By Whitney Donohue

Moapa Valley Progress

Brandie Wisniewski (right) with her mother Karen Law, who owns Top School of Dance in Mesquite, opened Studio B Academy of Dance in downtown Overton last week. Photo by Whitney Donohue.

Studio B Academy of Dance in Overton held an open house on Saturday welcoming new and aspiring local dancers. Brandie Wisniewski, owner and artistic director of the studio, was on hand welcoming the potential students and explaining her dance philosophy and classes.

With the graceful figure of a professional dancer, Wisniewski has been dancing most of her life. She has danced professionally since the age of nine, when she was chosen to dance during a Crystal Gayle concert in St. Louis, Missouri.

At the age of eleven, Wisniewski was chosen to dance at the Magic Convention in Las Vegas, and has been dancing at a variety of events ever since.

She has not danced at any of the Las Vegas shows, however. “I truly respect the dancers in the shows,” she said, “but I honestly feel that they don’t get paid enough for what they do. It’s a cut-throat business, and the casinos just don’t support the dancers like I feel they should.”

There hasn’t been a lack of work for Wisniewski, though. In addition to the dance studio, she accepts various dancing jobs every Saturday night, dancing as backup to a huge variety of bands in casinos and other venues in Las Vegas.

“I feel like these jobs keep dancing fresh for me,” she said. “I never know what kind of dancing I will be doing week to week, which makes work seem much more like fun.”

Wiesniewski will be teaching a variety of classes in Overton from Thursday to Saturday. If there is enough demand, she may expand her classes to include Wednesday as well. She is also teaching in Mesquite at the Top School of Dance.