BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2024 December 14, Saturday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
blairtoday@mail.com – Facebook
In a tucked-away corner of Blair One Place, behind the bustle of Washington Street, you’ll find Turning Pointe Dance Arts, where owner Cammie Barney is redefining what a small-town dance studio can be. From competitive dance teams to adult fitness classes, Barney’s vision extends far beyond traditional dance instruction, aiming to create a space where everyone—regardless of age or experience—can find joy in movement.
Finding Home in Blair
When Barney moved to Nebraska in 2016 to join the Midland University dance team, she couldn’t have predicted that a small town would capture her heart. Originally from Wyoming, where she grew up in a city of about 35,000 people, Barney has embraced Blair’s smaller community since making it her home in 2019.
“Oh, I love it here,” Barney says enthusiastically, though she admits the transition required some adjustment. Coming from Wyoming’s arid climate, Blair’s weather patterns presented an unexpected challenge. “We definitely did not have the freezing rain though. It was always just snow… Definitely drier out there,” she notes, reflecting on the differences between her hometown and adopted community.
The Journey to Studio Ownership
Barney’s path to owning Turning Pointe Dance Arts grew organically from her teaching experience. “I worked at a studio here and the owner decided that she knew she wanted to focus on her family, so I kind of took those kiddos and we started our own thing,” she explains. Her teaching journey began years earlier as an assistant teacher at her Wyoming studio during high school, continuing sporadically through college until she started teaching at Culture Remix in Blair around 2017.
“I started teaching there in I want to say 2017, so well then about seven years,” Barney recalls, counting her total teaching experience. This foundation would prove crucial when she opened Turning Pointe Dance Arts in October 2019—though timing wasn’t initially on her side.
Weathering Early Challenges
Opening just before the COVID-19 pandemic presented significant obstacles for the fledgling studio. “I think our downfall would have been opening up right before COVID hit because everything shut down and we didn’t really have that grand opening moment,” Barney reflects. Despite these early challenges, the studio has flourished, now serving about 40 students with 121 total enrollments.
Breaking Gender Barriers in Dance
One of the studio’s most notable achievements has been its success in attracting male dancers—a development that challenges traditional dance studio demographics. “We have mostly girls. We do have a few boys,” Barney explains. “We actually have three boys on our competition team currently, and then we have three boys on our recreational team, so we have six boys in total out of our 40 students.”
Barney takes special care to ensure all students feel comfortable with their routines. “I take pride in my ability to keep their choreography not feminine for them, so a lot of my boys do hip-hop,” she explains. “If you take a look at music videos, you have that old school hip-hop that the boys do. I try to keep that with what our boys are doing… if they’re not comfortable with it, I try not to force them to do anything that would make them feel out of place.”
Competitive Excellence
What sets Turning Pointe apart in Blair’s dance community is its focus on competitive dance. “Our main objective is more competitive dance based,” Barney explains. “I want to say we are the only studio in Blair that dances competitively as of now that I know, and we have a competitive team of 16 kiddos and we go to three competitions every season.”
The studio’s competitive achievements are prominently displayed. “If you take a look in the studio, we have trophies and plaques all around,” Barney notes. She explains that dance competitions are complex, with various divisions and age groups, and her students have earned several first-place overall awards in their divisions.
Expanding Horizons: Adult Classes and Beyond
Recently, Turning Pointe has expanded its offerings to include adult fitness classes, a decision driven by community interest and new teaching talent. “That was actually something I just hired a teacher this year for,” Barney explains. “She graduated last season, so she is our first teacher other than me to start teaching at the studio, and she did something I had been kind of thinking about doing and wanting to do but I didn’t know how to go about it.”
Among the studio’s recent growth is the addition of instructor Allyson Collins, a 2024 Blair graduate who has come full circle with Turning Pointe. Collins began as one of the studio’s original students when it opened and has now transitioned into teaching Ballet/Jazz 2 and Company Jazz classes, while also managing the studio’s social media presence. “She was not only hired to do the adult fitness,” Barney notes, highlighting Collins’ expanding role at the studio. “She also teaches two of our weekly classes.”
The studio’s new “New Year, New Me” workout class exemplifies their approach to inclusive dance fitness. “With this class, it is all standing,” Barney explains. “My teacher and I, we made sure to choreograph two different intensity levels. So we will both be demonstrating. And one of us will be doing the more advanced level, quote unquote, and the other will be doing the more modified version where it’s not as intense.”
Diverse Programming
The studio currently offers a wide range of dance styles and programs. “We have acrobatics, which is not to be confused with gymnastics,” Barney clarifies. “We have acrobatics, hip-hop, tap, clogging—it’s really a really fun one.” Looking ahead to next season, Barney plans to implement more lyrical classes, which she describes as “a mixture of ballet and jazz.”
Cammie added, “…we also offer Jazz and ballet…” (as standalone classes)
One particular focus is growing their teen program. “It’s hard to get beginner teens into dance class because a lot of those kids have kind of either found their thing or if they want to try something new, they’re afraid to try something new,” Barney acknowledges. “So that’s our goal is to grow that recreational teen program.”
The Business Behind the Art
Running a dance studio involves far more than teaching dance. “Up until this season, I did everything on my own,” Barney explains. This included teaching classes Monday through Friday from 3:30 PM until 9 PM, handling administrative tasks, billing, payments, and what she describes as “one of the most taxing parts of the job”—costume ordering for recitals.
“I also choreographed all of our routines,” she continues. “I cut all of our music because, you know, a typical song is more than four minutes long and a typical dance routine is two minutes long… It’s a lot of work, but I love the creative part. That’s my favorite part.”
To manage the business side efficiently, Barney uses specialized software. “I use a software called Jackrabbit, which is very helpful. It posts tuition for me. It takes auto payments for tuition and all. So, having that Jackrabbit system is not only helpful to me, but very helpful for our parents.”
Looking to the Future
As Turning Pointe Dance Arts continues to grow, Barney is considering expanding their programming to include classes for even younger dancers. “Maybe what ages our classes start… that is another program that I would hope to implement at some point is maybe two to three years old,” she shares. Currently, the studio accepts students from age four and up.
The studio’s annual recital, a highlight of their performance calendar, is scheduled for June 5th at 6 PM at Blair High School. “Yes, public, please attend. Please,” Barney emphasizes enthusiastically when asked if these performances are open to the community.
Located at 1526 Washington Street in Blair One Place, Turning Pointe Dance Arts maintains an active presence on Facebook, where they share not only class information but also student achievements and studio life. “We post not only information on classes, but we like to post how the kids are doing. We post a lot of funny and uplifting things on there,” Barney says. “You’re always welcome to call and schedule time to come check it out. I’m always happy to see new faces.”
Through dedication, adaptability, and a genuine love for dance education, Barney has created more than just a dance studio—she’s built a community space where students of all ages can discover the joy of movement, whether they’re aspiring competitors or just looking to try something new. As Blair continues to grow and change, Turning Pointe Dance Arts stands ready to evolve with it, one dance step at a time.
My daughter has been attending TPD for going on three years. Ms Cammie is big sister love and hard work expected kind of teacher! The smaller dance studio is like a family and we love it!