Thirty Years of Dreams Come True

What does a 2 year old and 32 year old have in common? For Nikole LaChioma it has always been her love and passion for dance. As Artistic Director for the Performing Arts Center of Connecticut for the past 13 years Nikole has dedicated herself to countless hours of classroom technique, choreography, performances and giving back to her students and community in the only way she knows how – through the arts.

This June, Nikole who holds a B.F.A. in Ballet from Marymount, and is an ABT ® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT ® Teacher Training Intensives in Pre Primary through Partnering of the ABT ® National Training Curriculum will take a huge step and will open up Rockwell Dance Center (formerly PACC). To have realized another dream is astounding to her, but not to those who know her. Her view of dance is perhaps different than most – its not just about the movement or the performances, its about what dance teaches you. Dance gives everyone a sense of discipline, respect, team work, it increases rout memory skills, teaches time management, math and patterning, music theory and fundamentals, exposes everyone to differences and similarities but most importantly it allows everyone to find their own creativity and express themselves.

Nikole and her students dance for many benefits and fund raisers in the tri-state area; one she began in 2006 in memory of a friend, the Steven A. Merrihew Performing Arts Benefit Concert. The other is her non profit, The Parker Project whose ensemble of dancers has raised over $50,000 for dancers in need while sharing concert dance. The building block on which she has always stood, is that having talent and being blessed means a responsibility to give back through your art. Throughout the years she has taught dance at inner city schools and programs. Mentored her dancers through college selections and choreography. Her dancers have gotten into this countries best dance programs, Juilliard, NYU Tisch, Boston Conservatory, Marymount, CAL Arts and many more; they have received the Princess Grace Award for Dance, Young Arts Scholarship and full scholarships to top summer programs and colleges and enjoyed master classes with the “whose who of dance”.

This year Ms. LaChioma was named Outstanding Choreographer for the Youth American Grand Prix in Boston and has had several of her pieces invited to its prestigious New York City Finals with dancers from all over the world. In receiving that award, Nikole was called on stage and asked by the presenter what this meant to her. Her answer was true to her love of dance and her kids – she said that she wouldn’t be there without the amazing and talented students that she has had the privilege of working with. These three words sum up her view of dance and the arts, “working together with” – art like life is a collaborative effort – when one of us succeeds we all do.

On June 15th a new journey will begin and as always Ms. Lachioma will throw open the doors of Rockwell Dance Center, along with the doors to her heart…it will surely be a place where every dancer will find a place to belong and to be the very best they can be. www.rockwelldancecenter.com