Bonnie Curtis is retiring after 48 years at the Curtis Dance Studio.
The torch is being passed at the Curtis Studio of Dance.
Bonnie Curtis, who followed in her mother’s footsteps at the Carpinteria studio, is retiring after 48 years.
Nikki Powell, who has taught the last five years at Curtis Studio of Dance, will become the studio’s new owner and artistic director. The change will take place after fall enrollment is completed.
The studio started in the fall of 1973 when Bonnie Curtis’ mother, Mary Lou Curtis, opened its doors. Photos show Bonnie as a young performer.
And now in the studio’s latest chapter, Ms. Powell will oversee the next generation of young dancers.
Ms. Powell began her love for dance at Curtis Studio of Dance, where she trained for 13 years.
She graduated magna cum laude in May 2013 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with bachelor’s degrees in dance and philosophy. Her dance studies have included Idyllwild Arts Academy, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and many workshops.
She has been dancing professionally for the last eight years.
Ms. Powell said she’s excited to continue what Bonnie Curtis and her mother have built over the years at the Curtis Studio of Dance, which is where she took her first dance class at age 3. She said that experience “changed my life forever.
“My love for dance has taken me on an amazing, fulfilling journey,” Ms. Powell said in a news release. “It is an art form that I am so passionate about because it remains interesting, physically and mentally challenging, and continues to reveal new things to me every day.
“This last year and a half were very hard as a professional dancer, and it made me realize how important the gift of dance is,” she continued. “I love teaching and am so grateful for the wonderful students I have been able to watch grow over the years. I am so excited to step into the role of owner and artistic director and share my passion and knowledge of dance with the next generation!”
According to the news release, Mrs. Curtis knows she is “leaving the studio in very capable hands.” For more information, see www.curtisdance.com.
email: dmason@newspress.com
