Meet the Owner: LEGGZ LTD. Dance

Since 1969, Joan MacNaughton has taught students the art and technique of dance as director of.

Today, MacNaughton and her daughter Samantha Carrell work together to run what they call the finest dance facility on Long Island.

“We are a New York City studio on Long Island,” MacNaughton said. 

Located on Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre, LEGGZ offers a variety of classes in different styles of dance for all ages and abilities.   

MacNaughton and Carrell said they believe that what separates LEGGZ from other dance schools on Long Island is that they are not a competition school. Rather than competition techniques, students are taught “real dance.”

“We are really teaching children real dance as opposed to competition dance,” MacNaughton said. “When they go to college and they audition for a fine arts program, they can execute everything that they are asked to do, as opposed to competition dancers that can go in and do a lot of great high kicks, splits and tricks but they can’t do real choreography.”

Lifelong Dancers

Both MacNaughton and Carrell carry years of dance experience. Raised in a family of professional performers, MacNaughton has danced and performed since the age of seven and bought the studio that would become LEGGZ when she was 19.

After her studio in Lynbrook burned down, MacNaughton brought LEGGZ to Rockville Centre to accommodate her large Rockville Centre base of students. LEGGZ moved to its current location two years ago to fit the needs of the school.    

Inspired by her mother, Carrell has danced her entire life and still performs today. She has performed, danced and acted in commercials, television series, movies and soap operas, recently appearing in NBC’s Smash.   

“I have been dancing since I was in my mom’s stomach and I have been dancing ever since,” Carrell said.

Studio Highlights

MacNaughton and Carrell said that the highlights of their years in business have been the school’s performances. LEGGZ has performed at a number of famous venues, such as Disney World and Radio City Music Hall.

“We are the only school that has been invited for 18 years to dance at Disney World every year for an invited performance,” MacNaughton said.

MacNaughton and Carrell both agree that Radio City Music Hall is their favorite venue where LEGGZ has performed at.

“It’s the most memorable and the most magical because it was sold out and we were the only dance school to have the opportunity,” Carrell said. “When you enter the stage for the performance, the energy coming form the audience is just so memorable.”

In addition to their invited performances, LEGGZ also puts on an annual performance of the Nutcracker Ballet. Produced by the Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts, the show features live music by the South Shore Symphony and stars premier ballerinas from major ballet companies.

LEGGZ students have gone on to perform with the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, among others.

“We do a lot of performances but we also have fun,” Carrell said. “Yes, we do have professional teachers, so they are disciplined in structure, but the kids do have fun as they are learning.”