A familiar name in Brighton’s dance community is preparing for a new chapter.
Premier Dance Brighton is becoming Lighthouse Dance Arts, with longtime teacher, former dancer and studio manager Liliana Reid taking over as owner and director.
Reid first became involved with the studio as a dancer before later returning as a teacher. She began managing the Brighton location after the COVID-19 pandemic and is now taking over as former owner Karen Bellier steps back from ownership of the Brighton studio.
For Reid, dancing means so much and she says she is very happy to be able to teach and provide the art of dancing to many enthusastic young people and adults.
Bellier will continue operating Premier Dance Cobourg, while the Brighton location becomes its own entity. But for Reid, she wanted to make sure she kept the lessons that Bellier tought her.
Reid says the decision to rebrand was partly about giving the Brighton studio its own identity and making it easier for people to distinguish between the two locations.
She says the Lighthouse Dance Arts name was inspired by Brighton itself.
The transition will include some renovations, including painting and changes to the studio space, but Reid says the goal is not to dramatically change what has already been built.
The staff will largely remain the same, and Bellier has also agreed to continue teaching at the Brighton studio on Wednesdays.
For Reid, who began dancing as a teenager and later became a teacher, taking ownership is also an opportunity to continue providing a creative space for people in the community.
Lighthouse Dance Arts is planning to begin classes on September 12th, with renovations expected to be completed ahead of the opening.
