Our School

Since opening its doors in 1996, Uptown Dance Academy is considered the premiere dance school for urban youth interested in making dance their primary focus. The Academy has been dedicated to providing high-quality dance disciplines, training and professionalism for youth ages 3-19. The well-rounded curriculum designed by founder and director Robin Williams exposes children to the diverse world of dance as they prepare for the professional stage.

No one does it better than Uptown Dance Academy in providing structured training programs and performance opportunities that reinforce the principle of dance as well as the physical, artistic and creative skills inherent in learning dance. Its mission is to train students in the performing arts while instilling a higher level of cultural enrichment, self-discipline, and personal achievement.

No other theatrical dance school in New York City offers as many performance opportunities or dance disciplines as Uptown Dance Academy. Offering professional training in ballet, tap, modern, jazz, acrobatics, hip hop and African dance, students of Uptown Dance Academy perform about 40 times a year outside of their regular calendar schedule. Currently located at 171 East 121st Street in East Harlem at the Elmendorf Reformed Church, Uptown Dance Academy caters to minority youth, introducing them to the world of professional dance and theater. Students train and perform with some of New York City’s top dancers and choreographers, giving them a unique experience not found anywhere in New York.

Robin Williams
Founder/Director
Professional Dancer/Choreographer

Robin Williams started dancing at the age of 5 and hasn’t stopped dancing yet. Born in Detroit, Michigan Ms. Williams was a principal dancer with the Dance Theater of Harlem and is recognized as one of New York’s highly respected choreographers and dance training principals. She is credited for exposing classical dance to school children in the Harlem area. Performing abroad and throughout the United States, Ms. Williams was a principal dancer with Dancer Theatre of Harlem's Ensemble, Gallman's Dance Theatre, Nanette Bearden's Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Ballet Long Island. Her most rewarding performance to date, however, is fulfilling the dreams of young people everyday at her Uptown Dance Academy.

Ms. Williams teaching career began to flourish as instructor for the Harlem School of Arts, Bernice Johnson's, Ruth Williams, Charles Moore Dance Theatre, Mind builders and Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. Realizing that young dancers, especially minorities, needed more than the principals of dance to survive in the world of the arts, she formed the Uptown Dance Academy in 1996. Since opening its doors, Ms. Williams and staff are dedicated to assist urban youth as they embark on careers in dance and the arts, giving advice on additional education and dance training skill development.

She is a member of the Arts & Business Council, Harlem Arts Alliance, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, 100 Black Women, Black MBA's and Harlem Business Alliance.