New dance studio offers classes locally

Lakeside parents who want to enroll their children in dance classes no longer have to make the 30 minute commute to Kalispell now that the Lakeside Dance Studio opened its doors.

Resident Cara Campbell, who has a long history in dance herself, saw a need for dance locally and thought her skills could fulfill that need.

"I felt it was something I could offer the community," Campbell said. "And it's all come together."

The studio opened Sept. 26, and is located at 1700 U.S. Highway 93 in Lakeside.

Campbell currently has 36 students. She was surprised to have such a high number.

"In my mind, if I started with 15, I would have been happy with the economy and being in a small town," Campbell said.

She currently offers classes for children ages 3 to 12 in ballet, tap and jazz. She hopes to start a yoga class. The classes run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The classes will give two recitals, one at Christmas and another in May.

Campbell's own dance history reaches back to lessons starting at age 3.

Throughout her early adolescence and elementary school years, Campbell joined up with singing and dancing tour groups. Every summer, she went to a performing arts camp and during the school year, she took lessons, mostly in ballet.

At age 14, she decided to commit to ballet. She was living in Eureka at the time and came to Kalispell often for classes.

When she was 17, she moved just outside of Dallas to attend a performing arts school.

She toured internationally and moved to Lakeside in 1999 with Youth With A Mission to start writing a production, which she toured internationally with for six years.

A few years ago, Campbell decided it was too hard to be on the road and dedicate the time she needed to dance and being the mom she wanted to be to her two young children.

After a break and teaching a few classes off and on, she was ready to get back into it. Her children, ages 4 and 2, are now old enough for her to do so.

She's been teaching here and there, but saw a need for opportunities right in Lakeside for children and adults to experience dance.

"Most people seem excited. Everyone comments that it is something for our kids in our town," Campbell said.

Campbell wants to start teaching adult classes as well. Right now she has a wish list in the studio for locals to come in and add their names, contact information and the style they are interested in. If she gets enough interest in a type of dance, she'll start a class. She's seen a significant interest in varieties of couple dancing like swing.

For more information, visit www.lakesidedancestudio.com.