Oakdale Patch sat down with the husband-wife team that owns Inspiration Dance Academy, Matt Ecklund and Katie Owings to learn about their philosophy on dance and the performing arts in general.

Oakdale Patch: What's the story behind Inspiration Dance Academy, and what brought it to Oakdale?

Matt Ecklund: Katie’s main vision was to start a dance studio with a difference. Someplace where kids could come and feel comfortable no matter what their ability level was. We also keep it pretty age appropriate, so music, curriculum, all that is designed for the proper age group.

We picked the location because it’s easy to get to, since we’re right on the corner of Century and 694. Also, Oakdale’s population is hard working and we really want to provide a good service for the area.

Oakdale Patch: What kinds of events and parties do you hold throughout the year?

Matt Ecklund: There’s a whole list. We do a Christmas show in December that’s pretty low-key  with short dance numbers and skits. Katie also hosts a Ladies Night Out, where girls can come out to the studio and we’ll serve wine and hors d’oeuvres and they can dance—last time we had a masseuse.  We also host birthday parties for students, and we have Dancer Appreciation Night where we host a sleepover at the studio.

Oakdale Patch: Are your classes geared toward children, adults or both? What's the most popular class for either demographic?

Matt Ecklund: Our student base is mostly children, but we do have some running adult classes that are gaining popularity. Our biggest  class for adults is adult tap, but we offer ballet, too. For children, we see a  lot of young boys interested in hip hop dance. But there’s still a high interest in the classical arts like ballet, tap. We recommend that kids who are interested in hip hop classes consider taking some of the classical classes so they get a better foundation for dance.

Oakdale Patch: How many teachers are there at Inspiration? What's their background, or what does it take to be a great dance teacher?

Matt Ecklund:  Actually, we have seven teachers and they’re not all on the website yet. We have three dance teachers, three music teachers and one acting teacher.  We’re starting some new programs at the studio to help students become more well-rounded and to build a stronger base in the arts. Everyone’s background is different, but everyone is certified to teach. To be a good teacher, we look for passion, solid foundation in education, and lastly an understanding of how to implement curriculum.

Oakdale Patch: Do you partner with other dance programs and studios?  Have any students gone on to dance professionally and if so, where are they now?

Matt Ecklund: We’re always looking for ways for our students to better themselves and get more experience. We do mostly recreational dance, but we do provide a more intensive dance program for those who are looking for more rigor. We also host workshops and look for partnerships, like with the Minnesota Swarm, for them to showcase their abilities. Since we’ve only been running for five years, we haven’t had a chance to see if anyone will go on professionally.

Katie Owings: We did just have our first graduating senior go on to be accepted to a collegiate dance program.

Oakdale Patch: Katie, what sorts of dance do you teach when you visit schools?

Matt Ecklund:  She’s been to a lot of area schools—multiple preschools here in Oakdale, over  to Hudson High School,  Wildwood Elementary, North St. Paul, all over. She also did a camp with Century College over the summer. As far as what she teaches, she specializes in tap, jazz and hip hop. When she’s working with younger students, she’ll usually stick to hip hop because it’s something that the boys are usually into.  Tap is a little more difficult, since you need shoes.

Oakdale Patch: What sort of encouragement would you give to an adult who's thinking about taking an adult dance class? What health reasons might you give to take a dance class (physical and mind)?

Matt Ecklund: We offer dance classes for everyone from 2 to 92, and our basic philosophy is that everyone can dance. We’ve had students of all shapes, sizes, and ages. 

We were at a show last week that ended with a quote that really answers the question, and it goes something like: “A life lacking dance rusts your soul and your hips.” It really rings true—there are definitely internal and physical benefits to dance.

Oakdale Patch: Do TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the Stars and America's Best Dance Crew influence the number of people who sign up for classes/type of classes people sign up for? Have students’ tastes changed over the years in the types of dance classes they want to take?

Matt Ecklund: Not sure how much it affects enrollment, but it can’t hurt. There’s a definite rise in interest in hip hop boys dance. I would say that seeing it on TV affects their perception of dance.

Katie Owings: Our real mission is to provide a service to the community, to be a place where kids can learn about performing arts. The arts are being taken out of so many private and public sectors of education, and it’s hard for kids to get involved artistically. We want to be able to enhance that for kids and adults. It’s what we believe that feeds the soul—we all need an outlet for creativity.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Katie Owings' last name.