South Coast Conservatory - 30 Years of Changing Lives

South Coast Conservatory has been changing lives everyday through dance since 1992. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, SCC's proven approach to changing lives through dance has created thousands of healthy, confident, and caring dancers through the decades. Here is our story.

Under the first owner, Joy Hewitt, the studio started its legacy in Mission Viejo, California under the name of "Mission Viejo Dance and Performing Arts Center". Classes were offered to ages 7-adult in jazz, tap, ballet and ballroom. After a short time it moved to its second location in Mission Viejo. In 1998 it moved to the current location in Laguna Niguel where the programs expanded and the owner retired, passing it on to me, Jena Minnick-Bull.

Under the second owner "Ms. Jena", as I have been affectionately called, we added the pre-academy program for ages 2-6, a competitive program, musical theatre, and acrobatics. With these additions the studio grew, and it grew, and it grew, from 3 rooms to the current 10. The studio expanded services to Laguna Hills and San Clemente prompting us to change the name to South Coast Conservatory.

Under the name of South Coast Conservatory, known by our local dance community as SCC, the focus is on inspiration, healthy relationships, and personal development. And as part of our commitment to delivering an exceptional learning experience, SCC is very selective when it comes to hiring its faculty and staff. Everyone employed at SCC is passionate about teaching and dance, and most have advanced degrees and career certifications. Our current students and alumni have received a dance education of the highest caliber.

In light of what has transpired over the past year and a half during this pandemic, the teachers and staff at SCC have really stepped up and helped families on so many levels. They have continued to train their students and help them enjoy some normalcy during this crazy time. And although we have operated at a loss, we continue to persevere because we know and understand the importance of dance and how much it nourishes the soul and makes our students feel whole again. Our students come first and the faculty and staff are some of the most generous educators I know. My 4 children have grown up here and they have each benefitted, not just from the expertise of the SCC family, but from the love support inside our doors everyday.

Our faculty has changed through the decades but all of them have been wonderful mentors, trainers, coaches and even surrogate parents. Teaching dance and the performing arts is an honorable profession. Nothing compares to the life-long connection they have built with many, many students! And now, we look forward to bringing hope and joy with every step for the next 30 years.

We have always been focused on not just teaching kids dance steps, but also developing their strength, enhancing coordination and musicality, improving flexibility and balance, and giving our students the confidence to share and perform what they have learned. We know that dance may be what people see on the outside, but we see what it builds on the inside! It outweighs any step or dance routine.

Our program focuses on developing the whole person - their self esteem, problem solving skills, teamwork, self awareness, and the realization that hard work can not only be fun but it helps our students achieve results. Our motto is to create dancers that are strong, smart, and kind. And we want all of our dancers to have the strength to do great things.

Thank you to our amazing community for the honor of teaching your children and giving us the opportunity to CHANGE LIVES THROUGH DANCE!

Laguna Niguel, CA