Highly recommended to all parents! My husband and I were looking for a dance school in Queens for our young daughter, a search on the internet turned up Wild Heart Performing Arts. We were searching for a dance school that focused on the teaching of dance instead of training for dance competitions and shows. The path we wanted to find for our daughter was one where she could learn and grow as a dancer. This school is exactly what we were hoping to find. Owner and director Suzana Stankovic prioritizes quality and safety. It was important for us to find a school that took an authentic and wholehearted approach to dance while still being accessible and welcoming. It also had to be in Queens! It was the most pleasant surprise when we found Wild Heart's website. For starters the name of the school spoke to the personality of our little one who is indeed wild at heart! And I was really encouraged by their mission statement that speaks of focusing on the whole child, in a positive and healthy environment and promotes real learning and growth with correct instruction and patience. It described exactly what we had been looking for! And it was in Queens! Exceptionally located in Astoria right off the R and M train stop on Steinway St. The school was recently launching its youth program and I was very excited to go and see this dance studio which sounded amazing on their website. I am so pleased with what we have found at Wild Heart! The studio is on a third floor, the stairs up can seem a bit daunting but totally worth it when you come in to the full wall of windows that make the space feel very creatively inviting especially when it's sunny out. It has shock-absorbent floors, floor to ceiling mirrors, and portable full ballet barres making it a proper dance studio. Which might feel intimidating except for the warm and friendly teachers! Suzana is incredibly openhearted and passionate about her school. She really made us feel welcomed and safe. It is important to us that this is a positive experience for our daughter. We want her to learn correctly but not at the expense of the power of nurture. And that's what we have found with her ballet teacher Ms. Bridget. Our daughter loves her! She loves coming to class twice a week and has had impressive growth since she started in September. Small class sizes give the opportunity for each dancer to receive attention and not get lost as just another paying student. It is a classical ballet class with much time spent at the barre. And our daughter loves it! Ms. Bridget's expert and kind guidance has really made learning these precise ballet techniques fun and challenging for our seven-year-old. I am so very excited for her to start her second semester. I highly recommend this school to parents! Let your little dancer grow and thrive at Wild Heart Performing Arts! read more

I would certainly fully recommend Wild Heart Performing Arts Studio! It is a very inspiring, welcoming environment, with highly talented professional dancers, artists, teachers who love what they do and make you love it too. I am personally new to any kind of dancing, although we all experience dancing and desire for it in our life. I just started with ballet and jazz dance classes. In class, you can find a mixture of students, some are truly beginners as myself, others are professional dancers who find Wild Heart Performing Arts Studio instrumental to maintain the correctness of their poses, refine their technique, or practice dancing again after some time of rest. Although for beginners movements will not come immediately natural, certainly in this studio it will become natural from the beginning the desire for you to learn, follow teachers in their steps, find joy in discovering all challenges and efforts that are behind magical movements and choreography that we all perhaps love seeing at performances when dancers flight over music written by great composers with the ease of angels. Yes, next time you go to Lincoln Center you will appreciate the performance much better, for you would know how all that beauty, apparently effortless, requires much effort and perseverance. Give yourself the opportunity for art enter your life. Dance is certainly one of the most sublime art expression... the art of elegant, inspiring, talkative movements, regardless it is ballet, jazz or modern dance. Here at Wild Heart Performing Arts Studio you will find talented artists who underwent rigorous training to become exquisite dancers. They are apostles of beauty, talent, commitment, diligence, impeccable technique, compassion, courageous and contagious joy, and they shine when they perform teaching, like stars that twinkle in the night to indicate to others the way to go. I would certainly heartfelt recommend Wild Heart Performing Arts Studio to learn dance with wonderful dancers, artists, teachers. Gianna read more

Wild Heart Performing Arts Studio is the greatest addition to the Astoria neighborhood. As an Astoria native I have seen studios come and go, but very few have offered standard, high-quality adult classes. As a professional track dance major in college I am always looking to strengthen and refine my technique even outside of school, but studios in Manhattan are way too expensive for the quality of dance you're being given. There is no sense of intimacy because of the large class size and usually teachers do not make an effort to hear your questions or give you proper corrections. Unlike that environment, Suzana the director of WHPAS provides world class training and makes sure that all her dancers feel comfortable and supported to express themselves through this amazing practice. I have known Suzana for some time now as she used to teach me when I was younger. She is one of the kindest people I know and I can truly say she has become one of my biggest inspirations as a dancer, artist, woman, and friend. There is never a dull moment in her classes as she is always integrating new ways to approach movement. Suzana also puts in tremendous effort to her business by keeping the space clean, hiring proper staff, and always keeping her dancers updated about news/promotions. The mix of being a dancer, new mother, and business owner sounds terribly stressful, yet Suzana makes it look easy and handles it all with control. I have become a regular in the Tuesday and Thursday night Intermediate Ballet class. This is a class that is always modified for your personal level and always leaves me sweating and feeling grounded. Following this class is Beginner Pointe. As any dancer knows taking a break from pointe and then returning is challenging and at times discouraging. Suzana made this process work for me, always pushing me in a safe, effective way. Truly blessed to be apart of this space with such talented, beautiful people! read more

