The Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center is a dance school just outside of Cambridge; it was founded 50 years ago by the acclaimed dance teacher Deborah Mason. Since then, the studio has undergone many changes, but Mason still proudly runs the show. This wouldn’t be the case without her fierce passion for dance or the unrelenting support of the Cambridge community.
Mason grew up in East Cambridge during the 1950s and ’60s. She began taking dance lessons in various styles as a child. When she was fourteen, her dance teacher hired her as a teaching assistant; she continued working there until her early twenties. “By that point, I was pretty much running [my teacher’s] school,” Mason told the Register Forum. “So I figured I should open up my own school, and that’s what I did!” In 1975, she began searching for a location, which was a challenge. “Nobody wanted to rent to me since I was young and a woman.”
Mason eventually found a small studio on Hampshire Street; this would be the first of many locations. “I had to move six times,” she told the Register Forum. “But my students followed! I guess I’m a bit like the Pied Piper of dance.” By the year 2000, Mason was on her fifth location, in North Cambridge. Her school remained there for fifteen years, and the number of students and teachers began to grow.
In 2015, Mason’s landlord informed her that the building would be knocked down and replaced with condominiums. In want of a new location, she turned to the faithful Cambridge community; without hesitation, the families of Cambridge rallied behind her. They helped her raise $250,000, which she used to purchase a new building for her business. “This school was built by the people of Cambridge,” she told the Register Forum. “Everyone helped me raise the money, and the builders even worked on holidays so I could move in sooner!”
As of this year, Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center will be 50 years old. “It is kind of strange that 50 years went by so fast,” Mason told the Register Forum. “I’ve just been doing what I love.” Since its creation, her school has fostered a wonderful community of nearly 700 dancers. “I really do love this school, and I love watching people be successful. I love that the kids are enjoying themselves. Some will go on to dance professionally, and others won’t; either way, the lessons you learn from dance will help you throughout your life.”
Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center has been a staple of the Cambridge community for many years, and it will continue to be for many more to come. The story of Mason’s studio is one of passion, persistence, and community. If you are interested in learning more read her 2022 biography, Life is But a Dance!
