You have friends at the Dancenter, you just don’t know them yet! The Dancers at Robert Thomas Dancenter come from varied backgrounds, in part due to our proximity to Iowa State University and its vast diversity of professors, staff, and students. The dancers speak fifteen different languages in addition to English. Your dancer will become friends with dancers from across the street and around the world.

To provide for this diversity we offer several dance styles and programs presented by experienced professionals specializing in each. The styles include: Pre-ballet, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Pointe, Hip-hop, Stretch, Irish, Competitive Dance, Contemporary, Lyrical, Acrobatics, Ballroom, Character, Middle Eastern, Arabic, Egyptian, East Indian, Break-dance, Yoga, Cardio Dance, Cheer Clinics and soon Ballet Folkloric and Flamenco. The Programs include Dancenter Dancer Company, Iowa Youth Ballet, and the Irish Performance Team. Individual workshops, intensives, and private training are periodically scheduled or available upon request.

Robert Thomas Dancenter Professionals will lovingly bring out the dancer in you or your child and provide the fundamentals needed for excellence. 

In the late Winter /Early Spring of 1978 , Robert and Miyoko traveled to Ames, Iowa from New York City in a recently purchased pre-owned sky blue Opel station wagon. They traveled with their two cats, a monkey and most of their personal belongings. After three decades in dance, half of that as profession dancers working in touring companies, Robert and Miyoko were ready to retire to Robert’s hometown.

Their goal was to create a dance environment were young people could enjoy the experience of learning the technical skills, presentation, and performance of dance in a professional setting much like the one Robert and Miyoko had been working in.

The environment created was the Robert Thomas Dancenter. Although there are many pages of stories of our experiences and those of the dancers along the way, we have never varied form that goal. Robert Thomas Dancenter has trained over 10,000 Iowa dancers of all ages and has recently celebrated a 40 year anniversary. Miyoko Kato Thomas was designated RT Dancenter Co-Founder and EmeritusDirector August 1, 2020.