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A Passion For Dancing A team of dancers practices a jump during one of the Element Dance Studio’s classes. See more photos at thechronicleonline.com
Originally published in The Chronicle Vol. 138 July 8, 2020 JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
Hard work, but fun, rewarding Dance has always been a part of my life,” Olivia DeShaver, a 16-year old St. Helens resident, said. “I grew up with brothers who dance and that started here and I have just loved it ever since.” DeShaver is a student at the Elements Dance Studio in St. Helens. “I started dancing when I was three and I want to make it my career,” she said. “It is such a positive environment. There is so much love in it. It is based on originality and your own creativity. It challenges you to not only be a good dancer but to be a good person.” DeShaver also encourages the younger children at the dance studio. “There are some hard
times, so I tell them not to be discouraged,” she said. “It’s a lot of work and dedication, but it is totally worth it.” Hillsboro resident 17-year-old Alia Takashima is also taking classes at Elements. She said she enjoys expressing her emotions through dancing, but she admits there are challenges. “The most challenging part is not getting the move right away,” she said. “But I keep working to achieve it. You have to really put your mind to it, focus and work really hard.” Takashima said she hopes to become an occupational therapist. “I want to put my dancing into my work to help people,” she said. “With occupational therapy, you have to help people learn how to move and with dance movements that will hopefully better help me accomplish that.” Elements co-director and instructor Lauren Foores said her goal is to help each student take away confidence from their experience. But with 200 children and adults attending the classes this
summer, Foores said teaching dance can be challenging. “It’s finding a balance between pushing them as technical dancers and still haboring that love of the art so that they can continue to grow and love it without feeling that they are not growing,” she said. “Especially with the younger dancers. You have to keep them interested and start the love of the art thing early, before they are willing to put in the hard work.” Foores said she attempts to individualize the dance training for each student. “I just love to see dancers grow and to see them feel a sense of accomplishment.,” she said. “We do competitions and some of them take it so seriously. We invest a lot and we get to see them grow and it is really rewarding to see them reach their goals.” Foores said rearranging the dance studio to fit the COVID-19 pandemic safety requirements was also challenging. “We had to make sure that we didn’t over-populate our
classes,” she said. “We had to measure out our studio spaces to make sure we had enough space fore everybody. We put tape marks on the floor to make sure it was the appropriate space, and that we had the proper walking space into and out of the studio.” Foores said each instructor is consistently reminding the young dancers of the health safety rules and extra time is taken in-between each class for a thorough studio cleaning. “There was a lot of teacher-training to get everyone on the same page,” she said. “We are doing a combination of in-studio and Zoom classes because there are some parents that don’t feel comfortable sending their kids to a live class. We work to help the children in the Zoom class feel that they are part of the overall classes. As instructors, we share tips with each other to make sure we are all doing the best job we can.” Hillsboro Parent Cashly Herman brings her 7-year old daughter Sadie to the St. Helens dance studio.
Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle
“I hope that she learns to grow as a person and that she follows her dreams,” Herman said. “I have seen that growth in her. All of the teachers here are amazing. Each one of the teachers treats the girls and boys with the utmost respect.” Herman said it has been encouraging having the in-person dance sessions resume at the St. Helens studio following online classes due to the pandemic. “Because when they’re little, it is hard for the children to focus and concentrate and having them here inperson is important for that focus,” Herman said. Prices for the dance classes vary and are dependent on the number of classes taken. The range can be from $60 for one class and up. A combination of online, Zoom and in-person classes are offered. The dance studio, located at 115 Church St. in St. Helens, was established in 2010. For class schedules and more information, contact the Element Dance Studio, at 503-366-5223, or at www. elementdancestudio.com.
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