Class Descriptions

  • Flip, roll, balance, and build confidence! Tumbling is an action-packed class where students develop strength, flexibility, coordination, and body control while safely working toward exciting new skills.

    Depending on their individual level, students may work on skills such as rolls, handstands, cartwheels, bridges, walkovers, and more advanced tumbling progressions. Instructors focus on proper technique and skill progression so dancers can build a strong foundation before moving on to the next challenge.

    Tumbling is perfect for energetic kids who love being upside down—and parents get to watch their child turn “I can’t do that yet” into “LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!”

  • Ballet is where strong dancers are built! In this one-hour class, dancers learn foundational ballet technique through barre work, center exercises, across-the-floor movement, and combinations designed to develop both strength and grace.

    Ballet helps dancers build posture, flexibility, balance, coordination, body awareness, discipline, and beautiful technique that carries over into nearly every other style of dance. Our goal is to create an encouraging environment where dancers can challenge themselves, celebrate their progress, and discover just how strong they can be.

  • Big energy, bold movement, and plenty of personality! Jazz is a fun, upbeat class where dancers build confidence while learning the foundations of jazz technique. Each class combines stretching, strengthening, turns, jumps, kicks, and across-the-floor combinations with exciting choreography.

    Dancers will grow in coordination, flexibility, musicality, technique, and performance skills while learning how to truly perform rather than simply memorize steps. Jazz is perfect for kids who love energetic music, expressive movement, and getting the chance to let their personality shine!

  • Get ready to move! Hip Hop is an upbeat, high-energy class designed to help dancers build confidence, coordination, and their own personal style. Dancers explore age-appropriate hip hop movement, grooves, isolations, musicality, and choreography while learning to move with strength and intention.

    This class gives kids a place to let loose, express themselves, build confidence, and have FUN while developing valuable dance and performance skills. Perfect for dancers who love current music, energetic movement, and bringing a little attitude to the dance floor!

  • Turn those dancing feet into an instrument! Tap is a high-energy class that teaches dancers how to create rhythms, patterns, and music through movement. Students learn foundational tap steps and gradually combine them into more challenging combinations and choreography.

    Along the way, dancers strengthen rhythm, timing, coordination, listening skills, musicality, and confidence. Tap is especially fun for kids who love to move, make a little noise, and challenge their brains and bodies at the same time!

  • Contemporary gives dancers the freedom to tell a story through movement. Blending elements of ballet, jazz, and modern dance, this class encourages dancers to explore emotion, creativity, musicality, and their own unique movement style.

    Dancers work on strength, flexibility, balance, technique, transitions, floor work, and expression while learning choreography that challenges both their bodies and their creativity. It’s a wonderful class for dancers who love music, storytelling, and finding new ways to express themselves.

Meet Our Team

Melissa Craddock

Melissa likes to say she was dancing before she could walk—and she never really stopped.

Growing up in a Navy family gave Melissa the opportunity to study with teachers from across the country and experience many different approaches to dance. After moving to Sterling at age 15, she began teaching at just 16 years old. Four years later, she opened her own studio and began building the program that would become Melissa’s School of Dance.

Throughout her career, Melissa has continued learning alongside her students. Her training has taken her to California and New York, where she studied evolving styles and techniques, as well as to Houston, where she studied tumbling and gymnastics with United States Olympic coach Béla Károlyi. She has also had opportunities to study with respected professionals including Patsy Swayze and Keith Clifton.

Melissa has been a member of Dance Masters and Dance Educators of America, and her experience has extended beyond the studio. She choreographed for the Miss Northeastern Colorado Pageant, taught country two-step and waltz in Denver and Sterling, and spent years developing competitive gymnastics programs.

For three years, Melissa’s students were selected to represent Colorado at Dance Excellence in California, where they studied with internationally recognized instructors and had the opportunity to perform at Disney. Her gymnasts also competed through the CARA program for 15 years, earning state titles throughout their participation.

But awards, performances, and accomplishments have never been the heart of Melissa’s School of Dance. The students are. We believe great dance instruction begins with knowing the child standing in front of us.

Every dancer comes into the studio with a different personality, learning style, ability, goal, and reason for being there. Some children dream about performing. Some want to master a new skill. Some need a place to build confidence. Others simply come alive when the music starts. There is room here for all of them.

Dance teaches far more than choreography.

Inside the studio, children learn what happens when they practice something that once felt impossible. They learn to perform even when they're nervous, accept corrections, work alongside a team, celebrate one another, and keep trying when a skill doesn't come easily.

Those experiences build confidence, resilience, discipline, creativity, coordination, strength, and self-expression that can follow children far beyond the dance floor.

And while we take quality training seriously, we also believe children should genuinely enjoy being here. Our goal is to provide a safe, positive, encouraging environment where dancers work hard, laugh often, develop meaningful friendships, and feel proud of what they're becoming.

After more than four decades, one thing hasn't changed: we love watching our students grow.

From a child's first dance class to advanced training and performances, it is a privilege to be part of those moments. Many students have grown up inside these walls, and every new dancer becomes another chapter in the story of Melissa's School of Dance.

We aren't simply building better dancers.

We're building confidence, creating memories, and welcoming families into a dance community that has called Sterling home for more than 40 years.

We would love for your family to become part of it.

Scarlett Allura Lizett

Isabella Jenneana Flores

I discovered my passion for dance at the age of 3 and nurtured it until I was 10, when a move to a new city gave me the opportunity to take a break and reignite my spark. At 12, I began exploring various styles, including hip-hop, ballet, contemporary, modern, belly dancing, Krump, breakdancing, ballroom, jazz, heels, lyrical, and musical theater.

My hard work paid off when I landed my first dancing job at 13 and started interning as a dance teacher at my home studio in El Paso, Texas. From 13 to 15, I continued to book jobs at local events and private parties, and I was fortunate enough to take classes from renowned industry dancers like Ian Eastwood, Brian Freedmen, Megan Lawson, Les Twins, Yanis Marshall, Tricia Miranda, and Kyle Hanagami.

At 16, I took on my own classes, balancing my teaching responsibilities with being president of my FFA chapter and theater production, all while in high school. This experience paved the way for bigger opportunities, including concerts and music videos abroad.

By 18, I was booking family-friendly burlesque shows and competing in the World of Dance by Paul Mitchell Competition. Although I took a break from traveling to focus on animal science at NMSU, my passion for dance remained strong, and I soon found myself choreographing for the NJC theater department as a theater production major.

I joined Melissa's in September 2025, and being here has reminded me of the impact I can have as a teacher and mentor to the next generation. I'm excited to see where these students will go on their own journeys.

Message Us With Any Questions!

Submit the form and we will get back to you soon!!