By CYNDI GRAHAM
Moapa Valley Progress
A new dance studio is opening this fall in Overton. Owned by dance instructor Brianna Waite, it is called Studio B Dance Academy and it will be offering many styles including Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Hip Hop and combination classes with more to come.The new studio has been Waite’s dream ever since she was 16 years old.
Waite began her dance training even earlier than that. Growing up in northern California, she started dancing at age 10 with a diverse stylistic repertoire of Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Acrobatics. There she joined the Studio C Dance Academy traveling competition company where she competed in over 30 dance competitions including JUMP, Legacy, Showstopper, Kids Artistic Review, West Coast Dance Explosion, CO Dance, LA Elite and more.
While on the traveling dance company, Waite had the opportunity to participate in master classes with Emmy award winning choreographers including Travis Wall, Mia Michaels, Sonya Tayeh. She worked with Dimitry Chaplin from “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance” winner Melanie Moore.
A graduate of Brigham Young University Idaho, Waite was the recipient of two talent scholarships and an award of excellence. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in University Studies with a Dance and Performing Arts minor and emphasis in dance.
While there, Waite expanded her dance training in Modern, Ballroom, International, Latin, Folk, Choreography, Improvisation, Partnering, Country Western, Clogging, Irish soft and hard shoe, Russian and World Dance styles. She was a dancer with the BYU-Idaho Collegiate Dancers and also was a member of the BYU-Idaho Dance Alliance touring team.
Waite now lives in Logandale with her husband, Tyler, and their two young daughters. She is currently the Mack Lyon Middle School dance team coach.
She said that she is excited to share her love and knowledge of dance to all those who have a desire and willingness to learn.
“Dance has always been my passion,” she said. “And having the opportunity to teach dance at the middle school only inspires me to teach students how fun and rewarding dance can truly be.”
Waite will be opening her dance school, Studio B Dance Academy, in August. Classes will be held in the Old Overton Gym. She plans to expand the space in the future.
Registration and class sign ups will be held in the Old Overton Gym on Saturday, July 27. Classes will be limited due to time and space available for now, but Studio B will continue to grow each year offering more classes and dance styles.