Suzana is an amazing and inspiring teacher and so I am very excited that she will now be starting her own studio, Wild Heart Performing Arts Studio. I have only known Suzana for short time but in that time,she has had a significant impact on me as a dancer and as a person. For someone who loves to dance but was never formally trained, I was a bit shy to take open dance classes as an adult. Ballet was the genre that scared me the most because, although I loved it in all of its ethereal beauty and wanted to dance it so badly, I had absolutely no flexibility, poor turnout, and had no knowledge of the ballet vocabulary. My experience in adult beginner ballet classes did not help me gain much confidence as I found a lot of the teachers were condescending if you hadn't trained as a child - even if it was beginner level ballet! I was going to give up on my ballet dreams but then I took Suzana's class. Suzana is an incredible teacher and a beautiful dancer who inspires her students through both her movement and words. She holds no judgement of those who take her class, regardless of whether you are a seasoned dancer or just putting on ballet slippers for the first time, she treats each of us with such care and attention to detail that it can feel like she is training you for the Royal Ballet Suzana's love for ballet is apparent in the joy she exudes in both her dancing and teaching. She sees beauty in each of her students through their individuality and she teaches us how to bring that out in our dance. Suzana made me believe in myself as a dancer and with her training, I have improved tremendously. Nowhere else will you find an environment that is as creative, introspective, serene, challenging, beautiful, embracing, and fun as the one that Suzana creates in her class and I cannot wait to see the wonderful world she creates for her dancers and the audience at Wild Heart! read more

Suzana is an amazing world-class ballet instructor and I highly recommend taking her classes at Wild Heart! She teaches classes at different levels, which suit a wide range of students from first-timers or beginners to experienced dancers of all ages. Suzana exercises a holistic teaching style and offers her students a supportive and safe environment in which to learn. During her classes, she is diligent about teaching strong Vaganova technique combined with beautiful artistry and expression. She thoughtfully guides students through fun and challenging exercises and choreography that help to improve strength, alignment, balance, flexibility, stamina and memory over time. Suzana is particularly skilled at providing clear instructions that are easy to understand and offering feedback that help her students to improve further. She is also always warm, friendly, empathetic and encouraging. There is a meditative quality to her approach where she coaches her students on the importance of taking care of oneself, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally (e.g., learning to let go of anxiety/stress, don't beat yourself up, be kind to yourself, etc.) -- which is both uplifting and helpful for getting into the optimal "headspace" to perform at one's personal best. Based on a friend's recommendation, I started taking Suzana's technique and pointe classes 5 months ago, 2x per week. In this short time, I have felt myself improve across multiple dimensions, including getting stronger. Suzana is one of those rare teachers whose deep passion for ballet and teaching inspires her students to work harder to reach their greatest potential. She also possesses a fabulous sense of humor, which makes her classes even more fun - constantly filled with light, happiness and laughter! I always look forward to taking ballet with Suzana! - Anna N. read more

I love this studio! I'm so happy I tried the Groupon deal earlier this year because I've been coming here ever since. Suzana is a really warm, encouraging, and inspiring instructor. She takes the time to learn about her dancers, and makes the class feel like a safe space to really challenge yourself. I take the Advanced Beginner-Intermediate Ballet class that she teaches on Tuesdays and Thursdays which is a very challenging and dynamic class that builds on itself every week. Suzana does a great job incorporating stories from her own dance experience to inspire us, as well as giving her students the opportunity to pick up advanced steps that we may not have had the opportunity to perfect in earlier years of training. After having quit dance for several years in college, her class has helped me redevelop strength and confidence, and grow significantly as a dancer. I believe Suzana was trained in the Vaganova method, because she talks a lot about performance quality during class, and consistently reminds us to add power and expressiveness to our movements. The studio is very conveniently located next to the Steinway Street (M,R) station (literally 20 feet away from one of the exits) so I would definitely give this studio a shot if you're a short train ride away. I have also tried Bridget Cronin's Modern Dance which is a really great Beginner-Intermediate class that draws a lot from Paul Taylor style exercises that she adapts based on the level of the students. I would highly recommend her class if you're new to modern dance or even if you're an experienced dancer. read more

