Fleetwood Dance Center History
Fleetwood Dance Center was founded in 1960 by Carolyn P. Fleetwood, and is currently under the ownership and artistic direction of her daughter, Lynn Fleetwood Dukes. The center is home to the Fleetwood Dance Theater, which was formed in 1982 as the resident performing company of the center. Its mission is to educate and entertain through the art of dance in the north metro area of Atlanta. The company performs for a variety of special events, like parades and pageants. Members go through an annual audition process, in which they must demonstrate a broad range of dance training, including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical and modern dance techniques. Company members are also given the opportunity to go beyond classroom study and gain performing experience by working with a variety of choreographers. The center caters to both children and adults, and carries on Carolyn's tradition of training dancers in all styles of dance, including musical theater, jazz, tap, ballet, and pointe. The nonprofit theater troupe works in concert with other nonprofit organizations, performing at fundraisers that benefit the local community. The troupe also provides educational workshops for local school arts programs. Many members have gone on to professional careers in stage, screen, and television including John Schneider from The Dukes of Hazard.