Executive Director Teresa Hammond of the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism welcomed a large gathering to the ribbon-cutting celebration for Amanda Burn’s A1 Dance Studios on Tues., Aug. 2.
Burns is a dance instructor who has more than 30 years of dance experience in the Alleghany Highlands, and she has worked as a guest instructor at clogging workshops in Va. and Ky.
Dignitaries and government officials gathered to make welcoming remarks at the A1 Dance Studios located at 214 S. Lexington Ave., including Tom Sibold, mayor of the City of Covington.
Sibold praised Burns for opening her business in the building where he previously attended church before Good News Fellowship Church moved to Main Street in Covington, leaving the building vacant.
Following Hammond’s welcoming remarks, Jonathan Arritt, a representative of the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, offered congratulations to Burns for locating her new business in Covington.
Jeff Irvine, mayor of the Town of Clifton Forge, and Terri McClung, representative of the Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation, delivered congratulatory remarks as well.
Before the ribbon cutting, Burns addressed the gathering and thanked her staff and all concerned for their contributions to the opening of A1 Dance Studios, emphasizing her mission to offer instruction delivered by a trained staff that will meet the needs of all ages and abilities.
Currently, her staff holds certification in chair yoga, Rhythm Works Dance Instruction and certified Acro from Acro Dance Teacher Association. Staff members are also completing Intellidance courses.
A1 Dance Studios has partnered with Darby’s Dancers, a national organization, and Burns will be offering free dance instruction to students and adults with special needs.
Burns has scheduled classes for all ages with the youngest enrollment age set at 18 months. Her stated mission is, “…to provide a dance environment open to all ages and abilities, which encourages the participants to give back, be involved in their community, enjoy the art of dance, and excel as a performer and learner.”
Having been selected as a studio ambassador for Stafford Dance Academy, the types of weekly dance experience students will be able to receive at A1 Dance Studios are clogging, competitive dance, hip hop, praise dance, lyrical, Darby’s Dancers, contemporary, pointe, jazz, acro dance, creative movement and cardio kickboxing.
More than a dozen children were on hand for the ribbon cutting that featured Burns cutting the ceremonial ribbon as the climatic act while the dignitaries and governmental officials observed and applauded.
