It may seem a little I unusual that a full-time attorney who loves dance would also make the time and commitment to open her own dance studio. But J. Regan Wilson, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for Prince William County, is a focused, organized, and energetic person who pursues both interests with great dedication.

A native of Syracuse, NY, she started dancing
when she was six, taught dance during high school, and took an interest in law as part of her high school's mock trial team. She worked in a law office while attending SUNY (State University of New York), also keeping up her dance studies, performing, and teaching. After a year at Albany Law School in New York, Regan transferred to Georgetown University; an internship led to her present job in Manassas. She taught dance at another studio before opening Virginia Dance Center in 1999 in a Liberia Ave. shopping center.

The dance studio, which is moving to a larger space in the shopping center in September, offers classes for children and adults. Creative movement (based on ballet) is for the 3-4-year-old set; those 5-7 take pre-ballet or pre-tap; ages 7 and up learn ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and theater dance; and a new program draws beginning adult dancers. Teaching classes and running the center, Regan says, "is a blast."

In court daily as a prosecuting attorney, Regan handles anything from traffic offenses to assault and battery but specializes in child sex abuse cases-something she finds difficult but rewarding, she says, because it gives her the opportunity to take children out of bad situations and punish their abusers. "I'm motivated to work hard," she adds, "because the effects of doing well are important."

Dance is "a passion," Regan says. "It's part of who I am." Learning to perform, she explains, helps children (and adults) develop confidence and makes them more comfortable in front of people. She believes that other attorneys she knows who have theater or dance backgrounds were drawn to trial work because of the poise and confidence they developed from performing.

"I run my classes in a serious manner," Regan points out. "I expect discipline and respect but I also want it to be a fun and positive atmosphere. And I want every kid to walk out feeling they had a good time. It's fun to perform." The parents at her studio, Regan adds, "are very supportive and excited to get their kids dancing. My goal is to train the kids to be good technical dancers and to be able to have fun. Performing is good for their futures whether they continue with dance or do something else. I have no doubt it's been good for me."

Regan [...] and friends are installing sprung dance floors and painting the new studio, which will have observation windows so parents can watch some of the classes.

The students have a performance every summer, and a small dance company is now underway. It was less responsibility to just teach, she notes, "but I wanted to run my own place and have my own approach.

It's going as I hoped it would go," Balancing the two careers might not be possible "if I didn't really love teaching."

(Portions of this article have been edited by Allyson Clagett for use on this web site.)