Twice a week -- or as much as I can -- this 50-something working mother of 2 throws off her day job and transforms herself into a ballerina at Wild Heart. I may not look like Misty Copeland, but I certainly feel like her here. Wild Heart is -- all at once-- inspirational, relaxing and very hard work. I LOVE going to dance class! I HATE the gym. For the first time, I recently began to take jazz class too. I can't wait for my jazz class with Lauren and Bridget each week. They both follow the philosophy of Wild Heart--let go, enjoy yourself and Work It GIRL (or BOY)! This studio understands that dance is something with a spiritual side -- it feeds your soul. If you don't get the steps quite right or you don't have your legs straight on that one move, don't worry. There is ZERO judgment here ... so you might catch me looking extra silly moving my booty to "All that Jazz." Suzana, the owner and ballet teacher, exudes warmth, compassion and kindness. She is genuinely interested in you as a human being. To me, her bottom line is: she is delighted that you are dancing. Why? Because SHE loves it so much. She is determined to ensure that your experience is a positive one. But watch out, she is fierce. She will make sure you grow stronger and better with every class. I am not much of a dancer. I started as an adult. But it has become my respite, my workout, my sanctuary. And for that, I am grateful. read more

If you're looking for adult dance classes that compete with the ones you can find in the city, look no further than this place. A fantastic and clean studio space that provides amazing dance classes, Suzana herself is both the owner of the studio and the ballet teacher. Her instruction is amazing. No matter how crowded the class gets, she always has her eye on you and keeps track of how you're doing. She's upbeat, highly personable, and her teaching style is one of encouragement and positivity. She remembers your progress, she structures and changes each class to suit everyone's needs and give them a workout while still sticking tightly to proper technique and alignment. She is absolutely a no bullshit teacher when it comes to technique. You won't ever leave her class without having learned something and taking one step closer to becoming a better dancer. And all the other teachers that work with her are equally sharp about technique while still making sure you have a good time and an even better workout. Lauren's BodyART class is particularly one you shouldn't miss, especially since the only other place to find it in the city is at BDC. Absolutely a must go-to place. Especially now that it's in its startup phase and classes are relatively small. That definitely will change very soon. read more

There's a treasure waiting for you at Wildheart Performing Arts Studio. Bridget Cronin, a most remarkable Paul Taylor scholarship dancer, is there offering gems from the choreographer's oeuvre and in a manner which is accessible to dancers at all levels. Hers are the only Taylor classes in Queens. Since she started teaching I have been taking a weekly class with her and have enjoyed every minute of them. Mr. Taylor, one of the great icons of the modern dance world has passed away. His body of work can be seen in the yearly performances of his company at Lincoln Center and if you take Ms. Cronin's classes you can have a firsthand experience of the choreographer's unique contribution to American Modern Dance. Having seen his company in performance over many years having the opportunity to take these classes has been challenging and especially gratifying to me. Bridget is an outstanding dancer and teacher who precisely and clearly explains and executes movements. She has an abundance of patience and appreciation of her students' efforts. All in all her classes are a great pleasure to take. From week to week there is always more to learn as one delves deeper into the Taylor style with Ms. Cronin at the helm. read more

Suzana Stankovic teaches the art of classical ballet and inspires dancers to embrace their own artistry and inner passion. Classes offer formal dance training in the richness and beauty of classical form and technique while integrating joyful and uplifting choreography that prepares you to be a strong and versatile dancer. Classes are challenging, fun, and results-based; you will see/feel yourself transform into a graceful dancer with stamina, mental agility, flexibility, and a growing passion for this beautiful art form while adding more confidence and happiness to your life! Taking class here has been incredibly life-improving for me. Suzana's dynamic and well-rounded method of teaching makes me feel like I am more than just a student learning ballet...I feel like a self-empowered dance artist who determines my own progress, creativity, and uniqueness. The studio is bright and modern and has an intimate vibe with other dedicated dancers who want to improve their technique and grow as a dancer/person. There are classes for everyone. I would highly recommend this dance studio if you want to take your dance training to the next level or if you just want to experience a more artistic and meaningful exercise routine. read more

My daughter relishes going to ballet twice a week at Wild Heart and I believe this is the best studio in the area. The attention to detail in terms of technique, which is above all most important is outstanding! Her teacher Bridget is very focused and thoughtful. I have seen my daughter grow so much in the past two years. This studio is a dedicated place to inspire the most beautiful dance form ballet! It is a true dance education not frills. If your looking for a studio that is isinspired by the renowned vagavana method, then look no further than Wild Heart! In addition to children's clssses I can tell you that the adult ballet classes are consistently challenging, yet attainable and beautiful at the same time. After your busy day at work you can imerse yourself into the amazing artform of ballet, which is such an incredible athletic endeavor filled with inspiring possibilities! Even if your a beginner that just loves the idea of ballet, that is enough to get you started! Look no further your new passion has arrived! I love this studio and all it has to offer. It is truly is a boutique studio with a holistic vibe for children and adults! read more

