The Wake Forest Academy of Fine Arts is dedicated to offering a curriculum of Performing and Creative Art study in a fun and exciting atmosphere. Great care and individual attention is given to nurture the ability of each student. The Academy offers a staff that is both college and professionally trained in each instructor’s area of expertise. Emphasis is placed on proper technique and professionalism. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to check out what is happening in the studio!

About Our Academy

The Wake Forest Academy of Fine Arts was started in 1991 on South White Street in down town Wake Forest. After being down town for 12 years, the studio has since moved to a newer facility on Durham Road. Aimee Sellars and Alicia Rothman are now the Artistic Directors after the retirement of long-time director, Mary Taylor Land, at the end of the 2018-2019 season. Aimee has been with the Academy since 2008, and in 2013 became Co-Owner and Assistant Director. Alicia had been an instructor with the Academy for 15 years before becoming Co-Director in 2019. The Wake Forest Academy is proud to be one of the premiere dance studios for dancers in the North Raleigh, Wake Forest, and Youngsville area! We are your professional source for dance education.

Mission
The Wake Forest Academy of Fine Arts is dedicated to offering a technical curriculum in the performing arts while maintaining a fun and exciting atmosphere. Each student’s growth and development at every age and level is important to us. We strive to offer opportunities to dancers of all ages and skill levels. 

 The Academy places great importance on hiring staff that is highly qualified through college, professional, or personal experience in his or her area of expertise. 

Our Facility
The Academy is a 5,000 sqft top of the line studio! There are 5 dance studios within our facility. Each studio has floor to ceiling mirrors and sprung floors covered in Harlequin vinyl marley. Sprung flooring helps to protect our dancers while dancing. The sprung floors act as shock absorbers when dancers jump and dance across the floor. The advanced flooring helps to prevent injuries and enhances the dancers performance!  Our studios are equipped with JVL audio systems for great music in every class. Each studio is also fitted with a camera that live-streams the class onto a television in our lobby. The Academy has 4 bathrooms as well as 2 dressing rooms for our dancers and parents!

Wake Forest Academy of Fine Arts offers professional instruction in the following dance categories: Click the genre for more info!

• Combo and Preschool

• Ballet

• Jazz

• Tap

Recital

Our year-end performance is set for May 9th and 10th, 2025 at Louisburg College. It is an exciting themed showcase of our technique and competition dances! Performance is part of learning and all Academy dancers must participate.

There is an annual recital fee of $80 ($20/additional child) due with April tuition. The recital fee is used to rent the auditorium for performance and rehearsal, hire a stage manager, pay staff, and rent a backdrop.. You will receive 2 tickets to each show in which your dancer performs, a digital download of the show, and a souvenir program.

Competition Teams

Here at the Academy we have 9 award winning competition teams. We have 5 groups that are a part of our “Company”. Company dancers compete at a recreational or intermediate level of competition and are grouped by grade level. Dancers are invited by their teachers to be a part of the team based on their work ethic, potential, and skill level. These dancers dance a minimum of 3 hours per week for technique and rehearsal. They attend 3 regional competitions every season. We also offer an advanced competitive team, “Ensemble”. These dancers train a minimum of 9 hours each week. They attend up to 5 regional competitions/conventions. Our competition dancers are also given the opportunity to train with guest instructors who are considered masters in the industry. These guests are brought into our studio, or we will travel to train with them at various dance conventions, Broadway Dance Center, or Steps on Broadway in NYC.

2024-2025 Ensemble Auditions: June 8th and 9th. email: info.wfafa@gmail.com for more information.

Guest Instructors and Choreographers

Dress Code

The Wake Forest Academy of Fine Arts is a uniform studio. All dancers will receive a leotard to wear to class with their paid registration.

preballet

Preballet dancers will wear a studio issued lavender leotard with pink tights and Revolution pink canvas ballet shoes. Dancers may purchase a ballet skirt or tutu through the academy to wear with the leotard and tights if they choose.

Ballet/Tap, Ballet/Jazz, Ballet/Tap/Jazz, Dance/tumble, Fairytale Ballet

Dancers in these combo classes will wear a studio issued black leotard with pink or tan tights or black leggings. Ballet skirts may be purchased through the academy if you would like. Dancers will wear Revolution pink canvas ballet shoes and Revolution u-shell dark tan tap shoes. Jazz shoes are not worn at these levels. Hair should be pulled away from the face.

Leveled Ballet Classes

Female ballet dancers may wear any studio issued leotard with pink tights and pink ballet shoes. Ballet skirts or black lycra shorts may be worn with the leotard and tights. Dancers in level 4 or higher may wear ANY black or purple leotard. All dancers must have hair pulled back in a pony tail or bun. Buns are required for level 3 and up. Male dancers should wear black tights or shorts with a solid color black or white T-shirt and black ballet shoes.

Leveled jazz/tap/lyrical/acro classes

Female dancers may wear any studio issued leotard. Leotards can be worn with tights, leggings or lycra shorts (black, purple, gray). Close fitting tank tops (black, purple, gray, white) may also be worn. Jazz dancers will wear Revolution brand tan jazz shoes. Tap dancers will wear Revolution brand black full sole lace up tap shoes. Lyrical and acro dancers will be barefoot. Hair must be pulled up away from the face in a pony tail or bun. Male dancers should wear leggings, tights or shorts (black, purple, gray, white) with solid color close fitting T-shirt or tank top (black, purple, gray, white).

HIP HOP CLASSES, Musical Theater

Hip Hop dancers and Musical Theater students may wear any comfortable clothing including shorts, T-shirts, tank tops, sweat pants, hoodies, and leggings. Dancers must wear non-marking clean sneakers.