Dancing at the STAC in Manahawkin, NJ

In the past, dancers in the tri-state area would need to travel to one of its bustling cities to take part in competitions. With our culture’s growing awareness of youth dance, however, more venues are playing host to such events. 

In Manahawkin, New Jersey, the Stafford Township Arts Center (or STAC) has evolved into a go-to theater for dance competitions. Groove, Starpower, Believe, Dancers’ Inc., Elite Dance, Beyond the Stars, True Talent, and Onstage are some of the companies that have held events there, so many local dancers consider it one of the primary local competition locations. My girls and I have attended several competitions here, and have a pretty solid knowledge of the venue.

The Specs

Located in southern Ocean County at 1000 McKinley Avenue in Manahawkin, the STAC falls under the management of the Stafford Township School District. The theater offers seating for about 800 people (some handicapped seats are available). In front of the theater, the lobby area is the main location that the competition companies use for registration and merchandise sales. A snack stand, a set of bathrooms, and a limited number of cushioned seats are also located in the lobby. 

The backstage area is accessible from an adjacent hallway, and the large cafeteria serves as the dressing room. Another set of bathrooms, a receiving/storage area for large props, and some additional rooms are located behind the backstage hallway, towards the rear of the building. For more information on the building’s technical specifications, you can take a look at this PDF.

Parking is available right in front of the building (there is no charge). A partially-covered walkway stretches across the front of the theater, which offers some protection from the elements.

For smaller events, the venue is a comfortable size. However, we’ve typically experienced larger events that have been sold out. When this is the case, I would recommend a few strategies.

The Dressing Room and Parking

Be sure to get there early for the best parking and location in the dressing room. At our last event (Believe), the maxed-out capacity created a tight squeeze. Our team was one of the largest there, and we had to squish into a tight space on the third day because we had a later call time than the others. This caused a few problems.

We had to take up a “lane” that was used as the main thoroughfare to the back of the dressing area, so our belongings were knocked over and stepped on throughout the day (including a bottle of soda that got EVERYWHERE). Of course, it didn’t help that one team spread out gymnastics mats in the already-crowded space (but that’s a tale for another time). As a courtesy to other teams, consider minimizing the number of “accessories” you bring (pop-up tents, mats, etc.), especially for sold-out events.

The Theater

Audience members only have access to one set of doors to enter AND exit the theater. If you’re facing the stage, the doors are on your left (so stage right). Because of that, the area got congested very quickly. Because of the dozens of bodies pressed into a fairly tight space, it was impossible to find a seat after one number left the stage and the next began. Overall, the scampering and lack of room contributed to a more chaotic atmosphere than what would have been ideal. I can’t imagine that none of the dancers noticed the bustling crowd; I hope it didn’t adversely affect any of their performances.

The stage seemed to be an ample size. None of our dancers complained that they ran out of room (there are 43 of them in our production number). For more details about the stage’s dimensions, please see their website or the PDF mentioned in the second paragraph of this post.

Food

The food situation is not ideal if you’re planning to obtain your meals at the venue. In the lobby, you’ll find a snack stand with a limited menu (pictured). Hot dogs, bagels, and pizza are the main “meal” choices. On the Saturday of a competition weekend, they had run out of pizza slices by 11:00 a.m. And the previous night (Friday), the snack stand was not open at all. While the people who staffed it throughout the rest of the weekend were very nice, the offerings and availability left much to be desired.

At the time of this post, the closest fast food joint (McDonald’s) was closed for renovation. Further down Route 72, you can find a Wendy’s, KFC, and a Chick-fil-a. If fast food isn’t your thing, you can find an Applebee’s, Bubbakoo’s Burritos, Chipotle, and several other restaurants within a ten-minute drive. And of course, you can always order through a food delivery app like GrubHub, DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.

If you would rather not order out, your best bets are to have your friends and family members bring meals to you when they come to see your child’s dances. Or you can swing by the Wawa (about 3.5 miles away) to load up on sandwiches, wraps, drinks, snacks, and other essentials to get you through the day. Packing food from home is always an option as well.

Lodging

The Holiday Inn in Manahawkin seems to be the primary hotel in the area. It is located just about 1.5 miles from the venue, which amounts to a five-minute ride. The Barnegat Motel is a non-chain option, but is further away from the STAC. When you run a search for local hotels, you can find many choices on Long Beach Island (but be aware that you’d be booking “beach” hotels/motels and need to cross the Manahawkin Bay). 

The Final Word

The Stafford Township Arts Center is a great venue for smaller events, like a regional dance competition or a local community theater production. But to make the most of the experience, a little pre-planning is in order to make sure your dancer’s needs are met. Get your food and lodging arrangements done ahead of time to avoid inconvenient situations. For additional information (including more pictures of the venue), go to https://stacnj.com/. 

Headed to Harrah’s, Atlantic City, for a dance event? Then you’ll want to check out this post!

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