From the time she was 10 years old, Diane Revie knew she was born to teach dance. 

“One day a little deaf girl came to the ballet studio where I was taking lessons,” recalled 80-year-old Revie. “My teacher asked me to help her with the steps. It was then that I knew I had a propensity for teaching.” 

At 15, Revie established Diane’s Dance Studio in her hometown of Bellflower, California, with help from her mother. Today, she proudly continues to nurture aspiring dancers at the Institute of Dancing Arts in the Redlands, which she’s owned and operated since 1998. 

Stepping into Revie’s dance studio at 2148 Broadway is like being transported to another world—one where grace, beauty and discipline abound. 

Diane Revie and her ballet students spanning all ages.

Clad elegantly in a long, tiered black skirt with a gray-blue velvet jacket, Revie’s dignified posture reflects her decades of ballet training. Her upswept brown hair is secured at the back of her head by a pair of bejeweled barrettes.

Nine female ballet students, spanning ages from 10 to their mid-20s, are dressed nearly identically in black leotards and short, fluttery skirts, with pale pink tights and ballet shoes. All have their hair pulled back into a bun. The sole male student, a pre-adolescent boy, wears a black leotard with a white T-shirt.

As Revie leads her students through the barre-work portion of the class, she seemingly glides across the studio floor, tapping out the rhythm of each exercise on her thigh, while keeping a watchful eye on her students and offering frequent, encouraging smiles. 

“Reach, two, three; reach, two, three; and turn to arabesque,” Revie’s soft, soothing voice floats rhythmically above the backdrop of classical piano music. Her students follow her instructions wordlessly. 

As the exercises become more challenging, facial expressions remain serene, but the intensifying exertion manifests in heavier breathing and flushed cheeks.

Revie’s focus is teaching proper technique, which allows the artistry of dance to fully shine. 

“It’s like building a house. You need to have a solid foundation in order to [properly] achieve the result,” she said.  

PERFORMING FOR PATRIOTS

Revie started taking ballet lessons at age 3. Over the years, she trained with some of ballet’s most esteemed instructors, including Tatiana Riabouchinska, a former member of the acclaimed Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and one of its revered “baby ballerinas.” 

The dedicated Revie drove 44 miles each way to Riabouchinska’s Beverly Hills studio to dance and occasionally fill in to teach. 

Diane Revie as a young dancer.

“There was so much traffic, I’d need to leave my house at six in the morning to make it to a 9 a.m. class,” she recalled. “But I loved going there, and [would often encounter] Hollywood stars like Paula Prentiss and Mitzi Gaynor.”

From age 10 to 18, Revie performed with a USO troupe that traveled within a 100-mile radius of Bellflower. 

“Some of the military bases would send a bus to come and pick us up,” she said. “There were about 10 of us. I danced, another girl did hula; we also had a singer and a couple of guitar players and a boy who played mind tricks on our audience. The military men loved all of it.”

Revie taught in California until her husband Tony retired, and they moved to Grand Junction in 1995.

“We used to camp in this area, and we always said that once he retired, we would build a house and move here,” said Revie. 

When Tony fell ill, she realized she needed a fulfilling activity to keep herself occupied. 

“It wasn’t really my plan to open up a studio,” she said.

When she heard about the space available in the old Safeway plaza, she seized the opportunity. Tragically, Tony died that same year.

BLOSSOMING THROUGH BALLET

“The thing I like most about teaching is being part of my students’ lives,” said Revie, who aims to be a positive influence and mentor.

Ballet teaches discipline and respect—virtues she strives to instill in all of our students early on. Many of her students have gone on to dance with major companies like the American Ballet Theater, the San Francisco Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. 

The value of community service was instilled in Revie from the time she began dancing. Currently, her studio hosts around 10 performances annually, including the HopeWest Holiday Show & Luncheon, a fundraiser held the weekend before Thanksgiving to benefit HopeWest Kids. 

“My first dance studio did nursing home and church performances, and I’ve continued that tradition throughout my 65 years of teaching,” said Revie. “It’s been my mission to make people happy through the art of dance.” 

The vast majority of dances presented by her students are choreographed by Revie herself. She’s also a talented seamstress. Adorning one end of the studio are racks of shimmering costumes and tutus in every color of the rainbow with even more behind the curtain—all of which she designed and stitched herself.

THE POWER OF DANCE

Revie emphasized the physical and mental benefits of dance, and how it’s personally helped her. 

“Because of dance, I have a strong core and strong legs,” she said.

Revie intends to continue teaching for as long as her health allows, but she’s already laying the groundwork for the eventual transition of her studio to her protégé, Abagail Steele, who has been under Revie’s tutelage since she was 5.

“She’s a wonderful teacher with lots of energy,” said Revie.

Revie teaches Broadway movement for adults and tap. She asserts that age should never be a barrier to lessons.

 In the meantime, Revie still teaches several classes a week: ballet and pointe technique, Broadway movement for adults and tap. She asserts that age should never be a barrier to lessons.

“I have one student in my adult tap class who’s 83 and another who’s 86,” she said.

Revie’s greatest joy is seeing her students benefit from the hard work and discipline required to succeed at dancing, particularly ballet. 

“It’s really exciting for me to help them grow and blossom, especially the children,” said Revie. “It’s like watching a rose bloom in slow motion.” 

To learn more about taking classes with Revie and Steele, call 801-310-1832.