A group of young women who wowed community members at a recent event say the love dance has helped them grow even more in life, gaining confidence, respect and a sense of family.
“I think that prepares you for the real world and beyond,” said.
Twin Rivers High School student Alissa Stanley.
While she says her future plan is to become an optometrist, she loves dance and has been doing it for 10 years.
Stanley attends the Dance Studio in Poplar Bluff, a performing arts academy which recently gave a performance at the Black River Coliseum during the Save the Rodgers Theatre banquet. The group will perform again Dec. 2, during the Poplar Bluff Lighted Christmas Parade.
Stanley was 7 when she got started with the studio.
“I’m here three nights a week for about two to four hours, it just depends on the day,” Stanley said, adding, “I think coming here, we learn more than just dance skills. (We) learn life skills. We’re very disciplined and we learn respect — for your instructor, other people, your classmates.”
It also helps build confidence, she believes.
The Dance Studio has been in business since June of 2012, according to owner and Artistic Director Robin Starnes.
“All of our teachers have college degrees or special training in dance and we teach ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, hcro, contemporary, modern, lyrical, acting, voice and musical theater jazz,” said Starnes.
The focus of the studio is to provide a performing arts education to ages 3 to 18 and assist students if they choose to become industry professionals, according to Starnes.
Haley Hanners, Maggie Lemings, Stanley, Tenley Moss, Adleigh Burke, Laynie Riggins, Olivia Wilson and Hattie Ligons poured their hearts into their dance routines for the Rodgers event, which they say took months to perfect.
A Holcomb High School student, Lemings has been dancing since she was around four years old and her love for dance has only grown.
“I love dancing,” the 18-year-old said. “It’s not even a hobby, it’s something I do because I love doing it.”
Moss, a Poplar Bluff Middle School student, delivered performance to the popular Christian song “You Say” that moved the audience, according to attendees.
“I choreographed it myself — it was for Beta (Club) originally and my teacher helped me add on to it,” said Moss.
When asked what her inspiration was for choosing the song and routine, Moss said, “Sometimes people can say hurtful things so that is kind of what it was about. You just have to learn how to brush it off.”
Burke is a junior high student at Poplar Bluff.
When asked what she feels she has gotten from being a part of dance she said, “I think I have a second family.”
The sentiment seemed to be the same with all of the dance students, they say they have learned respect and a sense of family by taking part in the dance studio.
In addition to recitals, students at the Dance Studio often collaborate with Center Stage at the local Three Rivers College.
“We also perform at community or regional events such as the Chamber banquet and SEMO’s Summer Arts Festival in Cape,” said Starnes. “We have an awarding-winning competition team which travels to areas such as to St. Louis, Branson and Memphis to compete with other studios for regional and national titles.”
One of the 2022 PBHS graduates, Emma Papanicolaou, was recently recruited by the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, according to Starnes, and she is now there studying to work in the entertainment industry.
“Another graduate, Jerrica Starnes, is studying acting at SEMO. She worked as an extra on The Walking Dead on AMC and plans to move to Atlanta to further her acting career when she graduates from college,” she said.
The next performance the girls will be taking part in is the upcoming Poplar Bluff Lighted Christmas parade, scheduled for Dec. 2. For more information check them out online at www.poplarbluffdancestudio.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PoplarBluffDance.