By Anita Todd
BARTOW – Wendy’s Dance Company is choreographing a beautiful new facility in a new location with fresh offerings for the students and families.
Wendy’s Dance Company founder Wendy Attix, who started her dance company about 30 years ago, recently announced the upcoming construction of the Elevate Performance Complex. The multi-purpose facility will be approximately 8,000 square feet and will include three professional dance studios; a fitness gym; a full cheer and tumbling gym; a performance boutique; athlete lockers; a study hall; and creative services including photography and a content studio.
Attix said the Complex is built on a simple idea, “create a space where children can grow, families feel supported, and the community can come together in a meaningful way.
“I want it to be special not just for the kids but for the families,” she said. “This is something that I put together from what I have seen has been needed over the years,” Attix said. She has seen parents walking around the studio for exercise and kids studying with their books on the dance floor and in waiting areas. There were extra clothes, backpacks and other belongings lying around that needed a designated space. So, when designing the complex, she included a fitness gym for the parents, a study hall (with supervised study time), and athlete lockers.
Students, families, and friends participated in a 10-day countdown to the big announcement made by Attix last month. Now, she is teasing the location of the new facility and plans to announce both the location and grand opening date soon. The cheer portion details are still being finalized.
Attix started dancing at a young age and continued through college. She spent her first two years at Florida State University, where she took dance courses. During her summer breaks, she held dance classes in her hometown of Fort Meade. The parents and kids loved her so much that they encouraged her to move closer so she could teach more often. So, she transferred to University of South Florida, where she was on the dance team and grew her dance business.
She started out teaching tap, ballet, jazz, and clogging at a Fort Meade studio. Over the years, the location has changed, and the number of students has grown. She and seven other instructors have added hip hop, contemporary, and tumbling to the list of dance styles originally offered.
“This is all such a blessing to me. I am overjoyed,” Attix said. She said she is humbled and thinks about how she can teach students not just dance, but life lessons as well.
“Are they a better person because they walked through my doors?” she asked. “I don’t look for thank you’s. I like to see how they blossom. I just want to make a difference.”
Until the new complex opens, dance classes will continue at the current location, including summer intensive classes. Several guest instructors will participate, including Jaliyah “Juicy” Kersten, Taylor Savaglio and Kinsey Hughey. Classes will be held July 14–31, with registration beginning June 1. The studio is located at 780 W. Main Street in Bartow. For more information, visit Wendy’s Dance Company.
