T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ Anna Horvath, owner of Grace Ballet & Acrobatics Studio, has opened a Marshalltown branch of her business inside the Tallcorn Ballroom. Classes will be taught by Olivia Nelsen, right. Horvath’s daughter Seraphina (pictured) is also a dancer.

Area youth will soon have a new place to take dance lessons and perform.

Anna Horvath, owner of Grace Ballet & Acrobatics Studio, founded in 1998, has opened a Marshalltown branch of her business inside the Tallcorn Ballroom, 134 E. Main St. Its mission is “Sharing the Gospel of Grace through the splendor of dance.”

“This is a beautiful venue. It breeds creativity and artistry, with a beautiful floor and chandeliers. It’s exciting to be using the ballroom, which is also used for worship space by Restore Church,” Horvath said.

She said several traits make Grace different from other studios, as she is the only teacher in the state of Iowa to be certified and registered with the Royal Academy of Dance. She is certified in Stott Pilates and is a graduate of Drake University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Her studios have a “Christ-focused” message.

“I’ve had some students from Marshalltown coming down to Des Moines to take classes. There was a mom from Marshalltown who asked if we’d ever open a location here because she was driving to our Des Moines one every week, and I said ‘if you get the students then we’ll come,’ and our goal was 30 students and we are almost there, so it’s continuing to grow,” she said. “What they wanted was something that wasn’t already offered in this area — a Christian ballet studio where they can take classes and be in an environment where they’re encouraged and edified. We don’t do competition, we don’t do skimpy costumes.”

Classes will be offered on Fridays, beginning Aug. 23, and will be a combination of ballet and acrobatics: 3 to 5 year olds session will take place from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.; 6 to 9 year olds session from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.; age 10+ from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Classes will be taught by new instructor Olivia Nelsen, who for the last seven years has danced for Ballet Magnificat, a professional Christian ballet company located in Jackson, Miss. She has traveled internationally as a dancer.

“Our performances look a little bit different than most do. We use our dancing to share the Gospel with our audiences, so dancing is just the tool we use to do that. And we build our own stages. We create the event, which is different from (other companies),” Nelsen said of her time with Ballet Magnificat.

While dancers at Grace won’t compete, they will have several opportunities throughout the dance year to perform before an audience.

Horvath also has dance studios in Des Moines, Ankeny and Indianola.

For more information or to register your dancers, visit www.graceballet.com or call 515-289-2884.

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Contact Sara Jordan-Heintz at

641-753-6611 or

sjordan@timesrepublican.com