About Us
Who Are We?
EDPA is a dance studio located in Encinitas that specializes in classical dance training for all ages. We believe it is important to cultivate a learning environment that is healthy, all-inclusive, welcoming, and fun! We push our dancers to be the best they can be by providing constructive feedback in a positive manner.
What Sets Us Apart?
For one, we are not a competition-focused studio. This year we will be launching a company team to represent our EDPA family at various competitions and events, but our main event that we focus on each Spring is our end-of-year recital.
We also tend to have smaller class sizes, so your student will have a better chance of getting one-on-one attention and a bigger opportunity to grow!
Another aspect that sets us apart is that we make sure only to play appropriate music, teach appropriate dance moves, and choose appropriate costumes based upon your child’s age. We don’t believe in bringing attention to our students’ bodies in a sexualizing or provocative manner at any age. And we don’t encourage listening or dancing to suggestive music containing curse words or questionable lyrics. We pride ourselves on creating family-friendly performances, full of great talent that everyone can enjoy! In other words, you won't be embarrassed to invite Grandma and Grandpa to your child's performance.
What Styles Do We Offer?
We offer classes for all ages in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, musical theater, hip hop, and acro! Complete with genre-specific technique training, and general flexibility building and strengthening.
Check out our weekly class schedule on our "classes" page.
Recitals and Conventions
We put on end-of-year recitals! We love showing our friends and families what we've been working on all year in a production setting on the big stage. These recitals are celebrations of the students' hard work and passion, and are always open to the public.
We also attend annual dance conventions to provide our dancers with more tools to grow!
Meet Our Instructors
Meghan McDowell
Meghan McDowell
Meghan McDowell
Owner & Director
Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Tap, Acro
Meghan McDowell started dancing at the age of three and has been a student at EDPA since she was eight years old, where she taught classes from 2020-2025 before officially coming on as director in March of this year. She was a member of Coastal Academy High School's dance team in her junior year and is currently a contractor choreographer for them, having won multiple awards for "Outstanding Choreography" across various regional competitions. She has also taught private dance lessons as a side business. In 2023 Meghan graduated from MCC with a double Associates in Dance and Liberal Arts, and she is currently finishing her senior year at UCSD where she will graduate with a B.A. in Dance.
"It brings me so much joy to be able to inspire young dancers and share my love for the art of dance. Dancing not only builds their bodies physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Now is the time to build our children’s self-esteem and to give them the confidence that we all need in life. A positive environment can only help build that confidence".
Julia Bender
Meghan McDowell
Meghan McDowell
Adult Tap
Julia has been dancing since the age of 3, and has been teaching at EDPA for four years. She is a graduate from California Baptist University where she received her Bachelor's of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Medicine and is currently working as an exercise specialist at a physical therapy clinic. Julia has been dancing for 19 years and loves being able to still perform and teach for fun! As an avid athlete and fitness enthusiast, she loves finding different ways to stay in shape and dance is one of her favorite ways to do that.
Isabella Applegate
Isabella Applegate
Isabella Applegate
Lyrical II
Bella has been dancing since she was six years old and grew up at EDPA's former studio, which quickly became a second home. In her last three years of high school, Bella was a member of Carlsbad High School's decorated junior-varsity dance team, Xcalibur, which travelled around the country attending regional and national competitions. She is currently in university studying marketing and graphic design. After some time away, she realized just how much she missed dance and is so excited to be back teaching. She can’t wait to share her love for lyrical and contemporary with her students on Tuesdays!
Ella Siplyak
Isabella Applegate
Isabella Applegate
Lyrical I
Ella Siplyak has been dancing with EDPA for seven years, and teaching for the last two. Last year, she graduated San Dieguito Academy High School and is currently pursuing a career in teaching dance and choreography at MiraCosta College. Her choreography can be seen in EDPA end-of-year recitals as far back as 2021. Ella loves to perform and create different pieces, so she is beyond excited to continue teaching her students at EDPA!