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BLACKSBURG -- Ever since millions of viewers watched as her home and dance studio in Blacksburg were renovated on the ABC show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," former professional ballerina and Dance Theatre of Harlem member Carol Crawford Smith has experienced plenty of opportunities.

Since the show aired Feb. 12, congratulatory calls and e-mails have been flooding in to the owner of the Center of Dance studio downtown.

One of the instructors at the studio, Virginia Tech junior Stephanie Harvey, has been invited to be a summer intern with ABC because of her appearance on the show. And Smith herself has received several requests for collaborative projects with dancers and art centers from as far away as South Dakota, St. Louis and her hometown of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

However, Smith's most-exciting invitation to date came from much closer to home.

Dylan Locke, director of programming for the Jefferson Center in Roanoke, approached Smith with a community outreach opportunity involving Philadanco, the Philadelphia-based modern-contemporary dance troupe that performed at the Jefferson Center on Saturday.

GTamara Gaskin | The Roanoke Times

Two dancers with Philadanco took time before their Saturday performance at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke to teach a master class at the Center of Dance in Blacksburg on Friday. Center of Dance owner Carol Crawford Smith was asked by Jefferson Center program director Dylan Locke to host the master class taught by Odara Jabali-Nash (at right) and Tommie Evans (second from right).

Wanting to forge a stronger relationship between the Center of Dance and the Jefferson Center and provide an opportunity for the community to communicate directly with the dancers, Locke asked Smith to host a master class with Philadanco dancers at her studio.

Smith, who had been enjoying the much-needed renovations to her studio and was itching to invite in new dancers, immediately agreed.

"Carol's just a sweetheart," Locke said.

Locke noted that had he been torn about Smith's recent experience with "Extreme Makeover," vacillating between feeling happy for the positive changes to her home and troubled by her physical battle with multiple sclerosis, which has left Smith using a wheelchair.

He felt that bringing dancers of Philadanco's caliber to the Center of Dance would give Smith an opportunity to fuel her creativity and give back to the community.

"I just wanted to help her get out there and create again," Locke said. "I think there's a way to turn negatives into positives, and if anyone can do it, it's her."

Although the Center of Dance has always been a visible arts component in the New River Valley, the exposure created by "Extreme Makeover" re-emphasized its presence in the community.

Smith said she feels more comfortable inviting dance organizations into her studio since the renovations.

"I definitely wanted to make the Center of Dance available for anyone in the New River Valley who wanted to attend," Smith said of opening the master class up to the public, including groups such as the contemporary dance ensemble from Virginia Tech and members of Roanoke's dance community.

On Friday, the day before the performance in Roanoke, Philadanco dancers Odara Jabali-Nash and Tommie Evans led a group of roughly 15 students through a class steeped in Philadanco's trademark modern style.

Although the rigorous exercises left many in the class winded, students were enthusiastic and excited about the opportunity to learn from professional dancers.

For Darlene Jennings, a Virginia Tech graduate and former member of Smith's dance group Ujima, the class was her first opportunity to dance in more than a year.

"It was great to come and dance and experience with professionals," Jennings said.

Smith was just as satisfied with the outcome of the class.

"I got a lot of positive response from the students, and one student in particular e-mailed me about how excited she was and how much it meant to her. She said it rejuvenated her spirit," Smith said.

Jennings' experience at the Center of Dance compelled her to check out Philadanco's performance in Roanoke.

"The performance was excellent. There was a lot of energy, and they did modern, ballet and ethnic dances," Jennings said.

"There was really something for anybody, from any walk of life, to experience."

At the performance, Smith was excited to notice that Jabali-Nash and Evans were among the most featured dancers in the ensemble.

"We just felt really blessed to have had them come teach," Smith said.

She also got an opportunity to go backstage.

"As excited as we were to see them, they were just as elated to see us," Smith said.

"To work with them on this level is powerful, and it creates a passion to see the performance," Locke said of the students who attended the Philadanco show.

Locke said the Jefferson Center is working to include more outreach activities and workshops to forge a deeper connection between the community and the artists and performers who come town.

"We do our part to help do what we can to help young people get inspired," he said.

He is also hoping to collaborate with Smith again in the near future on a larger production.

"I feel that it's very important to have community outreach, especially for the school-age children. Parents and adults need to expose children to those affairs and the way we can do that is to make it more available," Smith said.