Students find their rhythm at Focus Dance Center
Leah Lederman began taking lessons at Focus Dance Center when she was 3 years old and never really left.
“For most of my life, it’s been a joke: I sleep in Mission Viejo, but I live in Irvine,” says Lederman, who recently completed her freshman year at Columbia University but still spends summer days at Focus.
The dance studio at Woodbridge Village Center is that kind of place. For the past 23 years, founder Monie Adamson has helped thousands of students find their passion through a warm, supportive environment, generous performance space and a wide range of classes for children and adults, from tumbling and hip-hop to K-pop, jazz and ballet.
Adamson – an Emmy-nominated dancer, teacher and choreographer – moved from Sacramento to Irvine in the 1990s to study dance at UC Irvine. In 2003, she and her husband, Darick Parrish, opened their first studio in University Center with six dance rooms and 285 students.
While the space seemed ample at first, the studio quickly outgrew that location. The following year, twice as many students signed up for classes, and demand continued to grow. In 2017, Focus relocated to Woodbridge Village Center, where Adamson now oversees a 12,000-square-foot studio with eight dance rooms and 25 teachers.
Each June, Focus brings students and teachers outside for a daylong performance of music, dance and song that draws thousands of spectators.
Adamson says that community spirit has always been central to her studio’s mission. The goal, she says, is not only to train strong dancers but to create a place where students can build confidence, friendships and habits that carry into the rest of their lives, onstage and off.
Learning for all areas of life
Lederman credits Focus for helping cultivate the discipline that helped her succeed academically.
“I learned how to work hard, even if the class is difficult or boring,” she says. “It’s like doing the splits. It can be painful, but the end result is worth it.”
Along the way, Lederman says she won more trophies than she can count, was trained to teach younger dancers and built her high school resume with community service credits for her leadership role with Building Youth, the studio’s philanthropy program, which offers free dance and fitness classes to low-income children.
Still, Lederman remembers Focus as more than a place to learn steps or rack up tributes. It became her second home, she says, because of teachers who challenged and encouraged her.
“As a studio, it’s truly like a family,” she says. “The teachers actually want what’s best for you, so they’ll spend extra time after class to help you out if they see you need extra support.”
The place also offers plenty of opportunities for sheer fun.
For Lederman’s bat mitzvah a few years ago, her father took lessons at the studio so the two could “bust out” together in a hip-hop routine.
“We really put on a show,” she says.
DANCING KEYS MUSIC STUDIO
Opened by Giana Nguyen in 2013
“Too many students quit traditional methods before they learn enough to play on their own. We’re here to offer a different perspective to learning with the goal of having music as a lifelong companion.” – Giana Nguyen
What it’s known for: This innovative music school specializes in the Simply Music piano method, which fosters a natural love of music by initially delaying music reading in favor of getting students to learn by playing.
SESSIONS WEST COAST DELI
Opened by Matt Meddock, Beckham Thomas and Max Schlutz in 2018
“Woodbridge has become our home: the community, the support, the loyalty, the energy around the lake. Woodbridge is everything to us.” – Max Schlutz
What it’s known for: Sessions seeks to redefine the sandwich with a chef-driven menu of handheld meals with fresh, complex flavors. Co-owner Meddock grew up in Irvine, and his father has a business based at the Woodbridge center as well.
HIDE & SQUEAK KIDS
Opened by Tammy-Jo Henrotin in 2020
“I built it for the kids; I lowered everything down so the kids could actually pick out their own dress and their own T-shirt. Kids come in and they’re so happy, and it’s so much fun to take care of them. It’s a happy place.” – Tammy-Jo Henrotin
What it’s known for: “This store is Grandma Heaven!” writes a delighted Yelp reviewer about Hide & Squeak Kids. The store caters to little ones with a curated selection of high-quality clothing, accessories, toys and gifts.
