For thirty years, Encore Performers has been Northern Virginia's home for theatrical dance training, artistic integrity, and a family-first community that lasts generations.
Encore Performers was founded in 1996 to bring true artistry back to dance.
Encore Performers was founded in 1996 by Raynor van der Merwe, a professional dancer and ISTD-certified educator who left performing to build something that did not yet exist in Northern Virginia: a studio focused on true artistry, technical excellence, and training dancers the right way, for the right reasons.
When the studio Encore was subletting space from unexpectedly closed its doors, 45 loyal families rallied around Raynor in the parking lot. They moved into a warehouse with no mirrors or bathrooms and stayed anyway, because they believed in her promise:
Trust us with your child, and we will train them to be the best dancer, and human they can be.
Graduates featured on Broadway (including Hamilton), Radio City Rockettes, National Tours, Disney Theatricals, and NYC faculty.
ETAP company performance tours spanning China, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, South Africa, and Ireland.
Hosted with Broadway legends, including Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton choreographer) and other top musical theatre dance teachers and choreographers.
Continuous, owner-led artistic excellence in Chantilly, VA since 1996.
Thirty years later, that warehouse studio has evolved into Northern Virginia's definitive home for Musical Theatre-style Jazz, Tap, and comprehensive dance training. Our alumni have gone on to Broadway, the Radio City Rockettes, National Tours, and faculty positions at Pace University and Steps on Broadway.
Yet our core mission remains unchanged. We don't train kids to beat the studio across town, we train them to elevate the stage they are on, support those around them, and move through life with poise and confidence.
One promise, made in a parking lot in 1996, still directs every class we teach.
To use world-class theatrical dance training to build confident, kind, capable humans — dancers with the technique to stand out and the character to lift everyone around them.
Every class, every correction, and every curtain call serves the whole person.
A generation of performers who prove that excellence and kindness belong on the same stage — carrying Encore artistry from Chantilly to Broadway and every stage in between.
Thirty years in, the vision is unchanged: train dancers who elevate the stage they are on, wherever that stage may be.
Our core tenets are the daily standard in every classroom, combination, and curtain call.
Confidence is built through effort, discipline, and seeing commitments through. We use rigorous dance training to teach resilience, accountability, and self-belief that serve our students long after the music stops.
We cultivate a warm, family-first environment where every student is known by name. Discipline is always paired with encouragement, ensuring dancers feel safe to take creative risks and grow.
Dance is an art form to be experienced, not a sport to be scored on a rubric. We prioritize musicality, technical excellence, and storytelling over point systems and competition trophies.
Trained on the world's biggest stages, dedicated to your child's personal spotlight. Our faculty members are working professionals, master educators, and nurturing mentors who bring decades of Broadway, concert, and collegiate experience directly to the studio floor.
Studio Founder & Artistic Director (Jazz, Tap, ETAP)
ISTD-certified master educator leading Encore's artistic standard and ETAP performance company since 1996.
Read Raynor's story
Tap, Hip Hop & Contemporary Faculty
Ballet, Contemporary & Jazz Faculty
Jazz, Tap, Broadway Bound & Team Faculty
Ballroom Faculty
Jazz, Tap, Contemporary & Team Faculty
Ballet Faculty
Hip Hop, Jazz & Team Faculty
Vocal Teacher
Acting & Drama Faculty
Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz & Tap Faculty
Contemporary Faculty
Jazz, Tap, Ballet & Team Faculty
Ballet Faculty
The moment your child walks in, they will feel it, this is a place to belong, grow, and become who they are meant to be.
Book Your Free Trial Class