I love this dance studio. Suzana is incredible! I have loved all the teachers I have had here. The environment at this dance studio caters to making people comfortable while dreaming big to excel in each individual class. I feel that with my personal learning style I received a lot of helpful feedback while getting to try new and exciting things in a comfortable controlled class setting. I love taking the begging ballet. I took a few modern dance which was also amazing! But am finding my favorite classes currently are the ballet. I did not have all the necessary things to start dancing ballet, as I showed up in my socks and found that I was still able to learn and participate. I am in love with these classes though, and will be getting ballet slippers soon. :) I highly reccomend this place for growing as a dancer and getting more dance experience. The teachers are all positive and amazing. This is the type of place where what you put in will come back to you ten fold. Thanks Suzana! read more

Suzana is an extraordinary teacher I can't say enough good things but to say a little about my experience this is it: Suzana respects the individual and creates an environment that promotes self expression and encourages personal exploration, you are free to be You in her class. Her class is not a typical ballet class it is an Experience. She projects her voice like a theatre person so you can hear her no matter where you are in class. She continuously demonstrates combinations throughout class which is very helpful for beginners. A lot of people are attracted to this class as a respite from the typical ballet class environment beginners and pros alike. I absolutely love her class as a returning adult to beginner ballet. She is genuine funny and caring. Her musical offering is inspirational. She is inspirational. Best ballet class I've ever had plus an intense workout. You work here she's passionate and it is catchy. read more

I cannot say enough about how much I love this studio! You can tell that Suzana put her heart and soul into this studio and her passion clearly shines through in every aspect. This studio has such a cozy, intimate feeling which I feel like is hard to find in NYC. Dancers, do yourself a favor and take a break from the big commercial studios and go take class here! I especially love Lauren Blue's Friday night classes. She is a wonderful instructor who cares about each and every person who takes her class. She pushes you out of your comfort zone, but in a way that is powerful, focused, and passionate. You will leave her class feeling more in tune with yourself and wanting more. She truly is such a gem! read more

Wild Heart is a brand-new dance and performing arts studio in Astoria. I have had the pleasure of studying ballet with Suzana for four years, and she has now opened her own beautiful studio. Suzana is an inspiring instructor who truly cares about each student's individual progress. She also makes every student feel welcome no matter what their level of dance experience (I started with zero ballet experience and never once felt uncomfortable). The studio also offers classes in other styles of dance and performing arts (though I have only taken the ballet classes so that is what I'm able to comment on). So excited to now have the option of taking classes in Astoria! read more

Suzana is one of the most dedicated teachers I have ever met! She is a dance teacher but also a life teacher. When I first met her, I felt like she looks right into you but she does not judge. She listens to what you have to say. She is one of these people who would have made a great lawyer fighting for justice and fairness in the world!! Every class and every student is taken seriously and that doesn't mean you won't get your fair share of fun. Quite the opposite, she doesn't take herself too seriously and teaches you to love yourself and laugh about yourself at the same time. She has a very strong and kind heart and yes, a wild one too! read more

I honestly can't say enough about how amazing Wild Heart has been for our daughter (she's 8 years old, and takes Jazz, Modern & Classical Ballet there). In just a matter of months, we were blown away with the progress we saw our daughter making under Suzana & Bridget's amazing guidance! Miss Bridget is unbelievably sweet, detail oriented, hands on and attentive with all of her classes! This studio finds the ideal balance between serious training/technique and still keeping things fun, nurturing, light and playful. SO incredibly grateful to have found this new home for our daughter to grown and learn the true art of dance! read more

Suzana is one of the most inspiring dance teachers I have ever trained with. She is beautiful inside and out. Her spirit truly exudes confidence and allows you to be yourself and be fearless in any environment. She is the reason I pursued my dance career and never gave up even in during the hardest time. I am thankful for her guidance, I strongly encourage everyone take class with her. It is life changing. Thank you Suzana I am forever grateful for the tools you have given me, not just in dance but, in life. read more

I found Suzana after dancing in NYC on and off for 10 years. Suzana is an amazing ballet teacher. She's very musical and her classes are both challenging and thrilling. I only wish I'd had her has a teacher when I was younger, but it's great she now has her own studio and can bring other dance styles to her students. The studio is intimate, and you get a lot of personal attention and feedback that really helps you improve. I hope others discover this studio and find a class or classes that work for them! read more