Tea will soon be home to a dance studio.
Mari Pat Norgaard will open Ultimate Dance Studio in Tea in the former Camel Press building on First Street this month. Camel Press will move into the space next door.
Norgaard said the space will work perfectly for her classes. It includes a 46 by 25-foot room for the studio, along with a waiting area, rest rooms and separate entrance for the kids.
Ultimate Dance Studio in Beresford opened in 2005. More than 80 students are enrolled in Norgaard’s classes, which began with basic jazz, tap and ballet. As students increased, she’s added competitive dance teams, tumbling, mommy and me classes and women’s jazz and ballet. The students include toddlers up to adult women.
Norgaard said Tea is a growing community, and a dance studio seems to be a need. She held a five-week session in April. The session drew 68 kids.
That really prompted me to have a full studio in Tea,” she said.
Tea resident Julie LeVan enrolled her daughters, Natalie, 13 and Dana, 11 in the April session and said she will enroll them in the summer and fall dance lessons, too, once the studio opens.
“(Tea definitely needs a studio,” LeVan said. “We’ve just been without it for (awhile) now. The whole town is kids and it’s a good activity, especially if the kids are younger than the age when school activities start.”
Dance is also great exercise, LeVan said.
“It’s good for flexibility, and it gives them another avenue for music,” she said.
Dancing is a positive influence on kids, too, Norgaard said.
“It has an impact on kids’ self-esteem and it teaches them to be creative,” she said.
Confidence is built when a routine is learned and performed in front of an audience, too, Norgaard said.
For younger kids, they get a chance to get together with their friends and learn to work together and take turns, all while having fun.
The Mommy and Me class stemmed from Norgaard’s own experience with her two-year-old daughter.
“My daughter wasn’t quite ready for dance class and I wanted to get her involved, so I thought to have a class for the mom’s to come in and work with their young toddlers,” she said.
In the class, students work on somersaults and stretching, as well as instructions.
“It’s an interactive class and really fun for the kids. They learn how to listen to someone else (besides their parents) and take turns,” Norgaard said.
Norgaard has many years of dance under her belt. An Alta, Iowa native, she’s taken lessons since she was eight and has taught students since she was 14.
“Dancing is an outlet of creative energy and a stress reliever. I’ve always felt a strong connection to music and live that out daily by dancing,” Norgaard said.
Norgaard went to school for business administration and found she could combine her hobby and degree.
“I live my dream of teaching kids through dance and owning my own business,” she said. “It all wrapped into the perfect package.”
Norgaard primarily teaches the classes herself, but she does have two assistants that come in to help when she can’t be there.
Tea’s Ultimate Dance’s summer session begins June 22. Regular sessions run September through May.
Norgaard said students should register as soon as possible for the summer session. Classes will fill up as spaces are available. Usually a summer session draws about 30-40 students.
“It’s important to keep class sizes down. If we offer more classes, the kids don’t get lost in the numbers.”
To register for a class or for more information, call Norgaard at 376-8977 or log on to www.ultimatedancestudio.com.