Dance It Forward

Background Statement

In 1971, Shana Garling opened a small ballet school in Mount Wolf, Shana's School of Ballet. Known for her gift in nurturing young children, Shana became a respected early childhood dance educator who understood how to make movement joyful, creative, and developmentally meaningful for a child’s first dance experience. With a powerful dream: to inspire the heart, mind, soul, and spirit through dance, now more than five decades later, that dream continues to flourish through three generations of women who transformed one family’s passion into one of the region’s most respected dance institutions. We can't talk about Shana and the Mount Wolf beginnings without. mentioning, her husband, Jerry AKA "Mr. Shana". He added a lot of love and family joy along with undeniable dedication to the tiny dancing school.

What began as a neighborhood studio has grown into Dance It Forward — a premier nonprofit arts organization and proud mission partner of the Cultural Alliance of York County supported by PA Creative Industries & the Powder Mill Foundation.

Today, students ages 18 months through adult experience multiple dance styles— all within a welcoming environment where artistry, confidence, and character grow together.

In 1982 when she was Miss York County, Lori Garling, founded the Greater York Youth Ballet to provide elite-level training for serious dancers. As York County’s first regional youth ballet company, it quickly earned distinction, receiving Honor Status through Regional Dance America.

The company became known for artistic excellence, discipline, and innovation, representing dancers from numerous school districts while uniting the community through the performing arts. Under Lori’s leadership with Melinda Fritz as a dedicated Executive Director, the organization received many honors, including a Key to the City of York for outstanding community service in the arts and a grant to produce the The Hip Nut. For decades, Dance It Forward dancers have performed across the United States at celebrated venues including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Hersheypark, Lincoln Center, Whitaker Center, and the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Each December since 1999, the beloved Nutcracker Ballet tradition returns to the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, bringing families together through timeless storytelling and the magic of dance. Spring showcases and end-of-season productions celebrate the creativity, growth, and joy of every student. At Dance It Forward, we believe dance should be for everyone - with no limits based on age, experience or ability to pay. Our mission is to make exceptional dance experiences for every member of our community. We believe that "you've got one life, dance it"! From grandmother to mother to daughter — Shana, Lori & Pastelle — with a lifelong best friend, Mindy by their side — this organization has become so much more than a dance studio. It is a living legacy built on love, excellence, friendship, and service.

Since 1971, hundreds of extraordinary people have helped shape Dance It Forward into what it is today. What began as a studio has grown into something even greater: a true community.

We are deeply grateful that generations of dancers have discovered confidence, discipline, friendship, and joy within these walls. And as each new season begins and new dancers step through our doors, one truth continues to shine: The future of dance is here.