Extensions Dance Center:
A Home for Artists, A Foundation for Life
For 22 years, Extensions Dance Center has been an institution and a home for young artists—a place where dancers are encouraged to discover their individuality, foster their creativity, lead with integrity, and pursue their own unique paths.
At the heart of our mission is a belief that every dancer’s journey matters. That journey may lead to a professional career in dance, to continued study at a university or conservatory, or toward an entirely different future. Whatever that path may be, our responsibility as an arts institution extends far beyond teaching movement. We are here to guide our dancers and their families with knowledge, genuine care, love, mentorship, and an unwavering commitment to their growth.
Over the past 22 years, Lizzie MacKenzie, alongside the extraordinary faculty who have been part of the Extensions community, has personally coached, mentored, encouraged, and assisted countless young artists as they have navigated the next steps of their education and careers.
The impact of that mentorship can be seen throughout our alumni community. Without even consulting the prolific alumni wall that tells so much of our story, our Extensions family includes Juilliard graduates, USC graduates, Ailey/Fordham graduates, NYU graduates, Boston Conservatory graduates, University of Arizona graduates, Chapman University graduates and current dance majors, as well as alumni who have gone on to SUNY, PACE, Marymount, and countless other institutions. And those are only the names and accomplishments that immediately come to mind.
Just as meaningful are the numerous Extensions dancers who are now working successfully as professional artists throughout the country and beyond. What makes us especially proud is that these relationships do not end when a dancer walks out of our doors for the last time. So many of our alumni continue to maintain meaningful relationships with Lizzie, our faculty, and the Extensions community to this day.
Because we don’t believe our responsibility ends when a dancer graduates from our studio.
We believe we are invested in their journey for life.
The lessons we strive to instill at Extensions reach far beyond technique and performance. Our dancers learn leadership, confidence, discipline, time management, accountability, respect, communication, collaboration, resilience, and how to build and nurture meaningful relationships. They learn how to work hard, how to advocate for themselves, how to receive feedback, how to navigate challenges, and how to contribute to something larger than themselves. Most importantly, they learn that there is value in being uniquely themselves.
For families navigating the many decisions that come with a young dancer’s growth—whether that means pursuing dance at a higher level, preparing for college auditions, exploring a professional career, or simply determining what comes next—Extensions Dance Center is a place where they can find guidance, experience, honesty, and genuine support.
We know this journey because we have walked it alongside hundreds of dancers before them.
We will continue walking alongside our dancers—not simply until they leave our doors, but wherever their journey takes them afterward.
Extensions Dance Center is more than a dance studio. It is a community, a mentorship, a foundation, and a home for artists—one that believes in the potential of every dancer and remains invested in who they become long after the music stops.
Introducing the Extensions Dance Pre-Professional Mentorship Program
At Extension’s Dance Center, We have always believed that our responsibility to our dancers extends far beyond their time in our studios. From the moment a dancer walks through our doors, we are invested not only in the artist they are becoming, but in the person they will become—and in helping them discover where their unique talents, passions, and goals can take them.
For Lizzie MacKenzie, this has never been a new concept.
Since the day Extensions opened its doors, Lizzie has been mentoring dancers through the many decisions and transitions that come with pursuing a future in the arts. She has guided countless young artists through college auditions, conservatory applications, professional opportunities, career decisions, and the often overwhelming process of figuring out, “What comes next?”
Now, we are giving that longstanding commitment a name, a structure, and a defined place within the Extensions experience.
Introducing the “official” Pre-Professional Mentorship Program
Beginning in their junior year of high school, dancers who participate in our Pre-Professional Mentorship Program will have a dedicated team in their corner as they begin preparing for life beyond Extensions.
Led by Lizzie MacKenzie and Jackie Nowicki, this program will provide individualized mentorship and practical guidance as each dancer begins defining their own goals and exploring the possibilities ahead.
Together, Lizzie and Jackie bring decades of experience as professional artists, educators, choreographers, mentors, and advocates for young dancers. Their careers have taken them through diverse corners of the dance world—from performance and choreography to higher education, professional training, teaching, and artistic leadership. Just as importantly, they have built lasting relationships throughout the dance community and understand that there is no single path to a successful life in the arts.
Our goal is not to tell a dancer what their future should look like.
Our goal is to help each dancer discover the future that is right for them—and then give them the tools, knowledge, relationships, and support to pursue it with confidence.
What Does Mentorship Look Like?
The Pre-Professional Mentorship Program will include, but will not be limited to:
- One-on-one mentorship meetings to begin meaningful conversations about individual goals, interests, strengths, and aspirations.
Personalized guidance in identifying opportunities available to each dancer now that can help position them for future success.
Family meetings and parent/guardian guidance as families begin researching colleges, universities, conservatories, training programs, and other post-high-school pathways. - School and program research support, helping dancers and families understand the differences between programs and identify environments that align with their individual goals.
- Scholarship and financial-aid guidance, including resources and strategies for navigating the financial side of higher education and training.
- Application preparation and video recording sessions to help dancers present themselves professionally and authentically through audition and application materials.
- Resume development and guidance, including how to appropriately present training, performance experience, education, choreography, teaching, awards, and other accomplishments.
- Audition and application preparation, including guidance on what to expect, how to prepare, and how to confidently represent yourself. Professional development and industry insight, helping dancers understand the expectations and realities of pursuing a professional career.
- Continued mentorship and support as dancers navigate the decisions, challenges, opportunities, and transitions that come with their next chapter.
And perhaps most importantly, this program provides something that cannot be found on a college website or in an application handbook: People who know you.
People who have watched you grow.
People who understand your strengths, recognize your potential, know where you still have room to grow, and genuinely care about what happens next.
Your Extensions Team Doesn’t End at Graduation.
We want every dancer and family who becomes part of Extensions to know that they have a team beside them.
- A team with experience.
- A team with knowledge.
- A team with relationships throughout the dance and higher-education communities.
- A team that will celebrate their successes, help them navigate their challenges, answer the questions they don’t know how to ask, and advocate for them as they find their way forward.
Because at Extensions, we don’t believe that our job is finished when a dancer leaves our studio.
That is simply the beginning of a new chapter.
Our Pre-Professional Mentorship Program formalizes something that has been setting Extensions apart for 22 years: our commitment to knowing our dancers, understanding their individual journeys, and supporting them long after they leave our doors.
Every dancer’s future will look different.
Some will pursue professional careers in dance. Some will continue their education at universities and conservatories. Some will discover entirely new passions and paths. And some will find a way to weave dance into a life that looks nothing like what they initially imagined.
All of those journeys are worthy.
Our mission is to help them find theirs.
And wherever that journey leads, Extensions will be cheering them on—and, whenever they need us, walking beside them.
Contact Us
Interested in taking classes at Extensions Dance Center? Contact us here for more information about a trial class, our youth training program or any of our youth companies.
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