Our Story

Hi Friends!

I’m Shamicka and I have the pleasure of welcoming you into our ​Fifth Row ​family. So… WELCOME! I’m the big sister of our staff family, not because I’m the oldest but because barefoot with my hair in a bun​,​ I’m six feet tall. I know what you’re thinking​…​ “Wow, she must give great hugs!” Well, you are right and if I haven’t met you yet ​,​ I can’t wait to welcome you with one.

Okay,​ so I don’t know if I’m allowed to share this​,​ but in the pioneering phase of Fifth Row Center’s launching, “Second Home” was in the running for the studio’s name. Though it fell to the cutting room floor, as I attempt to share why this studio is set apart from all the rest I’m reminded of that name. I have been blessed to travel the world with the International Broadway tour of Chicago the Musical for the last five years. Along the way I’ve taught master classes all over the country and experienced a wide variety of studio visions,​ ​b​ut Fifth Row Center has the unique atmosphere and culture of home.

​You are probably thinking,​”​All studios feel that way because you are there more than you are at your own home.”​ That’s how it was when I was growing up. But it’s the overall attention to the details of your dancer’s experience that ​envelopes you into this family even upon your first visit. Our culture was established by Sheri and Deborah but because it comes from a genuine place in their hearts, it spirals throughout the walls of the studio organically. They have set a sense of community as the highest priority and it permeates every aspect of what we do.

That’s a pretty bold statement when you think of what it means for something to permeate. Our deeply rooted sense of community and the passion we each have to be a part of this place saturate our days and nights. They carry us up and down the highways as we drive from as far away as Ojai… ​​that’s two coffees, a croissant and a pack of Twizzlers! They pull us out of jam packed days brimming with open calls and auditions, costume fittings and photo shoots, table reads and blocking rehearsals. And they are woven into every performance we give… from the Hollywood Bowl to Dubai.

When I walk into Fifth Row Center, I’m greeted with love and support from Sheri and Deborah, a personalized coffee mug filled with a K-cup of joy and a hug from fellow teachers. And I’m ​tackled by passionate, hungry dancers who are ready to work! I adore being a part of this world we’ve created and would love to share it with you.