Arts Inspired Dance Academy - Lillington
Dance & Arts · Listed
The AIDA Center for Creative Arts is Arts Inspired Dance Academy’s Lillington location, bringing quality arts education to more families in the Triangle area. It maintains AIDA’s core values of accessibility, affordability, and excellence while serving the Lillington community.
At our Lillington facility, students enjoy the same professionally structured curriculum that has made our Fuquay-Varina location successful. We offer a variety of weekly classes including dance fundamentals, creative movement, and introductory gymnastics, all taught by our team of safety-certified instructors who bring their expertise and nurturing approach to this additional location.
The AIDA Center for Creative Arts is the academy’s permanent downtown home in Lillington, after two years of bringing AIDA programs to the community. Classes are scheduled to accommodate busy family schedules, making quality arts education more accessible to Lillington residents who previously might have faced longer travel times to participate in comparable programs.
This expansion reflects AIDA’s broader mission of community engagement and outreach. By establishing a presence in Lillington, we’re able to participate more actively in local events, build new community partnerships, and provide performance opportunities specific to the Lillington area.
Families interested in our Lillington programs can expect the same attention to detail, supportive learning environment, and commitment to individual growth that define the AIDA experience, now available closer to home for Lillington and surrounding communities.
Meet Michelle Hankins
Michelle Hankins has over 30 years of award-winning experience in the cultural arts as a student, performer, educator and executive. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance and a BS in Child and Adolescent Development from UNC-Greensboro. Her mission to build strong dancers, strong citizens and strong communities is recognized throughout the community with programs that focus on often underserved populations such as seniors, foster children and those with minimal resources and access to the arts.
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In 2016, Arts Inspired was the recipient of the Arts and Humanities award from the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Association and in 2017 was recipient of the United Arts Council of Wake County Arts For Municipalities grant. In addition to her work in the community, Ms. Hankins has worked in both recreational and competitive fields of dance, gymnastics, music, and the creative arts. She has choreographed and produced two ballets, “The Littlest Angel” (2002), recipient of the United Arts Council Emerging Artist Award, and “The Toy Shoppe” (2016) along with numerous annual productions featuring students of all ages and abilities. While the accolades from a lifetime in the performing arts are a symbol of her personal and professional accomplishments, the real reward is the joy on the faces of her students and families as Arts Inspired Dance Academy and Inspired Kids offers students from expansive demographic backgrounds quality educational programming and makes a tremendous impact on the cultural enhancement of her growing community. In 2019 she completed training as a RhythmWorks Integrative Dance certification and she completes annual CEC credits in early childhood education.
In addition to her busy life impacting the community, Ms. Michelle is also the proud mom of two amazing boys, Camden, age 17and Dylan, age 15. She is also First Aid/CPR certified and is excited to share her passion for impacting communities, building strong dancers and strong citizens.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the Lillington location offer?
- The same professionally structured curriculum as the Fuquay-Varina academy, including dance fundamentals, creative movement and introductory gymnastics. Classes are taught by safety-certified instructors and scheduled around busy family routines.
- Where is the Lillington location?
- At the AIDA Center for Creative Arts, 29 W. Front Street, Lillington, NC 27546, in downtown Lillington.
- How does the Lillington location differ from Fuquay-Varina?
- It is the academy’s second location. After two years of bringing AIDA programs to Lillington, it now has a permanent downtown home, so families in Lillington and nearby communities do not have to travel as far for comparable programs. It keeps the same values of accessibility, affordability and excellence, and lets the academy take part in local events and performances specific to the Lillington area.
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