Danz Force Extreme, Orlando

Though Ruthe Advena has been the director of the DanzForce Extreme studio for 8 years, she hasn't forgotten what it's like to be a mom dropping her kid off for dance class. Perhaps this is why she and her team of instructors focus on training young dancers, sometimes starting when they're just 2.5 years old and haven't yet fallen in with that rowdy toddler gang down the street. These seasoned teachers motivate their young charges in 18 different types of dance classes, including aerial dance, ballet, hip-hop dance, and acro dance. To help students take their training to the next level, artistic director Jaime Reid and Shannon Leli helm a house dance team, which they've led to victory at a slew of area dance competitions. DanzForce Extreme also conducts an after-school performance arts program, complete with pick-up at several local elementary schools.