Turning Pointe School of Dance Heads into Ninth Season

For Turning Pointe School of Dance, the 2026-27 dance season is a little bit special. The Ramona studio is heading into its ninth season, which owner Elizabeth Franco jokingly calls “10th Anniversary Eve.”

Turning Pointe officially opened its doors on August 17, 2017, and will celebrate its 10-year anniversary on August 17, 2027. For Franco, reaching that milestone is about much more than the number of years the studio has been open. It is a celebration of the dancers, families, instructors, friends and Ramona community members who helped make Turning Pointe possible and have supported it throughout the years.

Founded by Franco, a local dance instructor who was born and raised in Ramona and grew up in San Diego Country Estates, Turning Pointe began with Franco and her best friend, Nicole DeWitt.The two didn't have much money to get started and even created a GoFundMe to help raise the funds needed to open the studio. Then the community stepped in.

“Our friends, our families, and the Ramona community came together to help make Turning Pointe possible,” Franco said. “In many ways, this studio was literally built by the community.”

DeWitt eventually moved from California to Oklahoma in spring 2022. She is now the director of Bartlesville Civic Ballet, and Franco said she is incredibly proud of everything her longtime friend has gone on to accomplish.

Nearly nine years later, Franco continues to see the same community spirit reflected in the families who walk through Turning Pointe’s doors.

Turning Pointe School of Dance focuses on building self-esteem, physical well-being and a strong technical foundation in a positive and supportive environment. The studio offers classes ranging from preschool through adults and provides opportunities for recreational and competitive dancers.

For Franco, one of the most rewarding parts of owning the studio is watching students grow not only as dancers, but as people.

“I love watching dancers grow not just as dancers, but as people,” Franco said. “I love seeing a little dancer walk through our doors for the first time and then watching them gain confidence, find friendships, discover their strengths, and eventually become leaders for the dancers coming behind them.”

That experience is one reason Turning Pointe has become such an important part of life for many San Diego Country Estates families.

Denise Bier has lived in San Diego Country Estates for 12 years. Three of her five children Madeline, 12, Abigail, 8, and Maribelle, 5 dance at Turning Pointe. The girls have been part of the studio for a combined seven years, with Madeline starting when she was 5 years old.

Today, all three girls participate in the competition team. The girls also take a variety of classes, including ballet, jazz, acro, tap, lyrical and hip hop. In addition to regular classes, they attend competition rehearsals and strengthening and conditioning classes to work on skills such as leaps and turns.

“We are almost there every day,” Bier said.

Turning Pointe has also become a family-friendly place for the Biers, including their two children who don't dance.

Anthony, 10, plays baseball, while 3-year-old Jonathan has become an unofficial “studio kid,” coming along to his sisters' classes and watching from the sidelines. Bier said the studio's waiting areas make it easier for families with younger children. There are two studios, a waiting area and a back area with grass where little ones can run around. She also appreciates the studio’s safety features, including a gated parking lot that closes at night and requires a code.

“The studio feels safe,” Bier said.

One of the things that sets Turning Pointe apart for its families is its approach to performances. The studio presents two major productions each year; one during the Christmas season and another in the spring. Rather than simply putting on a traditional recital, the productions tell a story and give dancers opportunities to take on lead roles.

This December 12, Turning Pointe will present a brand-new production, “Christmas Memories.” One of the ballerinas will represent the Spirit of Christmas and lead the audience through three beloved childhood stories: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and The Night Before Christmas.

Franco hopes to make the production more than just a dance performance and turn it into a true community holiday event. The studio hopes to offer photos with Santa, festive goodies and drinks for families and possibly even carolers.

Turning Pointe intentionally keeps its performances in Ramona, with many shows taking place at Mountain View Community Church.

“We want our audiences to see the incredible talent that exists right here in our own community,” Franco said. “Ramona has so much to offer, and I love being able to showcase that.”

Although Franco considers herself “a ballerina through and through,” she loves that Turning Pointe incorporates many different styles of dance. Each instructor is responsible for creating a scene in the production, and the instructors then work together to create one cohesive story.

“Watching our instructors take their individual ideas, talents, and dance styles and turn them into a complete production is incredible,” Franco said.

Past productions have included The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Merry Grinchmas, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz and Beauty and the Beast. Merry Grinchmas was especially popular, selling out both times it was performed.

Jena Hattox, a San Diego Country Estates resident for 10 years, has also watched Turning Pointe become an important part of her family's life.

Hattox has six children, and three of her daughters- Whitney, 14, Vivian, 12, and Iris, 9- dance at Turning Pointe. The girls attend classes Monday through Thursday and, when a show is approaching, may dance Monday through Friday. Their classes include a variety of genres, including ballet, jazz, acro and lyrical.

“If they have it, I have a kid in it,” Hattox said.

For Hattox, one of the most important things about Turning Pointe is not the number of classes her daughters take or the competitions they participate in; it is the culture of the studio.

“I love the emphasis on character,” Hattox said. “It’s not about who is the best. The culture of the studio is healthy,” she said. “I am not worried about when I leave the kids. They do a great job. It’s a healthy environment.”

Ask Franco what her favorite part of owning Turning Pointe is, and her answer is simple: the people.

She loves watching dancers grow in confidence, build friendships and discover their strengths. She also loves seeing the reaction of families when their children perform.

“The joy our shows bring to my dancers’ families, even with all the chaos and bumps, it truly fuels me to see how they love to watch their children perform,” Franco said. “It’s greater than all the applause I received as a dancer myself. This is so much greater.”

Turning Pointe welcomes dancers with different interests, abilities and goals. There are recreational dancers, competitive dancers, young children taking their first ballet class and dancers pursuing dance at a serious level.

Franco wants every dancer who walks through the doors to feel like they belong. That philosophy is deeply connected to her own roots in Ramona.

“This isn't simply a business that I opened in a town where I happened to live,” Franco said. “This is my hometown.”

As Turning Pointe looks toward its 10-year anniversary, Franco wants to celebrate the community that helped make the studio possible.

Plans include hopes of participating in Ramona’s parade, increasing the number of scholarships available to families who need financial assistance and finding other ways throughout the year to give back to the community. She also hopes to celebrate the dancers and families who have been part of Turning Pointe's journey and recognize the people who have helped make the studio what it is today.

“I am incredibly proud of what I have built in my little corner of Ramona,” Franco said.

There have been challenges along the way, including navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, but Franco said she is continually reminded why she started whenever she looks around the studio.

“I have been humbled, amazed, and honored by the people who have supported us over the years,” she said.

Families interested in learning more about Turning Pointe can attend the studio's Back to Dance Bash on Saturday, August 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 405 Maple Street, Suite C-102/103, in Ramona.

The event will give families an opportunity to meet the teachers, register for classes, ask questions and see what makes Turning Pointe a special place to grow in confidence, friendships and a love for dance. Children will also have an opportunity to try a short dance class.

As Turning Pointe heads into its ninth season, Franco is looking forward to celebrating everything the studio has accomplished while preparing for its official 10-year anniversary in 2027.



“I am so excited to see what the next 10 years bring,” Franco said. “I really am.”