Scholarships and national dance awards are keeping the folks at Le Moulin Rouge

de Danse pretty happy, and busy, these days.

The Washington dance studio owned and operated by Shannon Reising has announced that two scholarships are now in place, making the dream of dance lessons for aspiring young ballerinas a reality.

“One is sponsored by Janet and Charles Cox and that one is awarded to a current student, someone who is here and who is serious about dance as an art form and a profession,” Reising said.

The Coxes are former owners and founders of Le Moulin Rouge de Danse and the recipient of that scholarship has already been chosen.

However, the dance studio is still accepting applications for a scholarship to be awarded to a student who is at least three years of age and is no older than a fifth grade student.

“We’re trying to find someone who has either never taken dance before or who hasn’t taken lessons in at least two years,” Reising said. “It will pay for the first three months of lessons or half of a six-month term, and it’s geared toward a child who has financial difficulty in pursuing dance.”

Scholarship recipients will be kept confidential if the parents so request, Reising

added. The studio requests biographical information about the student, and either the parents or the child will be asked how they think dance lessons would be a benefit. Deadline for applying for the scholarship is July 30; for more information, visit www.washingtonperforming-arts.com.

The Le Moulin Rouge de Danse troupe is still on cloud nine after coming home with various awards earned during the Starland Productions national dance competition, held in late June in Morehead City. The five-member troupe earned a spot in the national event after wowing the judges in a qualifying round held in New Bern in March, according to Reising.

“We presented two group pieces, three solos and a duet,” Reising said.

One group piece, titled “All Fall Down,” helped the troupe earn a platinum award. The contemporary dance was choreographed to a song by the same name that was written by Janet and Charles Cox.

“It’s about the oak tree that used to be here at the studio and a hickory tree that Janet’s mom used to climb on the farm,” Reising said. “It’s about life and death; it’s very emotional and that was really a special moment for all of us.”

Current members of the dance troupe are Hope Stallings, Cassie Teixeira, Harley Clary, Skyelr Reising and A’Myah Sharpe.

The dancers brought home to Beaufort County several other awards for their group and individual efforts. Stallings, in fact, made history for the studio.

“Hope got diamond for her dance and that’s the highest ranking you can get,” Reising noted. “She is the first diamond we’ve gotten as a studio, and we’re so excited about that.”

And while the awards are nice, they aren’t a priority for the studio.

“We do more than teach technique here … it’s about being able to express yourself in a different way,” Reising said. “We view dance as a form of communication.”

Early registration for the new season of classes and for seventh grade ballroom instruction has begun, with the term set to kick off Sept. 6. Details are available on the studio’s website and Facebook page.