EudoraNews.com

To say Eudora has seen a population surge over the past few years would be an understatement. While a shorter commute has attraced some people, a love of teaching dance attracted 23-year-old Amanda Herrmann.

Herrmann started Amanda's Dance Academy in March, teaching classes at the old middle school on Main Street. She moved to Eudora with her husband, Jeff, soon after they were married in August.

Herrmann, who has a degree in both dance and business from Kansas University, began taking dance classes when she was 2-and-a-half years old. She had been teaching dance as an assistant since she 13 and said that she had always wanted her own studio.

"I saw and opportunity here in Eudora and my husband and I really enjoyed the community and everyone was really welcoming of us," Herrmann said. "So, we called the parks and rec center and they said we could teach."

While she initially enjoyed teaching classes at the old middle school, being in their new digs at Eudora Community Center has put a zip in the steps of both her and her students.

"It's very colorful and it feels very happy," Herrmann said. "All the children are very excited about it. They come in and say 'Wow, this is our room? Do we have to go back to the old place?' and I get to tell them, 'No, we're here to stay.'"

She offers nine different classes for ages ranging from 3 years to adult, with skills ranges varying. Prices range from $30-$40.

Though she currently works at University Photography in Lawrence, she hopes to get enough students to run the studio full time.

And that might be too far off if she continues to see a spike in numbers, as her enrollment has gone up from just four students in March to where it currently stand now at 35.

"I think that getting out the word has been the toughest thing," Herrmann said. "Being at the old facility was kind of a barrier, too, just because we didn't necessarily have four walls around us.

"Sometimes we'd be in a big open gym, and with little 3-year-olds, it's more appealing to run back and forth or hang on the bleachers instead of listening in class."

Amanda's ability to work well in such situations is apparent to lifelong Eudora resident Meribeth Orr, whose 4-year-old daughter Maizey is in Herrmann's Tiny Dancers class for 4 to 5 year olds.

"She really caters to the different ages, but with the little girls, she talks down to their level and makes it understandable and enjoyable to them," Orr said. "I can tell she really cares about the kids and wants them to learn."

Though it sometimes gets tiring working during the day and then teaching classes at night, Herrmann said that she wouldn't change a thing.

"Last week with the weather, we had to cancel both of our Monday and Wednesday classes," she said. "I realized how much I truly loved doing it because I was sitting at home and I was missing my students and felt kind of bored."

However, she has been getting help from her husband, Jeff, who is an accountant and handles the business side of the running the studio.

"A lot of time and energy for both of us goes into it," he said.

Amanda said that his hard work already has paid off, though.

"I told him he's officially my CFO," she said.

Registration forms for Amanda's Dance Academy are available at the Community Center office and City Hall. For more information, send and e-mail to

amandadanceacademy@gmail.com.

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