Taking Center Stage
The Importance of Arts & Community
Growing up in Pitt County with a father who was very visible in the community, Kimberly Jones was bound to take center stage in her own special way. As an entertainer, Jones creates a body of work that puts a smile on people’s faces and gives them something to take their minds off of their daily stressors. As the owner of the award-winning dance studio, Katura Dance Academy, Jones was forced to shift things for her business at a rapid pace. Over the years, many parents have looked to Jones’ studio as the place where their children call their second home. When COVID-19 hit, it was even more important for Jones to ensure the safety of her dance family.
Katura Dance Academy has been very visible in the community over the years, providing entertainment for a variety of events throughout the region. But with the virus looming, things changed very quickly. Many of the students’ scheduled classes and performances were rescheduled. In the early days of COVID-19 Jones implemented “safe space” procedures for her students such as wiping down the facility every half hour, taking breaks for hand washing before and after class, providing sanitizer, and of course putting physical space in between the students and instructors. Jones eventually prepped her staff to implement at home lessons to keep the momentum going.
Dance is no doubt a passion project. Jones fell in love with dance at a very young age, and by the age of 8, she knew that teaching would be a part of her future. She describes the joy of watching her students dance as “inexplicable”. For Jones, the reward in teaching is knowing that she has played a part in building up their confidence, and she strives to impart that feeling upon all of her students. She makes it her mission to create “more than dancers”. Jones creates well-rounded, intelligent, and creative leaders – essential characteristics for members of the minority community.
During this time of chaos, we’ve truly seen the importance of having access to the arts and entertainment. It is a welcomed distraction from the news that we hear every day. It is an element of our lives that uplifts our spirits and gives us something to look forward to. COVID-19 has required many of us to rely more heavily on technology in order to indulge in the things that give us joy. Once we realized that COVID-19 was not a passing storm, we took to social media to access classes and maintain a connection with our family and friends. As schools across the country closed for the remainder of the year, it has become even more important for parents to have access to tools that allow their children to continue with their extracurricular activities.
For Kimberly Jones, balancing her business activities with wisdom and heart has been the biggest challenge. She cautions, “Sometimes as creatives, we don’t think about the logistics and business side of things- we are just passionate about our art, and that can allow our feelings to get in the way of business. You can do both, you just have to learn to balance”. She also maintains that her Faith allows her to open her mind and believe bigger. We are believing that this is just the beginning for Jones and her growing legacy.
Instagram: @KiMiiJ and @KaturaPro
Facebook: Facebook.com/TheKiMiiJWay and Facebook.com/KaturaPro
www.katuradance.com
www.TheKiMiiJWay.com