As co-owners of Tucson Dance Academy, Tom and Tammy Booth are well-schooled in the world of movement.
Yet one move they made this summer had the couple more excited than usual.
On Monday, the academy started classes at its new location, a former Shall We Dance ballroom studio at 2850 W. Ina Road.
The new locale is 8,300 square feet, a good 2,300 square feet larger than the academy's old home at 4241 W. Ina Road.
It has four studios, including one specifically for ballet and another nearly the size of the stage at Centennial Hall on the University of Arizona campus.
There are viewing windows so parents can watch their kids rehearsing from the lobby, a study room for students who have time to kill between classes, and a lounge area for families.
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The transition was a long time coming for the dance academy.
The Booths started the school after moving from the Phoenix area to Tucson five years ago.
Tammy is a lifelong dancer and gymnast. In 1975, she was the No. 1 gymnast in the country, and she was an alternate on the 1976 Olympic team.
She also has extensive experience in the entertainment industry, having spent time as a Rockette, as well as a stuntwoman and extra in several Hollywood films, including "Teen Wolf Too."
Before moving to Tucson, Tammy was the jazz dance instructor for two decades at the Tempe Dance Academy, owned by her mother, Wanda Manville.
The Tucson school has nearly 300 eager dancers and a staff of 15, teaching everything from tap to ballet, which is partly why the new facility was necessary, Tom said.
The Booths recruited a small army of dance moms and dads to help remodel the space over the summer.
A team of more than 20 spent days installing new flooring in the studios.
Another team traveled with Tom to Yuma to pick up a hardwood floor being offered by a gym on Facebook. "We had to pull it up ourselves," Tom said. "That was the hardest work I've ever done."
Ken Blanchard, a financial adviser and father of two students, Sara and Allison, came in a few times during construction to help lay the marley flooring and paint the walls.
"It is remarkable," he said of the space. "A first-class studio."
Now that the Booths have the room, their next goal is to increase the number of students.
They hope the family atmosphere of the Plaza Sonora Shopping Center, where the academy is located, will help with that.
The DeMont Family Swim School, a year-round swimming school for all ages, is right next door. That's in addition to a pizza place, a bicycle shop and a jiu-jitsu center that offers regular youth classes.
Emma Holland owns the children's resale clothing, accessories and furniture store Rock'n Babies, which also recently relocated to the center. She said parents from the dance academy already have stopped in to browse through her selection of used ballet outfits and tap shoes.
"It is like a kid corner," she said about the center. "I've already met such wonderful people."
"It is a very family-friendly environment," said Tom Booth. "We are creating a really neat space here in northwest Tucson. Hopefully we can all feed off of each other."
Family-Friendly corner
The Plaza Sonora Shopping Center, on the northeast corner of West Ina and North Shannon roads, has several shops that cater to families (and singles and couples, too, of course).
• Tucson Dance Academy, Suite 100; phone: 744-6882; URL: tucsondanceacademy.com
• The DeMont Family Swim School, Suite 130; phone: 877-7946; URL: demontswim.com
• Rock'n Babies, Suite 156; phone: 579-2300; URL: rocknbabiesresale.com
• Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizza, Suite 128; phone: 297-4425
• Oro Valley Bicycle, Suite 150; phone: 544-5999; URL: orovalleybicycle.com
• Daimyo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Suite 136; phone: 225-7855; URL: daimyobrazilianjiujitsu.com
A version of this article also was published Thursday in the Northwest Star. Contact reporter Gerald M. Gay at ggay@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.