VALDOSTA — The Ballet School at 1007 Williams St. is much more than a dance studio.

So says Eleanor Strickland McGowan, who founded it 40 years ago, speaking also for director Kathy Turner and instructor Kelly Smith. 

“In all of my years of teaching, this school has been a place of ministry,” said McGowan, affectionately called “Miss Eleanor” by everyone, both young and old.  

“If I only taught the children who came through these doors to dance, I would have failed.”

Miss Eleanor taught at The Ballet School 37 years and continues to come in and help out whenever she is needed. 

“We have great, dedicated teachers at The Ballet School,” Kathy said. “Ashley Beck Thompson started taking dance at The Ballet School when she was 2 1/2 and has stayed with us for 23 years. She has been teaching for the past nine years. Hilary May started dance with us when she was 3. She has been with us for 17 years and is now a teacher.”

Kelly Smith has been an instructor there 25 years beginning at age 15. 

“Kelly started (taking dance classes) at age 8, and we’re not releasing her,” Miss Eleanor said. 

Kathy, who has taught 36 years at The Ballet School, took over as director in 2000.  

“I wanted to continue ‘Miss Eleanor’s’ legacy of teaching young children to love ballet and, at the same time, have a lot of fun,” she said. “I try to teach not only dance steps but an understanding of rhythm and music. I like for our recital to be beautiful and sweet as well as entertaining.”

The Ballet School will present “A Celebration of Our 40th Anniversary: 1970-2010” for its annual recital at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 30 and May 1, at Mathis City Auditorium. Admission is free.

In an interview at The Ballet School Monday, Miss Eleanor, Kathy and Kelly sat down to reminisce about changes that have taken place in the past 40 years and share other memories.

From ballet, tap and pointe, forms of dance over the years expanded to include jazz under the instruction of Diane Lewis, modern, hip hop, ballroom, boys tap, acrobatics, “a try at break dance,” character, lyrical and classes designed for dancers with special needs, the latter currently taught by Kelly.

“The cost of the (special needs) class is underwritten by The Ballet School and other sponsors,” Miss Eleanor said.

Jenny Boler and Kathy began teaching the class, which includes those with Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and autism, in 2002.

Their efforts were recognized in 2003 when Kathy received an Achievement Award from the Mayor’s Council for Persons with Disabilities “in recognition of outstanding achievement in providing full inclusion  and social integration for children with disabilities.”

Not only have classes been added, but music has evolved from the big reel-to-reel to CD’s, iPods and now computer programs. Shoes and costumes have been updated as well. For a long time, Kathy’s mom, Sarah Hendrix, made all of the specialty costumes. Today, Leslie Daugherty, as she has done for years, makes the specialty costumes and spends weeks doing alterations and checking costumes.

Kelly’s mom, Mary Ann Bailey, also helped in the past with specialty costumes and scenery. Miss Eleanor fondly remembered the Tin Man that Mary Ann created.

“For the most part, you could tell mothers of the students anything that needed to be done, and they would do it,” Miss Eleanor said.

Another helper was Kim Strickland, who designed and painted a lot of the sets.

Kathy recalled the time when Ginsey Paulk performed “Peter Pan” and actually flew across the stage — with a little help from a harness her mom, Ginger, had gotten made.

“When we did ‘Hansel and Gretel,’ we built a gingerbread house that rotated,” Miss Eleanor remembered. 

And then there was the “Jill and the Beanstalk” recital when Kelly built a bean stalk that actually grew in size.

Today, sets have changed from being built to backdrops.

“A recital staged by Miss Eleanor was a sheer work of art,” Kelly said. “From the original choreography that was painstakingly rehearsed to the scenery that was built, drawn, painted and moved on and off of the stage by our wonderful friends and family. 

“Eleanor began the tradition of putting on a themed show, not just a parade of dancers on and off of the stage. Her recitals ranged from ‘Coppelia’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty’ to the ‘Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Jill and the Beanstalk.’

“The Ballet School’s high standards and belief that ‘the children should always come first’ began with Miss Eleanor and is lovingly continued to this day by Miss Kathy and all of our teachers.”