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NVision Dance studio in Colorado Springs expands ballroom dance instruction to Summit County

Heather Jarvis
hjarvis@summitdaily.com
Spncer Harger and Kristal Brandy from NVision Dance studio in Colorado Springs are now offering their services in Summit County.
Special to the Daily |

CONTACT

Kristal Brandy and Spencer Harger

719-268-6828

gr8dancers@nvisiondance.com

Spencer Harger was 21 and working for a Wyoming elk outfitting company as a guide and packer when he first fell in love with dance. The rugged mountain man was enthralled with a 1995 made-for-TV movie called “Let It Be Me,” where a man begins taking dance lessons for his upcoming wedding. The scenes from the movie encouraged him to sign up at a studio, and just a few short months later he was training to become a dance instructor.

Fifteen years later, he and his wife, Kristal Brandy, now have earned a variety of dance competition awards and own a studio called NVision Dance in Colorado Springs. The pair, after purchasing a 5-acre property in Park County, recently decided to expand their studio by offering private and group ballroom dance lessons in Summit County.

“We are really excited to bring quality ballroom dance instruction to Summit County,” Brandy said. “We are a social to highly competitive studio, so whether you’ve never had a lesson in your life, or you are a seasoned dancer, we can accommodate.”



This will be their first venture into offering classes in Summit County, and will be offering instruction in rented studio space in Breckenridge and Silverthorne by appointment on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays.

“It truly is for anybody. It’s great team building activity for couples, or for anyone interested in being challenged to do something they’ve never tried before. It’s fun and very addictive — you can become successful at this at a very rapid pace.”Kristal Brandyco-owner, NVision Dance studio

THE INSTRUCTORS



Brandy was first enrolled in dance and figure skating lessons at the age of 5 in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. She loved both, but eventually dropped the skating and focused solely on her dance. Continuing with the passion in high school, she was offered two dance scholarships for college, choosing to pursue ballroom dance over modern dance at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. She competed with her collegiate team and placed second in the world championships in England.

It was in college that she met Harger, where he was working at a local studio, bonding with him over their love of the sport.

Harger has been presented with the titles of World Dancesport Series Top 25 Teachers and Top 10 Global Dancesport Series Teacher for 2014. In 2009, the couple won first place at the DVIDA National Dancesport Championships in both Rhythm and International Latin divisions.

The couple opened NVision Dance Studio in 2006 in Woodland Park, before moving into Colorado Springs in 2009. The pair plan to continue to run classes at their studio in the Springs while also offering lessons in Summit County. Brandy said the pair feels there is a market for ballroom instruction in the area, and decided to offer their services now that they live in Park County.

“It doesn’t hurt that I absolutely love it there and I ski and snowboard in Summit all the time,” she said.

WHY BALLROOM?

Ballroom dancing includes a variety of specialized instruction, including the waltz, tango, foxtrot, cha cha rumba and swing. They also offer salsa, merengue, nightclub and country western, and wedding dance choreography. Brandy said the activity is good for any age, body type or any skill level.

“You can be 4 or 104 — this sport is for anyone,” she said.

Many of her students are couples about to get married, or people who attend social events and just need to know a few steps. It can be beneficial for those trying to get in shape, mix up their workouts and increase flexibility and stamina, she said. In Colorado Springs, Brandy and Harger also train many competitive dancers. Although the couple still compete occasionally themselves, Brandy said she now enjoys the challenge of helping her students learn.

“My job is never boring, there is no one person that learns the same,” she said. “That’s the exciting part for me, is how do I get students to see their potential.”

She plans to expand the Summit County program to include Latin cardio classes in the future, and they also offer a certification program for dancers that would also like to become instructors.

The instructors also offer a half-price introductory special for first-timers, hoping to expose more people to the sport.

“It truly is for anybody,” Brandy said. “It’s great team building activity for couples, or for anyone interested in being challenged to do something they’ve never tried before. It’s fun and very addictive — you can become successful at this at a very rapid pace.”


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