GEARHART — Encore Dance Studio’s new location on G Street will offer morning preschool and after-school dance classes for children.

The space, which opens on Sept. 9, is a return to South County for owner Denele Sweet. She started her dance studio in Seaside in 1996 but closed the location during the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the past few years, Encore has concentrated on a private performing arts school in Warrenton and recently announced an expansion of preschool slots.

“I missed the kids,” Sweet said of the investment in South County. “And knowing that they haven’t had dance in South County since I left made me sad. Also, I have such an amazing faculty that we were able to get together and decide that, yeah, this sounds like a great thing.”

Sweet’s husband, Chad, is the Gearhart city administrator.

Child care has been a significant public policy challenge for families and businesses on the North Coast. The number of slots has improved for preschool-age children, but the county is considered a “child care desert” for infants and toddlers.

Parents enrolling their children in preschool at Encore on G Street can choose any day of the week to drop their child off at 9 a.m. and pick them up at noon. The after-school programming can help fill a gap for parents who work full time and need a secure environment for their children in the afternoons.

“We’re on the bus drop-off for Pacific Ridge (Elementary School),” Sweet said. “And kids have to go somewhere after school with those working parents — a program where they’re enriched and it’s self-esteem boosting, and not just sitting in a corner with a graham cracker.

“So I’m really excited about offering that option for the families down south, so they can come and get some activity and be in a safe location, having fun with friends until mom can get off work.”

The Gearhart location will offer tumbling, cheer, tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop and combo classes.

“It’s really great for kids to be able to move their bodies and express themselves,” she said. “And then they’re better able to connect with their academics after they’ve been able to move, get in the studio, stretch and jump around.”

Enrollment for the Gearhart location has come from families in Seaside, Gearhart and Cannon Beach. At the Warrenton studio, Sweet has had some students from Cannon Beach and Manzanita, but they often don’t stay very long due to the long drive.

“This will give them an option to have dance and activity and tumbling and whatever interests them in a place close to them,” she said.