Shirley McPhail School of Dance
Shirley McPhail School of Dance has been providing quality dance education to children and adults in Austin and Central Texas for over 49 years.
A variety of disciplines are offered for children: “Twinkle Tots” for ages 2-3, a creative movement intro to dance; Combination Classes for ages 3-8; Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Musical Theater and Contemporary dance; Cotillion Austin-Style; Summer Camps; Summer Intensives for advanced dancers; and Troupe SMSDance, including both a Performing Troupe and a Competition Team.
Adult classes in Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Praise Dance offer exercise and fun for adults of all ages.
Now Accepting Registration for Summer 2019!
Our Classes
Testimonials
What’s Going On
Still a few spots left in next weeks camp! Register before Monday and receive $25.00 discount, so only $225.00! #smsdancecamps #summerdancecamp #atxsummercamp
Our very own Neal Worley with Patsy Swayze!Throwing it WAY back to 1990 when Patsy Swayze and our very own Neal Worley of @smsdanceatx received their Honorary Memberships! Patsy was an excellent dancer & teacher and known very well in the Houston Dance community! TATD is coming to her home town THIS weekend! You are very missed and appreciated for ALL you gave to dance for so many years!
#patsysawyzedancelegend
#tatdhouston2019
#tatdoutofthisworld
#tbt
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Yvonne Helen "Patsy" Swayze (February 7, 1927 – September 16, 2013) was an American film choreographer, dancer, and dance instructor. Her credits included the choreography for Urban Cowboy, Liar's Moon and Hope Floats. Her five children included the actors Patrick Swayze and Don Swayze. She has been credited with having trained Patrick in dance, leading to his starring role in Dirty Dancing in 1987.
Swayze founded the Houston Jazz Ballet Company and served as the ballet's director. She also opened a Houston dance studio, the Swayze School of Dance. Her son, actor Patrick Swayze , met his future wife, film director and actress Lisa Niemi, while they were enrolled as her students at the Swayze School of Dance.
In addition to her own dance studio, Swayze taught dance and choreography at the University of Houston for eighteen years. Patsy Swayze's former students included future Emmy Award winner Debbie Allen, Randy Quaid, Jaclyn Smith and future ten-time Tony Award winner Tommy Tune.
Patsy Swayze transitioned to film by choreographing her first movie, Urban Cowboy, starring John Travolta and Debra Winger. The success of Urban Cowboy essentially launched her career as a film choreographer. In 1980, Patsy Swayze moved from Houston to southern California. She choreographed numerous films over the next three decades including Liar's Moon in 1982 and Hope Floats, directed by Forest Whitaker, in 1998. She teamed with her daughter-in-law, director Lisa Niemi, to choreograph the 2003 film, One Last Dance, which starred Niemi, Patrick Swayze and George de la Peña.
In addition to her film work, Swayze also directed a dance studio in Simi Valley, California, for more than twenty years. We are so fortunate to have known Patsy way back when!