KJ Dance Designs has been in Plano, Texas since 1993 and still continues to grow! According to Kristy Ulmer Blakeslee, KJ Dance Designs is a unique dance studio that focuses on their students by teaching grace, poise, and selflessness. From recreational to company dancers, Kristy says KJ Dance is very excited to see the talent that develops within the studio walls!
It is a dancer’s world at KJ. Whether you are a serious dancer seeking to develop your art or a recreational dancer seeking exercise and fun, there is no better place than KJ Dance. Their staff is filled with highly skilled professionals, including KJ alumni, who are passionate about the lives coming in and out of the KJ doors! Their dancers build a home at KJ, and form relationships and characteristics that will last a lifetime.
The mission of KJ is to focus on each individual by teaching grace, poise and selflessness. KJ provides a safe nurturing environment where dance is the vessel by which a child can gain self esteem and valuable skills including teamwork and leadership. Their program teaches honesty, integrity, loyalty and dedication through the art of dance. The KJ staff is committed to keeping standards high and constantly reinventing creative and exciting teaching techniques. Here, students excel in their development as young adults.
In Kristy’s opinion, KJ Dance Designs’ studio has a basis of selflessness and family. They strongly believe that rigor is important throughout their classes, but the character traits and life skills that dancers leave KJ with are what separate them from other studios.
According to Kristy, her proudest moment coaching has been the regeneration that takes place as students grow up at KJ Dance, go to college and beyond and then return as teachers, guest teachers or even as just fans!
Kristy believes one of the biggest mistakes she sees dancers make is not cross training his or her body outside of the studio. She believes that every individual is different and therefore their body types are in need of different additional attention.
Her goals for KJ Dance Designs for this year, is to increase their enrollment through better marketing and continue to develop a great team of faculty!
Kristy said she started KJ as a way to provide for her family while simultaneously creating an environment full of passion and inspiration. It was either this or photography! In the end, she chose to develop art in people.
KJ’s end of the year concert is a unique musical theater production performed by all of their KJ students. They are clicking their ruby red slippers with excitement for this year’s concert. The 2015 Spring Concert will showcase, “The Ruby Shoe Trilogy” and will be performed June 6th, 7th & 8th at 7:00 p.m. each night.
Summer is a great time to try out a new dance style at KJ Dance as well as to exercise your 
imagination in one of their camps.
KJ Dance will be holding their annual Summer Intensive for intermediate and advanced dancers. If you are interested in taking 5 days of great classes from their staff and master teachers from around the country and/or auditioning for the KJ PULSE competition group, please contact the front office for more information.
KJ Dance will also be holding their Summer Classes. This will be a six week session that will motivate, inspire, and educate. Their teachers will rotate within the summer schedule so dancers are able to experience all KJ has to offer!
Their summer camps are always a hit with their students and approved by their parents. Each week of Camp KJ will offer a different themed dance camp. Each camp includes dance instruction as well as activities and crafts centered around that week’s theme. Each Summer Dance Camp session is held Monday through Thursday, with the exception of the Mini Camps which will be held on the dates listed to the right. There are five themes: Princess Camp, Cinderella Camp, Fancy Nancy Camp, Frozen Camp and Cheer/Pom Camp.
The inspiration for Princess Camp comes from the girls’ favorite Disney Princesses. They will experience visits from different princesses several times throughout the week, along with crafts, activities, and dances that bring out their princess’s most royal traits.
KJ Dance is excited to introduce Cinderella Camp, their newest camp, based on the time honored story as well as the newly released movie “Cinderella”. Your young princess will be swept away with fun as she discovers that becoming a princess is more about giving than receiving.
Fancy Nancy Camp will feature your dancer’s fanciest spirit through dance and crafts. Activities include tea parties, playing dress up, and story time. Girls will learn social etiquette and extend their vocabulary, just like Fancy Nancy.
Their popular Frozen Camp is based on the popular movie “Frozen.” Dancers will dance and sing like their favorite characters in their version of a frozen and enchanted world. The beloved Anna and Elsa will also make special appearances during the week.
Cheer/Pom Camp is always a success and comes at a perfect time with the return to school right around the corner. Dancers will learn cheers and dance routines with poms in a high energy atmosphere along with safe stunts and jumps. This camp is for girls ages 5 to 12.
Another event offered by KJ Dance Designs is The Giving Gala. The mission of The Giving Gala is to provide scholarships to deserving KJ students and senior students approaching college studies!
KJ Dance is also presenting Girl Frenzy! KJ Dance is excited to offer an adult dance class taught by their former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and Dallas Mavericks Dancer, Justine Phillips Orf. KJ Dance invites anyone in the area to join them on Tuesdays from 9:00-10:00 pm and Thursdays from 2:30-3:30 pm. No commitment required.
They also have service projects that they promote. KJ’s Friend Week was off to a great week. KJ wants to thank their supporters for making KJ’s first Bring a Friend Week a huge success! They absolutely loved meeting over 170 new friends. You can find pictures from Bring a Friend Week by searching #kjfriendsweek. KJ looks forward to making Bring a Friend week a tradition! They also promote a KJ Day of Service. The KJ staff volunteered at Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano on December 17th. They felt so blessed every day and believe it was great to be able to give back to their community. Thanks to their wonderful KJ families, they did not show up empty-handed. Their families donated much needed food and supplies that went to other families in the area. KJ plans on collecting items for Minnie’s again!
If you would like more information about KJ Dance Designs, visit their website at http://kjdance.com, call them at (972) 473-4017or email them at kjdance.office@gmail.com. You can also “Like” them on Facebook
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Kristy Ulmer Blakeslee or KJ Dance Designs.
Written By Cyndi Marziani
Owner
BDancewear.com
