The STARS Philosophy is simple: When a child feels like a STAR, they will shine!

 Growing up is serious business. Every day is a crossroads where important life decisions are made. Just as the major dilemmas often turn out to be inconsequential, sometimes the small things end up mattering the most. This is the time that vastly shapes futures. What tools should the youth of today take into tomorrow?

 In 1970, Pat Rhodes - a simple dance teacher - realized that, to her students, she wasn’t there just to teach great dance technique or performance skills. She was having a hand in shaping their futures. Teaching kids was serious business too!  In the development of her Junior Dance Team, she created opportunities to teach goal-setting, self-esteem, teamwork, responsibility, and service to their communities. She took her calling to heart and, over the past 37 years, has continued to extend a program that teaches positive life skills and her philosophy has impacted thousands of young dancers throughout the United States.

 The STARS Dance Program is not “just dancing.” It provides a constructive, creative way for youth to set concrete goals which will develop important life skills.  The contemporary moves, the popular music, the dynamic classes, and the applause filled performances create a challenging experience that kids really enjoy, so it isn’t hard to see how self-esteem develops in this positive environment.

 The STARS Program goals are founded on caring about how kids feel about themselves.  If a child believes in themselves, the goals they set and  accomplish reach far beyond what anyone may have believed they could do. They are able to see that their actions can make a positive impact on their surroundings, their families, their schools, their communities.

 Being part of the STARS Program is a wonderful opportunity for youth to set and  accomplish goals.  Every STAR is taken seriously.  Every child is treated with the same enthusiasm, the same commitment and the same encouragement.  The STARS Program is a successful way to inspire kids to be the best they can be.

 The STARS experience is a wonderful mystery.  Being a STAR is something that happens on the inside—the movements, the music, and the muscle are merely the visual representation of the magic inside each STAR.  The applause that they hear from their teacher, teammates, parents, and crowds becomes a permanent part of their inner nature.  They feel like a STAR – and they DO shine.