Founded in 1987, Columbia Dance is one of Southwest Washington’s oldest and most distinguished arts organizations. Housed in the custom-designed Leslie B. Durst Columbia Dance Center at 1700 Broadway in Vancouver’s Uptown Village, the organization plays a leading role in the cultural vitality of this growing region.
Columbia Dance provides excellence in dance training within a nurturing and challenging environment. Offering quality, professional dance training in classes that are carefully graded to suit age and technical abilities ensures the maximum progress of each student. Central to the Columbia Dance philosophy is to demand of each student, whether or not a dance career is planned, the his or her very best effort. In return, Columbia Dance teachers and staff are dedicated to providing the care and attention each student deserves. Columbia Dance is proud to be a performing member company of Regional Dance America from the Pacific Region. To learn more about this national organization please visit regional-dance-america.org.
Columbia Dance offers a complete curriculum for the Pre-Professional dancer (view class schedule). The program is designed to provide an increasing variety of classes while making greater demands on the student with each year of study. The syllabus is enhanced by the 20th century dance forms and ideas, preparing our graduates for the eclectic demands of American dance today. Columbia Dance supports both a Junior and Senior performing company. Membership in these companies is by audition only. These companies provide excellent performing experiences for the member dancers, while contributing to the greater Vancouver community cultural arts scene. In addition, Columbia Dance offers a well-developed Children's Division curriculum (view class schedule) and adult dance classes (view class schedule).