LEXINGTON — It was not the way Allie Carter envisioned her dance career developing. However, the winding road of her dream still found its way to dance.
Following her graduation in 2006 from Lexington High School, Carter, who was a competitive cheerleader at Lexington High School, auditioned for and made the Columbus Crew dance team.
After a year with the Crew dancers, she moved to Los Angeles to dance at the Debbie Reynolds Dance School. In her third year Carter sustained a hip injury after taking a significant fall. Doctors told her she couldn’t dance again.
She returned to Lexington and began teaching dance to children. Her first dancing job was cut short after an financial issue with the owner of the studio.
Carter and one remaining dancer practiced and competed independently until March of last year, when she opened Studio 65. Now she and her dancers — hiphop, jazz, and lyrical — have their own space at 65 Mill Street, where they aspire to become artists of the discipline.
“We started out small, and because of the program being outside of the normal, traditional classes, I think it has benefitted a lot the kids. Everyone learns a little bit differently,” she said. “For me, being in huge classes and not knowing what was going on or if I was doing the right thing. I kept my classes very small and personal.
“In order for kids to really let go and let them selves be artists, you have to make it personal and you have to make it comfortable for them. With dance you have to be able to let go. A personable connection is the best way to get the best out of them.”
Carter said she sees her 65 students multiple times a week. She has 35 competitive dancers who travel across the state for competition. Studio 65 conducts yoga, hip hop, jazz, ballet and elite dancing classes numerous times each week. Carter said many of her students attend multiple classes.
Many Studio 65 students hone their craft on site between 3 and 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday each week.
The love between students and teacher is easy to spot.
One day, Carter said five students were acting strangely during the elite dancing class. She remembers not knowing what was going on and asking them.
Then, the students revealed they have made shirts proclaiming dancers could not believe in themselves without their coach believing in them. On the right shoulder, bared the phrase, “#Alliezgirls.”
“I don’t cry very often,” Carter said. “But that meant a lot to me.”
Parents have also told Carter how much of a difference her classes have made on the social aspect of their child’s life.
“I get students all the time whose parents tell me are shy. Parents now tell me they are socially active girls who are doing well in school,” Carter said.
Studio 65 sort of fell into Carter’s lap. She said she feels lucky to lead the girls in her dance room and have a connection with each of them.
“I’m finally living my dream, I don’t need anything else,” she said. “My hip injury — that was a tough pill to swallow. But that’s when I finally moved home.
“I wanted other kids to feel what i feel. I always thought I would own a studio, I just didn’t think it would be at 25 (years-old). It’s really cool. It’s a cool thing to wake and do that, every day I live my dream.”
