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Art Form and Life Lessons Become One at Dance Studio

by Julie Brown December 7, 2010
written by Julie Brown December 7, 2010

campbells dance studioFrances Campbell has spent more than half of her life dedicated to what she is extremely passionate about

Students Find Success

Some of Frances’ students have gone on to pursue dance careers on Broadway, with major performance groups or in Las Vegas shows. Although, Frances is quick to share the fact it is not just about developing professional dancers, but fostering model citizens.

Studies have proven dancing helps kids experience intellectual, physical, emotional and social growth. Dance has even been known to help students excel academically and become productive adults because the skills they learn can be translated into their personal and professional lives. Frances is a strong believer in the value of dance, and has seen it firsthand in many of the students she has taught or mentored over the years.

Nutcracker Production

Some of Frances’ students participate in the studio’s annual Nutcracker performance, which is scheduled for Dec. 4, 10 and 11 at Mountain View High School.

The student in the role of the Nutcracker, a 17 year old from Mesa, also is a black belt in tae kwon do. He has been a student at the dance studio since he was 4 years old. Katlyn Brooks, the dancer playing Sugar Plum, is a junior at Red Mountain High School. She has received numerous awards at competitions and has been a Campbell’s Dance Studio student for years.

Campbell’s Dance Studio has a cast of more than 100 dancers for the Nutcracker. Many adults from the community donate their time to help with the production. They also perform in it. It is truly a community effort. Some of the dancers are off to college and grown, but the parents still offer their services.

Life Lessons

Frances took up dance at the age of 5, while living in her childhood hometown of Safford. At the time, there was one studio in town, and the only existing forms of dance were ballet and tap. Students practiced on concrete floors and had no glitzy costumes or custom shoes. Frances developed a love of dance, and in high school, she eventually became a teacher at the same studio where she harnessed her talent. She even went on to become a college cheerleader. Then life happened.

Frances moved to Mesa and worked nights at Motorola to help put her husband through college and stay home with her children during the day. She rekindled her passion for dance years later when she looked for a studio to enroll her 5-year-old daughter. She couldn’t find the right fit, and decided to create her own studio. She enclosed her back patio and built a dance floor where she taught five girls the first year. When it eventually grew to 100 students, she knew it was time to find a more suitable space.

She housed her dance studio in three previous locations before settling in her current space near Lindsay and University. The beautiful 10,000-square-foot facility is home to seven dance studios and a boutique offering some of the most unique and fashionable dance gear. On any given night, the halls are buzzing with students, who socialize and shuffle to and from class, and parents, who peer in the windows admiringly, watching their children dance.

Generations of Dance

Frances stopped teaching years ago after two knee replacement surgeries, but is involved in every aspect of the business. She often walks the halls, offering hugs and words of encouragement to the students and parents who have undoubtedly become a second family to her, and vice versa. She has third-generation students and many of her five kids, 20 grandkids and one great-grandchild have been involved in dance or are students of Campbell’s Dance Studio.

“My studio is a safe harbor for children,” explained Frances, who has instilled her strong values in the running of her business and the positive atmosphere she has created. Those values include respect, kindness, perseverance and passion. “I have a place where parents feel safe dropping their kids off and can trust they will have a great experience in a clean and family-oriented atmosphere,” she continued. “Kids love coming here because they can be themselves and not worry about being judged.”

Students in the award-winning dance company, Campbell’s Dance Expressions, have had the opportunity to travel to China, England and Greece as part of a cultural exchange program they participate in every few years to perform and learn other forms of dance. They also travel regularly to New York to train at some of the city’s top performance studios. While in the Big Apple, they also see Broadway shows, which often include a meet and greet with members of the cast.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the lives Frances has touched could easily fill Madison Square Garden. “It’s not about the money. It’s about what dance does for kids,” said Frances. She has captured a part of their childhood, and knowing they have had happy memories is what she hopes to be her legacy in the world of dance.

For more information, visit the Web site at www.campbellsdance.com, or call (480) 830-3450.

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