MISS JANA ANNOUNCES EXCITING STUDIO EXPANSION
PRESS RELEASE
INCREASED DEMAND FOR DANCE CLASSES INSPIRES
STUDIO EXPANSION PROJECT AT MIDWEST DANCE MECHANIX
WICHITA, KS - Midwest Dance Mechanix (“MDM”) announces its plan to expand its current facility by acquiring the building at 1710 E. 37th Street North located directly to the west of its existing location. MDM’s current facility, located at 3805 N. Hydraulic, will remain fully operational with the newly acquired facility serving as additional space to grow its current class offerings and specialty programming.
MDM has been in business at its current location for over five years and in that time, has seen a rapid increase in demand for dance classes for both youth and adults. “Midwest Dance Mechanix opened in the fall of 2010 with a mission to provide the highest quality dance education in the Midwest. We are pleased that our class offerings have grown to meet the increasing demand for dance classes in our area.”, said Jana Owen, owner/Director of the studio. However, with its current 80+ dance class offerings per week, MDM has maximized the space available in its 4,400 square foot current location and is need of additional space to meet the growing demand. The increased space will also allow MDM to revise its current schedule to create more convenient class time offerings for families.
The new facility offers over 6,000 additional square feet and MDM has plans to begin construction in January 2019. The expanded facility has the potential to offer three additional studio spaces which would greatly impact MDM’s ability to offer new classes and grow its award winning programs. “We are excited for the additional classes we'll be able to offer to dancers of all ages and skill levels. And for the ability to grow our current programs which include our En Avant Youth Ballet Company, Competition Company, wide variety of recreational classes, preschool classes and adult classes, exciting Summer programs, and Master Class offerings,” said Owen.
MDM hopes to have one new studio complete by mid-February and plans to begin offering additional classes in that space immediately. Over the spring and summer months, construction will continue on the new facility which will ultimately include two to three new studios, expanded dressing rooms, office space, waiting area space, and a costume storage space that will house its extensive costume inventory. Once the new facility is complete, MDM will operate out of both buildings and will have the ability to meet the growing demand for diverse dance programming in Wichita. “The new building is wide open space right now, but we can't wait to fill it with floors, barres, mirrors and DANCERS,” said Owen.
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KANSAS.COM ARTICLE
"Midwest Dance Mechanix to more than Double in Size
Jana Owen is once again expanding her Midwest Dance Mechanix — something she never expected when she moved from a two-room studio in Valley Center to three studios at 37th and Hydraulic three years ago.
“Definitely not,” Owen says. “Three years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I’d need to expand this quickly.”
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She started the business in 2010 and had 30 students in her first recital. Now she has more than 300 students and is adding 6,000 square feet to her 4,400 square feet at 3805 N. Hydraulic.
That will give her six studios along with costume and prop shops.
Owen says she wants to offer students high-quality instruction but also wants to make it easy for parents
“We are teaching classes six days a week,” she says. “We’ve just run out of convenient times for parents.”
Dance Mechanix offers what Owen calls a variety of age- and level-appropriate classes for any child who wants to dance. She teaches ages 3 and up and has more than 80 classes a week, many of which have a waiting list.
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For kids, there are class in ballet; tap; jazz; hip hop; musical theater; modern; lyrical, which is a cross between ballet and jazz; contemporary, which is a cross between modern dance and ballet; strength and stretch; and leaps and turns.
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There’s a competition company for students looking to dance in college and beyond.
“I’ve always really wanted to provide dancers the opportunity to take the next step,” Owen says. “Any high level of anything you do requires a lot of hours of training.”
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There also is recreational dance for anyone wanting to learn more about dance and to see if they may want to pursue it.
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There are adult programs with a mixture of technique and fitness classes, hip hop and ballet, and Owen wants to expand into tap and jazz.
The new Wheat State Dance Collective also has classes at Dance Mechanix.
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Owen plans to open one new studio initially to ease the class schedule and then add two more.
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“I’m just trying to take it one need at a time,” she says. “It solves a lot of the growing pain problems we were having.”
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Because of her location near several interstates, Owen says she doesn’t want to move.
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“It’s a workable drive on a weeknight for parents.”
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Not that she’s looking to expand again.
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“I am hoping that this will be . . . a good jump for us for quite a while.”
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Owen has hired a familiar face in the Wichita dance world.
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Stan Rogers, the former director of the Friends University ballet department, is now teaching at Dance Mechanix.
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“Stan was actually my teacher growing up,” Owen says.
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“He has been a wonderful addition. The kids love him. He’s just so knowledgeable and talented, and we’re super excited and grateful to have him.”
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Rogers says the students are talented and well trained.
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“It’s great to work with really young dancers again,” he says.
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“It’s a nurturing place.”
