Kathy Ryan's Dance Studio lets its students rock out a little at their recitals.

And on Monday, Sept. 10, Ryan's 20th class of dancers, ages 3 to 80, will start under her dedicated instruction.

Since the age of 3, Kathy Ryan Rainone studied dance with Auburn dance teachers Sonya Ward and Betty Weeks. She was drawn to it by the beauty of ballet, the people she met in her dance classes and the places she traveled to perform.

As Ryan continued to study dance, she realized she was ready to teach her own students.

“I just realized, ‘I can do this,' so I took out a small business loan and opened my own place,” she said.

As a teacher alongside Weeks in the early 1980s, Ryan encountered little difficulty finding enough dancers to fill her first class in 1987. At the studio bearing her name, Ryan has since instructed 18 additional classes of dancers young and old in tap, jazz, aerobic and, most importantly, ballet.

“Sometimes they don't care for ballet, but all dance derives from it so I make it mandatory,” Ryan said.

She teaches orthodox dance styles, but her recitals are unlike anything offered in Auburn. Ryan's diehard enthusiasm for the rock 'n' roll music of Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd and other classic bands has spilled over into her dance recital scores. One class even performed to a portion of progressive rock band Rush's 20-minute science fiction song, �.”

Ryan, who dances with her students, often designs her shows around themes from films. One class performed to the tarantella in a scene patterned after the wedding in “The Godfather.” When a recital date fell on a Friday the 13th, Ryan dubbed the show “Superstitions by the Minute” and included far out musical numbers like “The Twilight Zone” theme and “The Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

As Ryan prepares to begin teaching her 20th class, she only has one concrete plan of how the recital will commemorate that milestone. It will include a slideshow of pictures from past classes. Otherwise, she will map out an entirely new set of songs and dances.

“I don't repeat, that would be like wearing the same dress twice,” she said.

Ryan also adds a touch of rock 'n' roll showmanship to her recitals in another way with a smoke machine and flash pods. The louder effects are reserved for parts of the show when the younger dancers have left the stage.

Only once did Ryan refrain from using any effects: Following Sept. 11, when her dancers performed to Judy Collins' “Song for Sarajevo (I Dream of Peace)” while small silver crystals fell from the ceiling.

Longtime collaborator Frank Cuzzola assists Ryan with the pyrotechnics.

“How many people can walk into a school with explosives and say, ‘Let's blow this place up,'” Cuzzola joked. “And we've blown up every place.”

Although these dimensions of Ryan's recitals lean more toward older dancers than children, she believes she offers young learners the best dance instruction they can find in Auburn.

Tricia Charles, Ryan's niece, has been practicing dance with her aunt since Charles was 2 years old. Even at that early stage, she was able to significantly advance her knowledge of the art.

“She actually teaches (young dancers) steps, and if you watch other places, they don't do that as much,” she said.

Ryan feels teaching young children is one of the most rewarding facets of her 20 years as a dance teacher. Like Charles, many begin learning at a pre-school age.

“I teach them the steps and they soak it in, they're like sponges,” Ryan said. “I'm proud of my little ones.”

Ryan's classes also include elderly dancers, and she feels they bring just as much energy and enthusiasm to learn as their youngest classmates. A group of older students gladly dressed themselves in skin-tight costumes to perform to “Gypsy” by Bette Midler.

While her classes often include close friends and family, Ryan has kept her studio operating with the assistance of several others whose work is often voluntary. Her sister, Jane Ryan Striker, was a frequent collaborator on choreography. Her brother, John, has filled many of the adult male roles called for in Ryan's recitals. And her mother, Arlene, helps pick up younger dancers who may not have a ride to practice.

The Italian Heritage Society and its president, Joe Camardo, has been another frequent source of support to Ryan as a sponsor of her dance studio. Ryan can proudly claim that she is on friendly terms with her fellow Auburn dance teachers and calls them when she wishes.

The help she receives from her friends and family enables her to continue teaching dance and reaping its rewards.

“It keeps me in shape and keeps me in touch with the younger generation,” Ryan said. “I'm lucky I'm still doing it, hopefully I'll dance until I'm 50.”

Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net