A Mission Focused on Movement!

We welcome you to our 43rd  year of providing affordable and quality dance classes in Sahuarita and Green Valley areas!

Y.A.C.B. Academy of Dance was formally established in 1980 by Lisa Baker DiGiacomo Y.A.C.B.’s Founding Director after she saw a need to bring then fine arts to rural Southern Arizona. Lisa has taken great pride in the training and development of each dancer who studies at Y.A.C.B. Academy of Dance. Our program is designed to ensure that these key values and the highest standard of dance education carry on as they have for the past 40 years!

In 2016, Nicholas McLain Y.A.C.B.’s current Academy Director took the reigns with much love and support from Lisa!  Lisa is still very involved with the Academy as it is her passion and love—it’s been her life’s work!

In 2018, Mr. McLain saw the need to bring on Ms. Darby Downs as Y.A.C.B.’s Managing Director. Darby and Nicholas have been a “dynamic duo” on and off the stage for decades. Darby’s new role will oversee many of the day-to-day operations, and help ensure our school stays strong!

Together, the three have a unique bond and love for one another and share a strong passion for dance!  Together, we stand strong and proud offering you an exceptional dance program where your student will not only achieve dance skills, but learn valuable life lessons!  It is simply this formula that has made us Southern Arizona’s premier dance academy for the past 41 years!

Our curriculum is comprised of classical ballet, pointe, pointe variations, character, jazz, tap, modern, and hip hop, as well as performance training at beginning through advanced levels. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in the teaching of dance. Our Y.A.C.B. teachers share a common technical background and philosophy of teaching and hope to provide each student with a full and exciting dance education within a creative environment.

We are here to provide an opportunity for affordable dance instruction, to create and promote self-worth within each dancer regardless of level, to provide performance experience on a professional scale with exceptional performance ethics, and to provide exposure to the arts in rural areas that may not be otherwise exposed.