Page 5 - 2018 TR WWW

Sunday, August 19, 2018 • An Advertising Supplement to the Three Rivers Edition • What Women Want • 5SS
Lana Grober said that although dancing helps students develop a number of life skills, the No. 1 reason parents sign children up for dance is to help them overcome shyness.
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nearby locations. They begin lessons at age 3, and many continue to dance at the studio until they graduate from high school.
Teaching tots in tutus is “a little bit like herding cats,” she said, adding that she mostly trains 3-year-olds to work in group settings, which makes a big difference when they start school, already knowing how to stand in line or stay in assigned spots.
“They do learn a lot, even at that age,” she added. “It’s a lot of fun seeing them perform onstage because it’s so cute when they finally learn the steps.”
When they reach kindergarten, students can opt to join a competitive team. Lana described the studio as a low-key competitor, participating in a couple of regional competitions and requiring only two hours of training each week. That flexibility is key in small towns where students often juggle dance with sports or cheerleading, she said.
“We work hard to try to make that atmosphere one that’s supportive and encouraging instead of so competitive,” she said.
Although the studio walls are lined with trophies, Lana said she is most proud of the awards that recognize not only skill, but professionalism and positivity.
“Those always make me really happy that my dancers have that type of attitude,” she said. Every few years, Lana gives older students an opportunity to join her on a trip to watch Broadway shows in New York City, she said, and when the students graduate, she makes a video to honor every dancer who stayed with
her for the full 15 years.
Most of the studio’s instructors are former
students, she added. Megan Florence Gray, an instructor and former student, said Lana encouraged her to attend the prestigious dance program at Oklahoma City University, where she earned a degree in dance performance before moving to New York City to pursue regional dance work.
“I don’t think I would have ever considered auditioning for OCU if it weren’t for Mrs. Lana,” Gray said. “I’m thankful every day that she pushed me and supported me. I grew not only as a dancer under Lana, but as a strong, smart and independent young lady.”
This year, Gray said, her daughter will follow in her footsteps by taking her first dance lessons at the studio.
MORE THAN MOTIONS
The grace gained from dancing flows into all areas of life, Lana said, and dancers cultivate a show-must-go-on attitude that helps them overcome fumbles during job interviews, public speaking and other situations they encounter when they grow up.
“You can always spot a dancer by their posture,” she said. “They know how to carry themselves when they walk into a room, and
Grober spots dance student Olivia Norwood, 11, who joined the studio when she was 3. Lana said many of her students start dance lessons at age 3 and continue until they graduate from high school.
their eye contact, lots of the time, is good because they’ve been trained to look people in the eyes and try to tell people their story when they’re dancing.”
Parents enroll their children in dance class for a number of reasons, she added. While some hope their children will develop a dancer’s poise, others might want to prepare their kids for cheerleading or sports.
However, Lana said the No. 1 reason parents sign kids up for dance is to help them overcome shyness. Dance dad Jason Cook said his daughter’s confidence has increased tremendously since she started dancing at the studio.
“My daughter has been shy since day 1, and it has really built a lot of self-esteem and let her have a lot of pride,” he said. “That’s what I see out of this studio, is the self-confidence, the self-esteem. [Lana] really builds that in these kids.”
In fact, the studio’s motto is, “We build confidence and make happy memories for our students,” and Lana said she hopes the slogan holds true. Most of all, she said, she hopes her students develop the same courage she showed when she opened her studio — the courage to follow their dreams and share their gifts with the world.
“I hope they always keep doing whatever it is they’re passionate about, whether it be dancing or law or medicine or whatever, but I hope they do it full-out and they won’t be afraid to be vulnerable, to let their true self show,” she said. “I think that’s one of the things we teach in dance — just don’t be afraid to be the real you.”
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