On Friday night, a group of dancers, from babies to adults, will celebrate 30 years of dance at the Fairhope Civic Center, at a dance recital featuring students from the Green Acres School of Dance in Robertsdale.

Maxine Smith, owner of the school, which she opened 30 years ago at her home in Rosinton, estimates that she has taught thousands of area children to dance. “The opening number at the recital will feature 30 of our former students, who are still dancing, as well as pursuing education or careers,” she said.

Smith began dancing at age 4, but before that, she went with her mother to dance studios around Mobile, where her mother played the piano. “I would sit under the piano while she played,” she recalled. She later studied dance in New York City, and was about to become one of the famous Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, when she got a better offer — her sweetheart, Clewis Smith, proposed.

Smith taught dance to her daughters and when her oldest daughter, Denise Smith Kendrick, finished high school, the two teamed up and opened Green Acres School of Dance.

“We lived on a 40-acre farm and the children would get off the school bus and I would drive the station wagon down to the road and pick them up and take them to the house,” Smith recalled.

Smith’s other two daughters, Wendy and Misti Smith, are also dancers and instructors. Wendy Smith teaches at a Green Acres school in Bay Minette and Misti Smith has her own school in Robertsdale, Dare 2 Dance. Granddaughter Kecia Kendrick teaches with her grandmother and her twin, Kristen Kendrick teaches part-time with Wendy Smith.

“All three of my daughters won the talent contest in the Junior Miss pageant and they and the grandchildren all compete in dance,” Smith said, adding with a laugh, “We all dance and we compete with each other.”

After so many years of teaching dance to local youngsters, Smith said she is now teaching the children of her former students.

Smith said dance, like other art forms is always changing. Classical ballet is still taught but she said there is much more interest today in lyrical ballet, which she described as a more relaxed version of classical ballet, with less dancing en pointe, or on the toes.

She teaches ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics to preschoolers and ballet, pointe, jazz, gymnastics, baton and character to the older students. “Hip hop is very popular right now. You have to keep up with what is current,” she said.

For the recital, she said she hopes to entertain the audience, as well as showcase the talent of the students. “We try to entertain. Even the daddies stay to the end,” she said, with a laugh.

Even Smith’s husband, who is now retired, participates in dance in his own way.

“He answers the phone and tells the mothers all about the school and about his grandchildren!” she said.

“We just want to invite all our former students to come out to the Fairhope Civic Center and help us celebrate,” Smith said.

The recital/celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m.