It's all about the moves

Not only will Dance Steps Studio students be performing their annual big recital next month, but also the studio will be moving to a new location, according to owner Margaret Meier.

The recital is titled “Somedays You Gotta Dance,” and will be on May 5 at 2 p.m. at the Sidney High School Fine Arts Auditorium.

Meier said that it will be the group’s big end of the year recital and that shortly after May 5 she will be moving her business from its current location to the Jones Center at 1044 Toledo Street.

The dance instructor said that her current location was “not good” and that she is ecstatic to finally be moving.

“I’ve been here for 23 years and there are still people that don’t know I am here,” said Meier.

“I’ve been looking for years for a better location and it all finally clicked, and I went ‘Yes! Hooray, hooray,’” she exclaimed.

Meier said that the new studio is bigger and provides more room for her students to dance.

The dance instructor was born and raised in Sidney before moving away for approximately 10 years. However, she said the big city atmosphere got the best of her and she decided to return to the smaller town ambiance to open her studio.

“I always wanted to come back to a smaller town,” she admitted. “When I came back and made up my mind to start teaching there wasn’t anybody around here teaching classical ballet and tap - there just wasn’t.

“I look at all my students now and I think ‘If you had stayed in the city you wouldn’t have what you have here,’” she said. “Moving back was a good thing for me.”

Meier said that she has danced ever since she was a little girl and that she has always loved classical dance.

That is why later on in life she decided to return to her true passion.

“I decided that I was going to do what I love,” she said.

Meier said that she starts out her students at age 3 and teaches them in progression into classical ballet.

“They can start tap when they’re about 6 or 7 years old,” she said.

Although she said it is best to start the dancers at age 3, Meier said that kids of any age can jump into one of her dance programs.

“We try to work them in and integrate them in,” she said. “They’re usually a little bit behind and they have to work a little bit harder, but they can get caught up.”

Meier said that Courtney Werner also teaches a hip-hop class for ages fourth grade and up, and Bev Rickard teaches a gymnastics class.

“My classes are structured, and they are disciplined,” said the instructor. “They are there to learn and dance for that hour; it’s not just fun and games.

“I’m an old-school ballet teacher, but they have fun and it’s very age appropriate dancing - even for the little ones,” she said

Meier said that the big recital on May 5 will include all of her students – participants ages 3-18.

“They work for the whole term and the recital is our ‘biggie,’” she said. “That is their day to shine, and the recital is all about them.”

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5.

After the studio has moved to its new location this summer, Meier said that she is planning on hosting a three-day dance camp workshop.

“To christen the new studio we’re going to do a three-day workshop June 10, 11 and 12,” she said.

The workshop will include a Princess Ballerina dance camp for ages 3 through 5, a hip-hop dance camp for ages fourth grade and older (taught by Courtney), and a gymnastics camp (taught by Bev.)

“They can either call me or come in and talk to me at the Book Corner on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for more information,” said Meier.