Small Business Spotlight: Studio Dance Arts

The City of Sault Ste. Marie greatly values the arts, which is demonstrated by the multiple businesses that help nurture the craft of any artist, whatever their passion. One of the many businesses that make this statement palpable is Richard Kim's Studio Dance Arts, where young dancers are developing their skills in technique and performance with adept choreographers. 

Article by Meig Campbell

Studio Dance Arts is located at 612 Queen Street East.

Richard Kim founded Studio Dance Arts in 2003 and it is currently in its nineteenth season. Kim first discovered his passion for dance during a talent show where a student performed a tap dance. This sparked Kim's interest in dance that led him to pursue art professionally, from 1990 to 2002. Kim opened the dance studio the following year after the few dance studios that resided in Sault Ste. Marie closed their doors, displacing dance students in the community that were now in need of a new dance school. Returning to the city at the perfect time, Kim's Studio Dance Arts soon became home to a stock of eager dancers. And despite initially leaving the city to refine his skills as a dancer, Kim was aware that coming back to his home was an inevitable progression. 

"I always knew I was going come back to the Sault. My family is here, and I always knew I wanted to add a dance school in town. That was always on the radar," Kim says about his return. 

Since it was established, Studio Dance Arts has become a place where dance students can explore their passions in a safe environment where the skills learned can help build strong bodies, minds, and character. Dance is an art that requires mindfulness, a strong work ethic, and the ability to work well with others- vital qualities that Studio Dance Arts instills in their students. 

"Our tagline is ‘Excellence in Dance Education’, and I always try to do everything, no matter what it is, to the best of my abilities," Kim states. 

As Studio Dance Arts continues to instill excellence in its students, they also provide the same excellence in the various events they have become involved in within the city. Some of these events include community performances, involvement with the Musical Comedy Guild, the Sault Symphony Orchestra, and their year-end show that occurs every June. 

Studio Dance Arts currently offers a wide range of different types of dance classes to children and adults alike and a comprehensive program for students serious about dance. Studio Dance Arts also provide a recreational program to anyone seeking a noncommittal exploration form of dance as well as other forms of exercise. A new addition to the Studio Dance Arts is the cheer division, ensuring that anyone who finds themselves drawn to the sport of cheerleading now has a place to practice in Sault Ste. Marie. With such a wide variety of programs, Studio Dance Arts is a thriving location that students of all ages are flocking to, and Kim hopes to continue to witness its growth and to see success from his students. 

“I would love to continue to grow, I would love to see more students graduate and pursue something of professional dance and then come back and share it with our school. I hope one day with this much passion and dedication carries this school forward into the future," Kim exclaims.

To learn more about Studio Dance Arts, visit their website here.