Taken from Sumner Newscow:
Labor Day Blog pt. 3: At Michelle’s Encore Dance Studio, it isn’t just about the dance
by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — At Michelle’s Encore Dance Studio, it is about keeping the dance simple. It is about age appropriate music and costumes. It is about affordable pricing and a budget friendly year end recital.
And it is about life.
If you act now, you can start a whole new season of dance for your child and see what Wellington’s now most established dance studio is all about.
This will mark Michelle Crittenden’s fifth season at the studio, located at 205 S. Washington. When people come to register there will be a full lineup of classes starting from the Itty Bitty to Combo Level 1 and II, to ballet, jazz, tap, pom, and hip hop. There is something for everyone Monday through Thursday.
Here are the dancers who started Tuesday at Michelle’s Encore Dance.
Classes started this week, but there is still plenty of time to register. Only you might want to act fast. These classes are filling up. Sumner County children are discovering that classes at Michelle’s Encore Dance Studio are a lot of fun. Parents are discovering just how affordable dance classes can be.
Crittenden opened her doors in January, 2010, and it has been full steam ahead ever since.
Her story is a good one. She grew up in a small town in White City, Kans. with a population of 500 which didn’t have a dance studio. So she didn’t grow up dancing but was a cheerleader.
It wasn’t until she went to Butler Community College that she fell in love with the sport. She would transfer to Kansas State and become a member of the Classy Cats.
In 1998 with a degree in journalism and mass communications, Crittenden graduated and married Danny Crittenden. They had a bright-eyed little girl named Adelynn Brynn.
“After college, I coached and worked with many high school and college dance teams and continued taking dance classes,” Crittenden said. “I cheered for semi-pro teams and couldn’t shake the ‘dance bug.’”
In 2007, the Crittendens moved to Wellington and danced and coached the Wichita Wild dance team.
“After that with support from friends and family, I decided to go for it and open a studio,” she said. “I wanted to make dance affordable, so that all kids have a chance to try dancing.
“Dance has opened so many doors for me in my life.”
Crittenden said a lot of people don’t realize that junior colleges in Kansas give books and tuition scholarships to members of the dance team.
“Without that – I’m not sure how I would have gone to college,” she said.
Michelle chose the name Encore for the studio because for her it was the end of her show – performing the dances – to now coming back as a teacher – to share her passion for dance with others.
“I wanted to use dance to bring something positive to the community,” she said. “We have been able to raise money and awareness for local charities like the Michael Day Benefit, Wellington Food Bank, and Relay for Life and hope to do even more in the future.”
This year’s dance schedule is a good one (see full schedule here).
As one can tell, at Michelle’s Encore Dance Studio it is more about dance. It’s about building a positive foundation and being a good citizen.
-- Miss Michelle join us here --> 
and here --> 
Heck, why not register for class right now? Go ahead!
and here --> Heck, why not register for class right now? Go ahead!
