Precious Moments Adaptive Dance: Every Child Deserves the Joy of Dance
At Michigan Academy of Dance + Arts (MADA), we believe every child deserves the opportunity to experience the confidence, creativity, and joy that dance brings.
Precious Moments is our adaptive dance program for children with unique abilities, ages 3 and up. Offered in convenient 6-week sessions throughout the year, this inclusive program gives families the flexibility to participate while providing dancers with consistent opportunities to learn, grow, and build meaningful friendships.
Each session provides a nurturing, encouraging environment where every dancer is celebrated for who they are and supported in reaching their individual potential. Rather than focusing on limitations, our program emphasizes each child's strengths while encouraging movement, self-expression, social connection, and personal growth.
Every class is thoughtfully adapted to meet the individual needs of each dancer, allowing them to participate at their own pace while experiencing the excitement of being part of a team.
Whether your child has physical, developmental, cognitive, or sensory challenges, our goal is simple: to provide a place where they can grow, make friends, build confidence, and experience the joy of dance in a welcoming and supportive community.
2026–2027 Session Dates
Classes are held on Wednesdays from 5:45–6:30 PM during the following 6-week sessions:
Fall Session
October 14 – November 18, 2026
Winter Session
February 10 – March 17, 2027
Spring/Recital Session*
April 28 – June 2, 2027
*Includes participation in the MADA Annual Recital. A recital costume is required.
Not sure if Precious Moments is the right fit for your child? We'd be happy to answer your questions, learn more about your child's individual needs, and help determine if our program is the best fit for your family.
PRECIOUS MOMENTS
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Precious Moments is a specialized adaptive dance class designed for children with unique abilities, beginning at age 3 and up. This inclusive class provides a joyful and supportive environment where every dancer can thrive, grow, and belong.
The focus is on enhancing each child's abilities, building confidence, and offering the chance to enjoy dance as a fun and meaningful extracurricular activity—while being part of a team.
The class is led by a licensed registered nurse and a certified pediatric occupational therapist, ensuring a safe and thoughtful approach tailored to each dancer's needs. Additional support is provided by therapists and volunteers from Children's Hospital of Michigan and the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan.
Ages: 3 years and up
Session Length: 6 Weeks
Tuition: $90 per session
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Precious Moments welcomes children ages 3 and older with a wide variety of developmental, physical, cognitive, and sensory differences.
Every child is unique, and our experienced team adapts instruction to meet each dancer where they are. If you're unsure whether the class is the right fit for your child, we'd love to speak with you and answer any questions.
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Our adaptive dance program helps children develop:
Confidence and self-esteem
Balance and coordination
Gross motor skills
Rhythm and musicality
Body awareness
Social interaction and teamwork
Communication skills
Creativity and self-expression
Independence
A sense of belonging
A lifelong love of movement
Most importantly, dancers become part of a welcoming community where they are encouraged, celebrated, and supported every step of the way.
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2026–2027 Session Dates
Classes are held on Wednesdays from 5:45–6:30 PM during the following 6-week sessions:
Fall Session
October 14 – November 18, 2026Winter Session
February 10 – March 17, 2027Spring/Recital Session*
April 28 – June 2, 2027*Includes participation in the MADA Annual Recital. A recital costume is required.
PROGRAM DETAILS
OUR TEAM
Precious Moments is led by an experienced team dedicated to helping every child succeed.
Our instructors include:
Carely Glugla, RN – Licensed Registered Nurse
Karen Glugla, OTR/L – Certified Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Sydney Henderson – Adaptive Dance Instructor
Additional support is provided by therapists and volunteers from Children's Hospital of Michigan and the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, creating an exceptional student-to-teacher ratio and allowing each dancer to receive individualized attention throughout every class.
CARLEY GLUGLA
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Carley Glugla has been dancing for 20 years and for the past 14 years, she has been working with special needs children in an adaptive dance class. She also has experience with providing child care to children with special needs, and has been a camp volunteer for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She’s familiar with respite care services and is an RN who specializes in working with the pediatric and female population.
KAREN GLUGLA
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Karen Glugla, OTR/L has been an Occupational Therapist for over 25 years. She works as a Clinical OT Specialist at Children's Hospital of Michigan/Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Stilson Specialty Center. She works with children from birth-20 with a very broad range of diagnoses. She works in the MDA clinic where she monitors children with Muscular Dystrophy diagnoses. Karen has 14 years of experience working with children in an adaptive dance class.
SYDNEY HENDERSON
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Sydney Henderson grew up at Ann Parsley School of Dance starting with her first creative movement class when she was three. Shortly after, she began dancing with the Macomb Ballet Company starting with her first performance in Un Encuentro. Sydney has supplemented her classes at Ann Parsley School of Dance with additional training with the American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Chicago and on scholarship with the Ruth S. Shur Carolina Ballet Company. She has also trained and performed at the Youth America Grand Prix in Pittsburgh 2014 and Chicago 2015. She studied at Arts Academy in the Woods and has attended master classes with Samantha Shelton, Meg Paul, Michael Vernon, Kristin Sudeikis and Ashley Bouder. Her training and her determination helped her achieve lead roles in Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Snow White and Alice in Wonderland. Sydney has completed her Cecchetti Council of America Student Certification exams Levels I-VI along with her teacher Grade I-II exams. In the fall of 2015, she attended Wayne State University as a BFA major in the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance as a talent scholarship recipient. She was also a member of their dance company, Company One. Sydney is honored to be a member of the APSD faculty.
VOLUNTEER WITH US!
Our volunteers are an essential part of the Precious Moments family.
We are always looking for compassionate teens and adults who have a heart for serving children with unique abilities. Volunteers assist dancers during class, provide encouragement, help create meaningful friendships, and make a lasting impact in the lives of our students.
Whether you're interested in education, therapy, healthcare, dance, or simply giving back to your community, volunteering with Precious Moments is an incredibly rewarding experience.
Interested in volunteering?
Please contact us at info@midancearts.com to learn more about volunteer opportunities.
