OUR STORY

10th time recipient of Youth America Grand Prix Outstanding School Award & Recipient of New York City Dance Alliance Oustanding School Award

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WSPA was founded in the summer of 1991 by Malu Rivera-Peoples and Karen Dycaico. In a successful collaboration with the City of Daly City Parks and Recreation Department, a state-of-the art dance studio in the Larcombe Clubhouse was built to begin a summer dance program of 35 students and three instructors. Its first performance was at the Pacelli Gymnasium celebrating the new renovated park.
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To date, WSPA has an enrollment of over a thousand students training in dance, music, and theater. It has found its new home in a 14,000 square feet of land with 6 lovely studios surrounding a courtyard at the Doelger Arts Center in Daly City. It has a staff of 22 teachers and 10 office personnel. Its programs include pre-professional training in classical ballet, pointe, character, and variation classes.  It also offers ethnic dance classes in Russian and Polynesian traditions and a department of Broadway musical theater classes. Tap, jazz, and hip hop are also offered to all levels of ability. For the pre-schoolers, there are combination classes of ballet n’ tap. WSPA has a music room where private classes in piano, voice, and musical theater are taught. The students’ talents and achievements are presented in a weekend of performances with lavish productions at the Year-End showcase, marking the culmination of another year of wonderful dance and performing arts training.
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WSPA is extremely proud of its students and programs.  Fully understanding that not all will pursue a career in the performing arts, WSPA’s legacy of hard work, discipline, and putting your best foot forward’ will always stay with them for a lifetime. These are the factors that make WSPA a unique and valuable addition to the community at large.