Barb Hawk’s Studio B Dance Company brings unique, lively and original dance classes to Aberdeen
Barb Hawk’s excitement is contagious when she talks about her new Studio B Dance Company. Dancing has been a part of her life since she was a child, and she has traveled all over the country and state teaching dance classes for different studios over the years. But having her own studio has always been her lifelong dream, so last February, with the support of her husband Bob and some close friends, she decided to make the leap and opened Studio B Dance Company here in Aberdeen.
Unfortunately, shortly after getting her business started, she tore her ACL. The knee injury required months of recovery time and meant that she wasn’t able to teach any dance classes to the students who had already signed-up. She could have decided to quit and just refunded everyone’s money, but instead she opted to push forward even though things weren’t going quite as planned. After some searching, she was able to hire another instructor to lead her classes until her knee healed. She also planned some lighter classes she could teach, like her seated dance class for those that are in wheelchairs or less mobile.
Leading a seated dance class fits in exactly with her philosophy that anyone, no matter what their circumstances, can gain confidence through dance. “Even if we’re not feeling well or moving very well, we can still get out there, move around, and have some fun. We can still do dancing with our arms, hands, and neck.” The classes she offers cover a wide variety of genres for adults and children including Hip Hop, Street Jazz, Latin and Ballroom dancing, Stomp, and more. “My mission is to have people of all shapes and sizes come in and feel comfortable. I know going into dance class, adults especially can feel really self-conscious, but I want to make it very laid back so people feel good about dancing.”
Right now, Barb’s audio is exclusively a traveling one until she re-opens her permanent location at Profiling Beauty and Wellness Center in January, and you can find her hosting classes and workshops at places like the Red Rooster and Aspire. Another thing that is important to her is providing opportunities for dancers to learn different techniques that aren’t currently being taught in the area. “I want to bring things that Aberdeen doesn’t already have. I want to bring some flare.” She realized that there weren’t Hip Hop or Ballroom dancing options for younger kids, so she decided to offer those lessons. One of her most popular and unique classes is the Brazilian Samba. “Samba is awesome, it’s hardcore, and such a big hit.”
A lot of Barb’s inspiration for her classes comes from her time spent training in the Chicago area. She enjoys sharing the styles of dance that are popular there, like Hip Hop and Street Jazz, with her students here in Aberdeen. Whatever class she is teaching, she says the most important part is making sure everyone is having a good time. “I like to do di erent songs and di erent routines every week to keep things fun, or add in counts where the class can improvise and add their own moves to the music. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to teach dance. It’s a wonderful and amazing thing.” // –Jenny Roth
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