Many dance programs are recreational, or “just for fun.”  Auburn Dance Academy provides a genuine dance education.  The curriculum is designed to challenge students to push beyond their boundaries.  Students are expected to attend classes regularly, and to practice skills and dances.  Parents are encouraged to take an active role in helping students develop effective and consistent practice habits.

 

 

The study of dance teaches important life lessons: responsibility, respect, courtesy, commitment, self-awareness and self-discipline.  Your child will learn the value of hard work and dedication, the exhilaration of personal achievement, and the power of persistence and determination.  These are tools that will help your child succeed in all of their future endeavors.  And these are the gifts that Auburn Dance Academy will give to each student.

 

Carolyn Olesen, Owner and Instructor

 

Carolyn McDonald Olesen received a BA in Dance with Emphasis in Choreography from the University of California-Irvine, and an MA in Education from the University of Iowa. In addition, she has extensive background in Theatre, Light Design, Dance History, Dance Kinesiology, and Injury Prevention for Dancers.

 

From 2003-2013, Ms. Olesen directed the Dance Program at the Nemaha County Wellness Center in Auburn, NE. She owned and operated the dance studio McDonald Arts Center, in Cedar Rapids, IA, from 1989-2001. During that time she also taught dance at Coe College, dance and theatre at Kirkwood College, and directed Kirkwood’s Summer Performing Arts Camp for Children. She has choreographed numerous musicals for colleges, high schools, and community theatres; conducted workshops in Musical Theatre Dance, Modern Dance, Choreography and Dance Fitness for Adults; guest lectured on topics including The History of Modern Dance, The History of The Nutcracker, and The History of Social Dance in America; and has worked with show choirs, drill squads, color guard, and dance teams.

 

She is recognized in Marquis’ Who’s Who of American Women and Who’s Who in Education.