At a Glance
About this studio
Nearly 100 years of dance excellence in Toms River — a family tradition since 1926.
Lillian Dean Dance Studio has provided professional, quality dance instruction in Toms River since 1926 — nearly 100 years, with the studio's 100th anniversary arriving in June 2026. Founded by Lillian Dean, a former Radio City Rockette and Broadway performer who began teaching out of her backyard in Essex County, the studio has been led since 1977 by her niece, Owner and Artistic Director Margie Dean Miller, herself a lifelong dancer certified by both Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America.
LDDS offers classes for boys and girls ages 2.5 and up, alongside Jersey Troupe, its performance company that has represented the studio internationally — performing at the 2012 London Olympics, in Barcelona, Spain, and at Disneyland Paris. LDDS alumni include a Tony-nominated Broadway choreographer, soap opera stars, and performers with Disney World, Universal Studios, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. As Margie says: "We help our students become well-rounded, self-confident young adults — qualities that will follow them for the rest of their lives."
Dance styles offered
Special programs
Our Faculty
Lillian Dean Dance Studio is led by Owner and Artistic Director Margie Dean Miller, who has danced since she could walk, trained under legends including Frank Hatchett, Gus Giordano, and Peter Gennaro in New York, and has been certified by both Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America since age 16. Margie has choreographed over 100 shows and currently directs the Toms River Township Theater Arts Summer Program. Carrying forward nearly a century of family tradition, LDDS's faculty is committed to developing well-rounded, self-confident dancers at every level, from first steps through the studio's audition-based Competition Teams.