Uplifting experience

By Melissa Crispin-Piche Times Contributor

For sisters Alex and Emmeline Keeling, dance has always been about more than learning steps.

It is about finding confidence, making friends, having fun and, perhaps most importantly, feeling like you belong.

That philosophy is at the heart of Uplift Dance Studio, the Strathmore dance studio the sisters co-own and operate together. 

Now heading into its fifth year, Uplift has grown into a non-competitive program offering dance opportunities for everyone from preschoolers to adults.

The studio came to life after the program the sisters had previously been involved with, Dance for Fun, dissolved. 

“We really wanted to keep that going in Strathmore so that we could have an opportunity to provide a program that was really positive in town,” Alex said. “I always wanted to teach dance. It was always a dream of mine.”

Both sisters brought plenty of experience to the venture. Alex danced competitively for 11 years, while Emmeline competed for 10. The sisters have since spent years teaching, with Alex having more than a decade of teaching experience and Emmeline about eight years.

What started as a way to keep dance available in Strathmore has continued to grow. Last session, Uplift had about 90 students. While the number is important, the sisters say what happens inside the classroom matters more.

Uplift is deliberately non-competitive. Students don’t travel to competitions or festivals, and there isn’t the same pressure that can come with a traditional competitive dance model.

The dancers still learn choreography and work toward a year-end recital, but the focus is on enjoying the experience and celebrating what they’ve learned.

“We want to make sure that you’re welcome to make mistakes,” Alex said. “We can start where they are and then build.”

That approach also makes dance more accessible financially.

Without competition fees, additional choreography costs and the expenses associated with travelling to events, the sisters can keep their program costs lower. Uplift is also a non-profit dance company –

something they say is important as families continue to feel the pressure of rising costs. 

“We work really hard on keeping the costs low,” Alex said.

The community aspect is just as important. The sisters want their students to form friendships that extend beyond their weekly dance class. They’ve seen students stay after class to talk and have heard stories of them continuing to practise together at home before returning the following week excited to show their teachers what they’ve been working on.

Those moments are particularly meaningful for the sisters because of what dance gave them growing up.

“Alex and I both had a lot of meaningful connections through dance,” Emmeline said.

Running a business while still young has brought its own lessons. One of the biggest challenges was figuring out the less glamorous side of entrepreneurship; the paperwork, business requirements and logistics that come with starting a company, particularly when you’re working against a tight timeline.

“There isn’t a model set up when you’re young, so how to set up a business can be difficult in that aspect,” Alex said.

Rising rental and facility costs have also made it challenging to maintain an affordable program.

Fortunately, the sisters were able to take over the existing arrangement at the Strathmore Civic Centre, where Dance for Fun had previously operated, giving them one less hurdle to overcome when they were getting started.

And doing it all together has been one of the best parts.

“I love working with my sister,” Alex said. “Emmeline and I have a very intuitive connection with each other and we’re able to bounce ideas off each other, which is really nice and helpful.”

Their mother, Jennifer Keeling, is also part of the operation working at the front desk. So, what started as two sisters pursuing a shared passion has become a family affair.

As for where Uplift goes next, the sisters aren’t putting a firm limit on their ambitions.

They’d like to reach more students and potentially expand to offer dance on more than one day a week, but for now they’re happy to continue building the studio and seeing where it takes them.

“We’re hoping to help as many people as possible, and we’re open to whatever the future holds for us,” Alex said.

Uplift offers ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary and musical theatre, along with preschool and adult classes.

Registration for the upcoming season opens Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. Classes begin Thursday, Sept. 17. For more information you can email them (upliftdancecompany@gmail.com).