# Shirley McPhail School of Dance

> Shirley McPhail School of Dance (SMSD) is a family-run Austin, Texas dance studio founded by Shirley McPhail around 1969–1970, offering traditional dance education for children and adults, plus Cotillion, a dancewear boutique, and troupe/company programs.

Company page on Leadbay: https://mad-max.leadbay.ai/company/smsdance.com · loaded 2026-10-30

## At a glance

- Website: https://smsdance.com
- Team based in: Austin (smsdance.com and 1 more)
- Founded: 1970 (smsdance.com and 1 more)
- Industry: Wellness and Fitness Services
- Employees: 7 (employees and founders, investors not counted; smsdance.com and 1 more)
- Seen in its site's code: Google Analytics (googletagmanager.com/gtag/js), Squarespace (static1.squarespace.com), Microsoft 365 (MX smsdance-com.mail.protection.outlook.com) (read 2026-10-30)
- Email: info@smsdance.com

## What it sells, to whom

- Shirley McPhail School of Dance (SMSD) is a family-run Austin, Texas dance studio founded by Shirley McPhail around 1969–1970, offering traditional dance education for children and adults, plus Cotillion, a dancewear boutique, and troupe/company programs. ([smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/about-1), [communityimpact.com](https://communityimpact.com/local-news/austin-metro/news/2019/10/24/dance-studio-celebrates-50th-anniversary-in-austin/))

## Why it stands out

- SMSD publicly highlights 5+ years of dance awards for students; no major third-party institutional awards were identified in the searched sources. ([facebook.com](https://www.facebook.com/Smsdanceatx/posts/just-some-of-our-dancers-who-received-their-5-years-of-dance-awards-we-are-so-pr/10157870573986433/))
- Competes with: Dancers Workshop Austin, Dance Austin Studio, Ballet Austin, Other local Austin-area fine-arts/dance schools (the available directory identifies 39 comparable providers within a 12-mile radius, but does not enumerate them all). ([naicslist.com](https://naicslist.com/company-profile/shirley-mcphail-school-of-dance-lp-austin-tx-78731), [dancersworkshopaustin.com](https://www.dancersworkshopaustin.com/what-we-offer/), [rocketreach.co](https://rocketreach.co/dance-austin-studio-profile_b5d8e690f42e5d13))

## Products and services

- **Dance instruction**: Twinkle Tots, combo classes, ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, drill prep, hip hop, contemporary, and related youth programs ([smsdance.com](https://smsdance.com), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/classes))
- Cotillion Austin-Style etiquette, communication, and partner-dance education for ages 10–13 ([smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/classes), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/faculty))
- SMSDance Troupe & Company performance and training programs ([smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/classes), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/faculty))
- The Dancer’s Den dancewear and shoe boutique located adjacent to the studio ([smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/classes), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/faculty))
- Seasonal camps, workshops, recitals, and community dance events ([smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/classes), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/faculty))

## Customers and markets

- **Customers**: Children and youth dancers, from ages 2–3 through teens, Adult dancers, including beginning through advanced students, Families seeking Cotillion Austin-Style etiquette and social-dance instruction, Students participating in SMSDance Troupe & Company and related performance programs ([smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/classes), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/2026-27-enrollment))
- **Markets**: Primary geographic market: Austin, Texas, centered at 8018/8020 Mesa Drive. ([smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/classes), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/about-1))
- **Markets**: Children ages roughly 2–13 and older youth/teens through age-specific dance and technique classes. ([smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/classes), [smsdance.com](https://www.smsdance.com/about-1))

## Where to find more

- [This page in Markdown, for agents](https://mad-max.leadbay.ai/company/smsdance.com.md)

Where it comes from: 14 sites read (smsdance.com, dancersdenaustin.com, communityimpact.com, naicslist.com, dancersworkshopaustin.com, linkedin.com, chatterblock.com, 2.coursetakers.com, …).

## Signals: what happened

- 2026-01-05 · News: DAMARU – DUALITY (Dance Theater Production) – Vidhya Subramanian & Sparsha Dance Ensemble - ICMCA : The Indian Classical Music Circle of Austin (1 source: [icmca.org](https://icmca.org/damaru2026/))

## Working on now

- Running 2026–27 enrollment in Austin, Texas; registration is open, with classes running September 8–May 20 and a late-November registration deadline.
- Serving children, teens, adults, and families through ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, drill prep, ballroom, Twinkle Tots, and Cotillion Austin-Style.
- Expanding/maintaining adult programming, including recurring adult classes, drop-ins, specialty series, ballroom, and social dance events.
- Operating SMSDance Troupe & Company and Cotillion Austin-Style alongside the core school program.
- Preparing the 57th annual recital for May 21–23, 2027, with dress rehearsals and performances at Westlake High Performing Arts Center.

From: [Shirley McPhail School of Dance](https://www.smsdance.com/), [2026-2027 Enrollment | Shirley McPhail School of Dance](https://www.smsdance.com/2026-27-enrollment), [Calendar | Shirley McPhail School of Dance](https://www.smsdance.com/calendar), [Shirley McPhail School of Dance](https://app.gostudiopro.com/online/classes.php?account_id=26590), [Dance Classes in Austin, TX | Shirley McPhail School of Dance](https://www.smsdance.com/classes)

## Summary

The Shirley McPhail School of Dance is a long-standing, family-owned dance studio in Austin, Texas, providing instruction in various styles for children and adults since 1970 [1][2]. It was founded by Shirley McPhail and is currently led by her daughter, Edwina McPhail Worley [3][2]. The studio sells dance education through classes, camps, and birthday party services, along with dance shoes and apparel via its on-site boutique, The Dancer's Den [1][4][5]. The business is privately held with no external investors mentioned [2]. Current offerings include an adult pom class, ballroom events, and upcoming Thanksgiving camps [1].

[1]: https://www.smsdance.com/ "Dance Studio in Austin, TX | Shirley McPhail School of Dance"
[2]: https://linkedin.com/company/mcphail-shirley-school-of-dance "Shirley McPhail School of Dance"
[3]: https://www.smsdance.com/edwina-worley "Edwina Worley | Shirley McPhail School of Dance"
[4]: https://www.smsdance.com/classes "Dance Classes in Austin, TX | Shirley McPhail School of Dance"
[5]: https://www.smsdance.com/policies-tuition "Policies & Tuition | Shirley McPhail School of Dance"
[6]: https://www.smsdance.com/2026-27-enrollment "2026-2027 Enrollment | Shirley McPhail School of Dance"
[7]: https://www.smsdance.com/faculty "Our Faculty | Shirley McPhail School of Dance"
[8]: https://www.chatterblock.com/resources/15426/shirley-mcphail-school-of-dance-austin-tx/ "Shirley McPhail School of Dance, Austin"

## Sources

- [Shirley McPhail School of Dance's website](https://smsdance.com)
- [Calendar | Shirley McPhail School of Dance](https://www.smsdance.com/calendar)
- [Shirley McPhail School of Dance](https://app.gostudiopro.com/online/classes.php?account_id=26590)
- [About — Shirley McPhail School of Dance](https://www.smsdance.com/about-1)
- [Dance studio celebrates 50th anniversary in Austin | Community Impact](https://communityimpact.com/local-news/austin-metro/news/2019/10/24/dance-studio-celebrates-50th-anniversary-in-austin/)