By Andrea Simms-Karp
Things have improved since Erin Dubé started teaching dance classes out of a church basement.
The 33-year-old instructor now has her own studio, a handful of local dance teachers on staff and a growing clientele. The studio, Makin’ Moves, is building itself up with a simple philosophy: support the community, and the community supports you.
Dubé says her studio’s unique classes, ranging from kids hip hop to a mix of Pilates and ballet, are helping to fill a void in the local arts scene.
“We try to give the community what it wants, and right now it’s lacking the arts,” she says. “I know all the schools are having to cut down on their exercise too. People, especially kids, need stuff like this.”
If the arts scene is suffering from a lack of diversity, the studio has found a way to tap into the demand. In just the first 15 minutes that the school was open that day, three people came in to sign up their kids or themselves for classes.
“If they wanted to hold art classes in here, I would do it,” Dubé says, grinning.
Not a far-fetched idea, since she already has a craft-and-dance class for kids. Participants make a different craft every week, and then dance.
Dubé is also hoping to start a “girl’s night out” class, where a group of women can learn a style of their choice for a special night.
The studio is nestled in old Ottawa south with lime green walls and a disco ball for good measure. Colourful chairs and sparkly curtains help make the one-room dance space seem inviting. It’s easy to feel comfortable, even for a beginner.
One of the studio’s teachers, Louise Darling, says Ottawa is a good place to try out artistic experiments. She teaches a mix of ballet and Pilates that would be hard to find anywhere else.
“People are really looking for an intelligent way of combining movement and exercise,” she says. “There is a demand for something different.”
The difference helps, especially when it comes to getting young boys interested in dance. Christine Franklin is one of the moms who stopped in to sign up her son for hip hop classes. She says she is just happy there is a way to get boys dancing without being embarrassed.
“Girls have their ballet classes, and they really get dressed up in their finery, let me tell you,” she says. “But it’s good to have a chance for the boys to let loose and do something they really love.”
The surprise success of the hip hop class, as well as the yoga program for kids and the craft and dance class, has encouraged Dubé to expand her programming for children.
The studio will also be trying out a handful of new general programs in the future, she adds, to cater to demand.
She says her classes are based on what her students want, and what the city needs.
“It really just kind of fell into place,” she says. “I just want to make it a fun community thing and go from there.”