On a rainy Saturday morning in May, an inconspicuous dance studio at the end of a quiet corridor is teeming with life. A woman carrying a large white flag arrives to rehearse her colorguard routine in a private room. Minutes later, a small group of ballet dancers shake off their umbrellas and waits in the lobby for their early morning session. In the main studio, a dance instructor sprawls out on the wooden floor, eager to share her story.

On any given day at Get Up & Dance Studio, you’ll find dancers of all skill levels, ages and body types expressing themselves freely through movement. At the heart of it all is owner Leah Boresow Groover, a lifelong dancer and choreographer who opened this multi-genre dance studio after deciding to turn her passion for teaching dance into something more permanent.

“I have been teaching forever,” she told ArtsATL from her Atlanta studio. “And I realized that I really loved it and it’s something that I always needed to have in my life. I did not see a future where I wouldn’t be teaching.”

After hosting private lessons in rented studios and later in her own home during the Covid-19 pandemic, Groover felt liberated about not having to request space or permission from studio owners. The autonomy, paired with a noticeable lack of adult dance studios in greater Atlanta, sparked the vision for GUAD.

Since opening in 2021, the studio has offered over 20 styles of dance on a rotating basis, including musical theater, hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, swing, ballet, tap, ballroom and Latin dance styles like salsa, bachata and tango. It’s now become a third space for adult dancers looking to learn professional choreography, find new connections in the city and reclaim their relationship with movement.

Groover, who has worn nearly every hat in the dance world — dancer, choreographer and now studio owner — uses her experiences to guide students in a way that’s both educational and enjoyable. Her journey began as a classically trained ballet and modern dancer, but, after a series of life-changing injuries, she began exploring other styles of dance. While studying at Indiana University, she learned contemporary dance, ballroom and Latin dance, then went on to work in musical theater.

“I’ve picked up and stuck with so many different styles of dance,” Groover said. “I think they’re all so wonderful, and they all have a different level of life to give. People ask, ‘What is your favorite dance?’ I’m like, ‘Whichever dance I’m doing at the time that you ask is probably my favorite.’ Because I see value in all of them, I’m happy to be a bit of a unicorn.”

GUAD is a direct reflection of that layered identity. At the studio, Groover is adamant about people not feeling pressured to fit a mold of what they think a dancer is. That sense of rootedness is key to why GUAD isn’t dominated by performativity or perfection.

Instead, Groover fosters an environment where movement is a medium for personal storytelling as well as artistry. It doesn’t matter how someone shows up — if they have the right clothes, shoes or body — it’s simply celebrated that they showed up at all, ready to learn something new.

Dancers in action at Get Up and Dance Studio. (Photographs by Nova Star Media)

“I hope that people feel that the things that define us demographically just fizzle out,” she said. “I don’t really know how old people are. I don’t feel it. I don’t feel body types. It doesn’t matter.”

Groover recalled a moment that captured the spirit of GUAD and what this space means to the people who dance here. A student studying abroad from Germany took a ballet class and ended the session in tears. “She said this was the first time she felt like home,” Groover remembered. “And literally those were the exact words because it sounds like it’s from a movie. And I’ll never forget it. It just, again, fuels me in the best way. I’m so happy and thrilled and overjoyed that the combination of the atmosphere and the instruction did that for her. And dance does that,” Groover shared.

Her teaching practice emphasizes self-expression, musicality and historical context as much as physical technique. She’s quick to point out that authenticity in instruction doesn’t mean a lack of discipline or respect for the history behind the art forms. She explained, “As much as I love connecting to people on that human level, which I think is more important than anything, actual dance education is important to me. If someone can leave my class and have some concrete understanding of a concept or a history of dance or a step, it’s a huge victory.”

As GUAD continues to grow, so does Groover’s ambition. She hopes to host more dance socials and seasonal showcases so dancers can continue setting goals, and newcomers can attend classes. In the last month alone, the studio has hosted a multi-genre showcase, a disco dance party and a Latin dance social. Looking ahead, she’s keeping the possibilities open, “I hope that Get Up and Dance stays and remains a place of escape and mental health and physical health. We can come in here and go back to our roots [and] connect with other people. That’s what I want for the community.”

In a city as fast-paced and competitive as Atlanta, Groover has created something rare: a space that’s as rigorous as it is restorative. And a studio that reminds people they don’t have to earn the right to move — they just have to show up.

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