For 75 years the Hannah Kroner School of Dance has been educating Long Islanders in dance at the highest level.
“It’s been rewarding for sure,” said co-owner Danielle Kenouryiakis. “It’s been amazing working with the students and even seeing former ones who are bringing their grandchildren to the school.”
The dance school at 872 Willis Avenue in Albertson will be celebrating its 75th anniversary on Oct. 15 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and featuring musical demonstrations and remarks from Hannah Kroner’s daughter, Evelyn Summer.
Co-owners Kenouryiakis and Paige Ketsoglou took over the school from previous owner Carol Riley in 2020. Riley had been the owner for 38 years at the time.
The two are former students at Hannah Kroner, with Ketsoglou starting there when she was 2 years old.
Along with being a teacher at Kroner, Ketsoglou has also taught at a number of other dance studios in the area, including Broadway Dance Center in New York City and founded the Kardia Dance Company. She has a degree in dance from Long Island University Post. Kestoglou has also performed as a backup dancer to singers and an ice girl for the New York Islanders.
Kenouryiakis studied at the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City and has a bachelor’s in Drama, Theater and Dance from Queens College. She has performed with Awakenings Theater Dance Troupe and has done choreography for off-off Broadway musicals. She has also performed in different regional theater groups and has credits as a choreographer for an off-off-Broadway original musical.
The school was originally founded by Hannah Kroner in Queens and has been in Albertson for over 44 years.
“We’ve loved what we’ve grown up with and not much has changed since,” said Kenouryiakis.
“We loved everything that we grew up with and everything that Hannah and Carol instilled in us,” Ketsoglou said. “We still try and keep all the traditions and everything the same.”
The school relocated to its current location after it opened up following a brief shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Willis Avenue location is a few blocks down from its previous Albertson location, which it occupied for 24 years.
Students at Hannah Kroner range from 2 years old to their 70s and 80s for the school’s pilates classes. Within the school’s classes, there are recreational lessons for all and an award-winning competition team for ages 18 in genres such as ballet, pointe, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, modern and many more.
Additionally, the school offers lessons for students with special needs in tap and ballet.
More information on the school can be found on their website.
