The expression is often heard, but Jordan Nieuwenhuis is in fact living the dream. “My dream has always been to own and operate a dance studio,” said the owner and director of JK Dance Academy which opened this summer in the former Sanborn Community Center location at the southwest corner of Main Street and 3rd Street.
The Academy is holding an Open House on Sunday, August 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for the public to view the facility, get answers to any questions and to register for the fall classes.
JK Dance Academy is Jordan’s first venture into operating a studio. “I moved back to the area last October, and my parents were the ones who encouraged me to start the process earlier than I had anticipated,” she explained. “I had toured multiple buildings in the surrounding towns, yet none of them were as spacious or in as good of shape as the Sanborn Community Center. Since it is a city building, we had to go through more of an acceptance process to purchase the building, however, it was worth it to get such an amazing building in a fast-growing community.”
Nieuwenhuis also took care in finding just the right title to attach to her studio. “I had been through numerous names for the studio and even tried online name generators to try and find a perfect match,” she said. “I knew I wanted my initials or name in the logo, so with the help of friends and family I finally decided on JK Dance Academy. The J and K stand for my first and middle name, Jordan Kaye. I think it is unique, professional, and has a ring to it.”
The new owner and director began a love affair with dance at an early age. “I first started dance class when I was four years old at Robin’s School of Dance in Sioux Center,” shared Nieuwenhuis. “I danced there throughout the entirety of my elementary and high school years.” Robin’s also provided her with an entry into choreography. “While I was there, I competed on their company team from age 13 to 18 and had the opportunity to choreograph a few competition routines,” said Jordan. “Dancing at Robin’s solidified my love for dance, and made me want to share that adoration with others.”

Along Jordan’s educational path, dance was was never far away. “Throughout my high school years, I was a part of the South O’Brien Dance Team,” she said. “During my time on my high school dance team, we competed yearly at ISDTA (Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association) and performed at football and basketball games. After high school, I went on to attend Grand View University where I competed on the dance team for four years. Throughout my time at Grand View, we performed at football and basketball games, competed at ISDTA, competed around the Midwest against numerous NAIA schools, and competed at NAIA Dance Nationals.”
Her college years allowed Jordan to cultivate the teaching aspect of dance. “Some of the best years of my life were spent at Grand View, and I made the most amazing memories and friends anyone could ask for,” shared Nieuwenhuis. “Also throughout my time in college, I taught and choreographed for numerous studios across Iowa, where I found my passion for teaching. Currently, I just opened my studio to the community, and in addition to running my business, I still choreograph for studios and dance teams in Iowa.”
JK Dance Academy offers dance and acrobatic classes to children aged 18 months to 18 years. “These classes include dance with me, pre-dance, pre-acro, ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, acro, musical theater, pointe, lyrical/contemporary, technique, and boys hip hop/acro,” noted Jordan. “We also offer a competition team which all JK Dance Academy students are welcome to audition for.” Niewenhuis looks to bring dance opportunities to the adult crowd as well. “In the future, we hope to create adult dance classes where more members of the community can learn some dance technique and gain a new form of exercise,” she revealed.
Jordan realizes how any new business, and hers in particular, can be a real boon to the community and the area. “Members of the public are positively affected by a new business alone,” she said. “Bringing people in from the surrounding towns benefits the other Sanborn and O’Brien County businesses. When parents bring their sons or daughters to dance, they have downtime where they will go to the grocery store, gas stations, pool, bowling alley, etc. In addition, the dance studio will contribute to the overall welfare of the community, increase the quality of life by supplying social cohesion, and share new services that have not yet been introduced to the town.”
Currently Nieuwenhuis is operating the studio on her own but she says that will likely change before long. “After this first year, I am expecting that I will hire more instructors, and possibly an administrative assistant,” she acknowledged.
Jordan wants people to stay informed on the latest news and opportunities involving the studio. “People can get information and updates about JK Dance Academy on our website (www.jk-danceacademy.com), our Facebook page (JK Dance Academy), and our Instagram (jk.danceacademy),” stated Nieuwenhuis. “For any questions, people can contact me at jkda.business@gmail.com or message me on Facebook or Instagram!”
The director closed by touching on what she would like her students to gain from their experience at JK Dance Academy. “I want my students to build their dance knowledge and technique while finding long-lasting relationships and memories,” said Nieuwenhuis. “I hope that they gain the same joy that I have found through dance, and grow to become distinguished and confident young adults in anything they do.”