drive to the end of the block.
Theonlyparking lot available to ERDC visitors is on the northwest corner of the intersection of Merton Ave and Caspar Ave, adjacent to the American Legion Hall.
After parking, walk to the northwest corner of the lot (away from the streets). From here, you can see the back of the businesses on Eagle Rock Bl. Almost directly across from you, look for a big red-and-white banner saying “NOW OPEN, Eagle Rock Dance Center.”
Eagle Rock Dance Center visitors may park in the spacious lot belonging to the American Legion Hall “Post 276.” This lot is on the NW corner of the intersection of Merton Ave andCasparAve, one block east of Eagle RockBl.
The meter rate is 50 cents per hour. Parking spaces at the back of the lot have a 2-hour limit with meters in effect 7 am-9 pm, seven days a week.The exception isno parking 4-10 pm on Fridays: the lot is closed for the weekly farmer’s market, and parked cars will be towed.
At the front of the lot, all-day parking is available for a flat rate of $2.50.
If you’re early to class and bored, hang out on the steps at the ERDC entrance and watch the parking skirmishes unfold. It’s like a daily soap opera! However, unless you wish toparticipatein a soap opera, we recommend that you park in the American Legion lot (or on the street).
When parking, always check street signs on the block to verify details.
Parts of Merton Ave and Caspar Ave are unmetered and have no time limit.
Notes: The unmetered part of Merton Ave is a tow-away, no stopping zoneon Fridays,3:30-9:30pm.Caspar Ave has street cleaning (no parking) on Wednesday and Thursday (one side of street each day, see signs), 11 am-1 pm.
Where there are meters, the rate is $1 per hour. There’s one-hour parking on Caspar Ave and two-hour parking on Merton Ave. Meters and time limits apply 8 am-8 pm, Monday-Saturday.
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