Discover your movement potential.

We offer dynamic and engaging classes that will spark your creativity and elevate your skills to new heights.

Classes focus on individual expression, creativity, and exploration, with a good dose of humor and fun. Imagery and guided improvisations are integral to the modern classes. We encourage students to explore and push the boundaries of dance.

We foster lifelong learning for dancers and movers of all levels and ability.

Activities balance stability with mobility along with grounding and flight, integrating principles from Pilates, yoga, and other mind/body practices to support physical and intellectual growth. Each individual is treated with respect and guided with supportive, clear, thoughtful instructions.

Embark on a journey of self-discovery and artistic growth. Join us today and let your creativity soar!

  • NEW & REPERTORY DANCE

    Contemporary and interdisciplinary work for your company or students taught by Cynthia Adams.

  • TECHNIQUE / TRAINING

    Modern Techniques  (led by Cynthia Adams and/or Paula McArthur)

    Ballet

    Yoga (Iyengar based)

    Pilates (Mat and apparatus for small groups and Privates)

    Improvisation Techniques

  • CHOREOGRAPHY/ CREATING

    Choreography

    Improvisation as performance

    Improvisation as generative source

    Sound and Movement

Paula McArthur (Performer & Master Teacher) is owner/director of Des Moines DanzArts Studio which she opened in 2011. She has over 30 years of teaching with experience and versatility in teaching many forms of dance. Her range of expertise includes modern, ballet, jazz, tap, ballroom, Latin, creative preschool movement, improvisation, and body conditioning. She taught dance for 17 years for the musical theater department at Drake University; and has also taught for Penn State University and Iowa State University. For over a decade she was the Associate Director for the School of Classical Ballet & Dance and has taught for other schools: Vine Street Ballet, Ballet Iowa, The Dance Place, Central Iowa Dance Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop, Edmunds Art Academy and Co Motion Dance Theatre. She has worked extensively as an artist in residence within the public schools 

Paula is a founding member of "Hurley and Dancers" amd continues to perform for them along with choreographer Cynthia Adams (Fellow Travelers Group). DanzArts is proud to be the rehearsal home for these Iowa based companies. Additional companies she has worked for: Pennsylvania Dance Theater, Sandance, Neuman Project and choreographer Shawn Womack

Ms. McArthur began her professional career in ballet, performing with the Des Moines Ballet. she also trained at the Joffrey Ballet School in NYC and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in Canada. Ms McArthur earned her BFA from ISU where she turned her attention to modern dance. She was honored with both the Anna R. Toman and Charlotte Wilkason awards from ISU. She continued her study at the Bates Dance festivals, Doug Varone intensives and summer programs at NYU. Since becoming a modern dancer she has worked, trained and/or performed for such choreographers and companies as Bill T. Jones, Bill Young, Doug Elkins, Doug Varone, David Dorfmann, Claire Porter, Kathleen Hermsdorf, Michael Foley, Tony Coray, Kevin Wynn, Ben Munisteri, Joanna Mendl Shaw, Ron K. Brown, Rennie Harris, Larry Keigwin and jazz with Cathy Young.