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Life, motion and friendship

Snoqualmie Valley Record • September 12, 2012 • 9

Staff Photo

Dancers, from tykes to teens to adults, gather at IGNITE Dance & Yoga’s studio in North Bend. The studio has grown dramatically since opening its doors in 2010, and today holds hundreds of classes weekly, such as yoga instruction, below.

Community strong

IGNITE Dance & Yoga grows skills, health and friendships in first two years

A

fter 10 years of traveling the world working as a professional dancer for Holland America Cruise

Line, and stints in California and Las Vegas, Katie Black decided she was ready for more.

She pursued yoga training, getting certified though the world-recognized Yoga Alliance.

Katie was ready for a new start. All she needed to do was find her roots.

It turned out that Black’s roots were waiting to grow right here in North Bend. Not long after opening the doors of her first business, IGNITE Dance & Yoga, two years

ago this month, Katie knew she had made the right choice.

Bold steps

Valley Profile

On any given day, IGNITE’s four classrooms are filled with students, young and old alike, learning new skills for life, staying fit and building friendships. It’s those friendships, those relationships, that led Katie to ing, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, musical theatre, start this business in September of 2010. acro (tumbling), and contemporary. Youth Connections between dancers, instructors, dance gives young people focus, strength friends and neighbors are what have made and flexibility. Katie relates the story of IGNITE a success, and as it one boy, Max, whose amazenters its third year, the studio ing acro and yoga class skills continues to grow, Katie’s bold helped him make big plays vision leading the way. on the baseball diamond, From those first days in and had his buddies start 2010, when Katie and her signing up. family members ran the busiAdults can take part in sevness and taught the classes, eral varieties of yoga, includIGNITE has grown to nearly ing, hot, warm, gentle, prena30 instructors, together teachtal, Vinyasa and introductory ing more than 160 classes for classes, as well as monthly adults and children every Katie Black, yoga workshops. Yoga has week IGNITE Dance & Yoga owner positively impacted all ages IGNITE offers dance and at IGNITE. Students have yoga classes for all ages, from benefited from not only the young children to seniors. Beginning with physical demands of yoga, but also the emothe youngest students, there is the Spark! tional and mental challenges, helping with preschool enrichment program, and classes patience and stress reduction. for youth including creative movement, ballet and tap, tumbling, boys’ break-dancSee IGNITE, 10

“I realized how important relationships are to me—seeing kids grow as dancers.”

September 2012

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10 • September 12, 2012 • Snoqualmie Valley Record

IGNITE FROM 9

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Yoga Oasis opens

Zumba, a fast-moving, dance-centric workout, along with ballet, tap and Broadway-style dance classes are offered. Adults and teens explore acting concepts in an improv class.

In its first two years, the studio greatly expanded, from two dance rooms to three rooms to, this fall, four. The latest addition is the private, quiet, yoga “oasis,” a space for 25 people to practice. The new addition, which has its own landscaping, parking and entrance, gives IGNITE new visibility on the city’s main street, and Katie is understandably proud of it.

Katie believes IGNITE has a different feel from most studios, and that her students can sense this.

“It’s a community spirit,” she says.

“My mission is to have a place where people can be themselves in a nonpretentious environment. Where people can really thrive and work to their fullest potential and feel like they have a family that supports them.”

It’s not about who’s the best dancer.

Small stuff isn’t sweated.

“There’s no anxiety when you come in to take a class,” Katie says.

“It’s down-to-earth, real people with incredible instruction.”

Big change Visits to her family in Snoqualmie led Katie to try teaching classes on the Eastside. When her students’ parents began to request that she stay, the seeds of IGNITE were planted.

IGNITE Dance & Yoga holds a special grand opening for its new Yoga Oasis, all day Sunday, Sept. 16.

There will be live music, massage demos, lots of giveaways and prizes, and other special events.

For the open house, the studio is partnering with Pioneer Coffee, QFC, Emerald City Smoothie, Birches Habitat, George’s Bakery, The Valley Theatre, Selah Gifts, and North Bend Bar and Grill. It’s a great opportunity to find out what the studio has to offer for your family.

Courtesy photos

“I had traveled nationally, taught master classes, but you don’t see those kids improve every week,” she said. “I realized how important those relationships were to me—seeing the kids grow as dancers, being stable in their lives, being someone they could rely on.”

After two years of success, Katie smiles, and tears up, as she thinks about what the community support has meant for her.

“I love it so much,” she says. “Life has changed a lot. It’s so good. So good.”

Children can learn movement and exercise skills for life while taking classes, such as acrobatics, above, at IGNITE Dance and Yoga. The youth competition team, at right, showcase their advanced moves in regional and national showcases.

The balance The different faces of IGNITE— children’s classes, adult dance, yoga and competition teams—all intertwine. Dance and yoga encompass the whole family, and there is something for everyone.

For her staff, there are high expectations, but teachers rise to them. Katie emphasizes communication: “Making sure that we connect and that we have similar goals. I trust every single person that works here. We keep it healthy and happy.”

That welcoming feeling extends outside the exercise room. There is always a friendly face to answer questions at the front desk.

Katie has also improved much of the building, from expansion to landscaping to customizing the top quality sprung dance floors—which are husband Gavin’s Black’s specialty, designed for less impact—and fewer aches—in the dancers’ legs.

Katie isn’t hesitant to try new ideas— as long as they fit into her vision of

helping her customers, students and families have a better experience.

Competition teams IGNITE gives its youth dancers the opportunity to earn their spot on traveling competition teams, and shows their moves at regional and national events.

Starting with 20 children and teens in the first year, in 2012 there were 90 youths who came to audition, which amazed Katie.

Not everyone makes it, but the opportunity helps every student move toward their potential. Competition team members take advanced classes, bond as a team, and practice extra, simply for their love of dance and commitment to each other. The teams,

like other classes at IGNITE, lead to lifetime friendships.

When classes are fun, families can be deeply involved. Katie points out the annual Dads’ Dance, which is held for every youth recital. Students’ fathers perform a dance all their own, getting in on the fun. In 2011, they were the “Blues Brothers.” This year was the dance of the “Disco Dads.”

“When dance is your passion, and you’re serious about it, it becomes your family,” Katie says. “It’s about more than classes. It’s about relationships.”

• IGNITE is located at 472 East North Bend Way. Learn more about classes or sign up at www.ignitedanceandyoga.com, call (425) 292-9880, or e-mail to info@ignitedanceandyoga. com.

ENGAGEMENT

McGowan, Shaw to wed

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engaged couple’s residence in Horse Canyon outside of Cle Elum. Officicants will be McGowan’s uncle Jeffrey Harrison and Shaw’s father William.

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Lawrence J. and Suzanne D. McGowan of Stevensville, Mont., announce the engagement of their daughter Natalie Suzanne McGowan, to Liam David Shaw, son of William G. A. Shaw and Mary Beth Haggerty-Shaw of Issaquah.

The couple will be piped and fiddled into matrimony at a September 15 wedding by Scottish bagpiper Andrew Taylor and Irish violinist Brendon Haggerty. The celebration will take place at the

McGowan graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Montana State University and is an equine nutrition consultant with CHS Nutrition.

Shaw graduated from Central Washington University with a geography degree and is a territory manager at New Zealandbased Gallagher Animal Management Solutions, Inc. The Shaws plan to live in Cle Elum with their growing menagerie of cattle, horses, chickens, dogs and cats.

The couple would like to thank their parents for their love and support and for their respective 29 and 30 years of marriage—great examples to set for a long and happy union.

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