When Rachael Reyes founded Studio One in Vail two decades ago, her goal was simple yet ambitious: to bring comprehensive dance education to a community that lacked it.

At the time, Vail families had few nearby options to learn jazz, contemporary, hip-hop or ballet.

"Our original vision was to come into the Vail area and be one of the first dance education places," Reyes said. "We loved it so much because the families were new and the people were so nice. We felt this was the perfect place to teach kids about the benefits of dance and bring confidence to the community."

Studio One stands as a testament to that vision, celebrating 20 years of artistry, education and community.

Despite Vail's rapid growth, the studio's mission has remained consistent — it was never meant to be just an extracurricular activity, but a home where artistry could flourish in a region still finding its identity.

Studio One's impact extends far beyond the dance floor. As Vail continued to attract young families, it became the primary architect of the area's local arts scene.

Among its most significant contributions was helping bring dance programs into the school district. Reyes spent five years building Cienega High School's dance team and pom line, and today rigorous dance programs exist at Empire and Mica Mountain high schools — a reality that seemed unlikely 20 years ago.

Rachael Reyes' brother, Robert Reyes, joined the studio as a 10-year-old dancer and worked his way up to instructor. He's had a front-row seat to the community's transformation.

"Tucson is a big city, yet a small community," Robert Reyes said. "Everything is spread out. Having the arts and dance on this side of town gives people an advantage. Everyone in Tucson knows each other, there's always a connection."

The studio's history is interwoven with the broader Tucson dance world. The Drop owner Reuben Dorame got his first teaching job at Studio One. Rachael Reyes got her start at the Tucson Dance Academy, now Breakout, and Gotta Dance, now Tucson Dance Company.

The Reyes family is continuing to champion this interconnectedness, inviting community members to "say hello and stop by" and fostering collaboration over competition.

As the studio prepares for its 20th-anniversary showcase tonight, these full-circle moments are becoming more frequent. Alumni who practiced their first dances in the early 2000s are returning as professional dancers, faculty members and parents of current students.

Studio One's reputation is backed by the trajectories of its students, who have graced Broadway stages, performed in the Super Bowl halftime show and earned positions as prima ballerinas for the Swedish National Ballet.

But for the Reyes family, the success of a student who moves into a non-dance industry is just as rewarding as a professional contract.

"Seeing kids meet their full potential makes this so rewarding," Rachael Reyes said. "They find confidence at a recital and unfold in front of a huge audience. That's growth that happens in a couple of minutes."

To mark its 20-year milestone, the studio is hosting a Legacy Showcase and Gala tonight at Pima Community College's Proscenium Theatre. The event is designed as both a reflection on the past and a bridge to the future, with proceeds benefiting American Dance Leadership.

The stage will include an array of talent, including current students and alumni returning from the University of Arizona, Arizona State University and professional circuits in Los Angeles and New York.

As the Reyes family looks toward the future, they remain focused on the idea of dance as a universal language that transcends lifestyle, background and age.

For Robert Reyes, the studio is still a place that no one really leaves, a sentiment backed up by the generations of dancers who continue to walk through its doors.

"Our legacy is that we are more than just dancing," Rachael Reyes said. "We are a place where people can grow, find themselves, and use what they have learned here to be the next leaders in whatever industry they see themselves doing."

Tickets for the showcase can be purchased here.

Isabel Vidrio is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at vidrioi@arizona.edu.

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