An Entrepreneur’s Spirit

An Entrepreneur’s Spirit

by Alisa Boswell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Kelsey Prince, being a full-time student with a high GPA, an Eastern New Mexico University cheerleader and a Miss New Mexico Pageant title holder wasn’t enough.

She wasn’t filling that need to exercise her number one passion every day – dancing.
She opened her own dance studio, Studio Extreme, in July and has been teaching dance classes ever since, along with also teaching kindergarten through second graders dance at two Portales elementary schools, among her numerous other endeavors. Not to mention, she also works part-time at Smith Chiropractic Center as a file clerk.

She was Miss Blackwater Draw in 2015 and Miss Oasis in 2017 and will be competing for the Miss Portales title on Nov. 19.
“People always ask me what I do, and I start to give them the list, and they go, ‘oh,’” she said, laughing. “I prefer to say I’m very involved rather than saying I’m very busy, because saying I’m busy stresses me out. I know I’m busy, so I don’t need to say it.”

Prince, 23, said she started dancing at 3 years old after her parents placed her in classes, competing in dance competitions throughout her childhood.

“I played basketball, softball; I played golf, but dancing was always the thing that was my niche,” she said. “I like the athleticism and the artistry of it, because you can really express yourself while you’re exercising your body and your mind. It’s a really good way to just release (things).”

Students from her classes have even already performed publicly at the Peanut Valley Festival.
“Starting a business, there’s always challenges, but it’s been really good,” she said. “Every week, I get more calls, more kids. I love working with kids, and I love dancing, so it’s been fun.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prince is licensed through a program called Leap and Learn and will soon have her certification with the program. She has beginning dance classes for adults and children and a hip hop class and is looking at adding ballroom in the near future.
Students taking two different classes get a discount on the second class, and parents with two children in classes get discounts on the second child.

Prince is set to graduate with a communications degree in December 2018 but is considering changing her major to universal studies so she can graduate in May and focus on just the dance studio.
“Even though I am working around other schedules of people who use the facility (studio), it’s great, because I can just come in here and dance whenever I want and just work on my own technique, as well as teaching other people technique,” said Prince. “I love that I can come do choreography for myself, my kids; I just love dancing.”

For class schedules and prices, local residents can visit Prince’s Facebook page at studioextreme.nm. The dance studio is located at 401 South Avenue C.