The story of Nebraska City Dance Studio is a testament to the hard work of dancers and the love of the arts by a very supportive community.  Dance education has had a strong presence in Nebraska City for over 20 years. Donna Whitesel first opened DanceWorks in 2000 providing a ballet focused curriculum to nearly 140 students. The community came to look forward to the annual recital which was a story recital featuring some of the most popular childhood stories including: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Little Mermaid, and the Wizard of Oz.  Upon the retirement of Miss Donna in 2011, a well-built foundation of dancers and dance supporters had been established in Nebraska City. DanceWorks was sold but then shortly closed in December of 2013. Upon the announcement of the studio closing, several parents worked to reopen the studio so there would be a place for the Nebraska City dancers to continue to do what they love.

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Today, Nebraska City Dance Studio is a thriving dance education center serving dancers from Nebraska City and the surrounding communities.  In 2017, NCDS become a registered non-profit organization, allowing the studio to be a leader in the non-profit performing art world for Southeast Nebraska. The studio is managed by a committed volunteer Board of Directors.  The instructors at NCDS bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the studio classroom and consistently challenge our students to reach their dance goals. 

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Through the hard work of volunteers, the passion of our dancers, the knowledge of our instructors and the community’s commitment to the arts, Nebraska City Dance has returned to the strong presence it once was. Over 120 dancers take a class at NCDS each week and receive high-quality instruction by our professionally trained instructors. Our classes include everything from Creative Movement, to Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Hip- Hop, and Adult Classes.  In 2015 the story performances returned with Red Riding Hood, followed by Snow White in 2016, Alice Adventures in Wonderland in 2017, A Tale as Old as Time in 2018, Maleficent & the Magical Kingdom in 2019, Wonka's Chocolate Factory in 2020, Adventures in the Land of Oz in 2021, Just Keep Swimming in 2022, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in 2023, and Pixie Dust in 2024 .  Each performance depicted a story told through dance featuring each dancer.

 

Nebraska City Dance Studio’s Story is unique and a tremendous testament to the power of dance and the work ethic of a dancer. NCDS is proud to serve so many children and adults from a large geographic area and is looking forward to many years of growth and excellence.