Denlie Design / A product in the making / 2020–2026
Two questions.
One Denlie.
“What level is my child?”
“Which classes work for our family?”
I built tools to answer each question for real dance studios. Over years of feedback, those projects grew together—from a simple private placement page into a connected class-finding experience.
Follow the story01 / Two starting points
Different studios.
The same need for clarity.
The placement work began at Misty’s Dance Unlimited. The scheduling work grew from a separate request at Breaking Ground Dance Center.
Misty’s Dance Unlimited · Onalaska, WI
May 2020 · The foundation
Level Placement
The first version had one job: let families privately see their children’s assigned levels. A parent registered using the same email held in Studio Director, allowing the site to match that family to its placement records.
It began as a straightforward database and results page. The original implementation dates to May 26, 2020; follow-up emails document the same family login workflow in later seasons.
Workflow illustration of the original version.
The idea that carried forwardStart with the student. Show only the information that belongs to their family.
May–June 2024 · More than a result
Ascension
On May 1, MDU asked for a more organized, personal presentation: individual placements, specialty classes, summer recommendations, and teacher comments.
I developed the simple results view into a celebratory placement certificate, with class recommendations and an easier-to-read family experience. By June, I was offering it as Ascension Level Placement.
The idea that carried forwardA placement should explain the student’s next step.
Explore Ascension ↗Breaking Ground Dance Center · Pleasantville, NY
December 2023–March 2024 · A second path
Family Flex Scheduler
In December 2023, the studio asked me to rethink its schedule pages. That conversation became a tool for narrowing classes by children’s ages, dance styles, and available days.
- After a demo, the studio requested “select all” options for families still exploring days and styles.
- Version 2.0 was ready for review, with multiple-child selection confirmed and spreadsheet imports explained in the follow-up.
- Team testing, favorites, and class notations led into the website rollout. The scheduler was online March 13 ahead of the planned March 14 release.
Families could narrow the options, choose favorites, and keep a useful shortlist. Staff could supply the schedule through a spreadsheet.
2024–2026 · Learning after launch
Better with every season.
The first round of family and staff feedback arrived March 18, 2024. I completed the requested page naming, full-schedule access, and display edits the next day.
- Updated age brackets and adjusted the importer for the studio’s spreadsheet layout.
- Resolved further import issues involving column positions and workbooks containing multiple sheets.
- Changed uploads to replace the previous schedule, preventing removed classes from lingering in search results.
The idea that carried forwardUseful results depend on a schedule that stays accurate as the studio changes.
More about Family Flex ↗02 / The ideas come together
MDU Levels.
From placement to plan.
Standalone site · June 2025
Schedule integration · May 2026
Ascension evolved into the standalone MDU Levels site. The next major step connected students’ placements to the fall schedule, bringing the two ideas together.
“Ballet 3” could now lead to actual eligible classes, with days and times. In the scheduler, matching options were highlighted for each child, and families could filter the schedule and collect favorites.
The May 29, 2026 development history records this placement upgrade and scheduler integration. MDU Levels became the bridge between knowing a level and choosing a workable week.
Visit MDU Levels ↗Current product screenshots, October 2026. MDU Levels is shown with preview students.
03 / The next step · 2026
Denlie Platform.
The whole experience,
connected.
Denlie Platform takes those lessons beyond a standalone tool. The studio website, seasonal schedule, student placements, and family preferences become parts of the same experience.
New families explore classes by age, interest, and availability. Returning families bring their placement context. Both can build a class plan and follow through to the studio’s existing registration system.
Developed under the working name Class Match, the project became the foundation for Denlie Platform. By August 2026, I was sharing working walkthroughs with MDU: a studio-branded site with schedule-driven recommendations and content that could adapt to new and returning families.
Personal to the family.
Carry forward the privacy and placement context of the original MDU tool.
Practical for their week.
Bring Family Flex’s filtering and favorites into a class plan families can keep.
Manageable for the studio.
Review schedule imports, organize seasons, and see which classes families are considering.
See the studio side of Denlie Platform
The thread through it all
Built around real questions.
Refined through real use.
I’m a developer and dance educator. These projects grew from working with studio teams, listening to families, and improving the tools each season. That experience is the foundation of Denlie Platform—and the direction I’m taking Denlie.
Let’s talk about your project ↗Timeline reconstructed from project correspondence and development history. Dates distinguish early requests, review versions, and subsequent releases. Product screenshots show the versions noted in their captions.