cinema is not the only artistic endeavor that happens at the Strand Theatre in Britton these days. Nestled in the basement is a hardwood floor, some mirrors and a good amount of space for young people to express themselves through dance. It is the home of the Rachel Peterson Dance Studio.
BASEMENT BUSINESS DANCING INTO THE FUTURE
Rachel Peterson has been dancing nearly as long as she has been walking. She started the performance art at age four and later in life realized she not only loved dancing but also teaching it to others. After working for and with others in this capacity, in the last few years, she finally realized her dream of owning her own studio and Rachel Peterson Dance Studios was born.
Peterson is a native of Aberdeen and graduated from Aberdeen Christian. From a young age, she had a passion for dance, and like many youths in northeast South Dakota, she learned this art at the Johnny Cavelle Dance Studio. Peterson’s love of dance took her to Holland, Michigan where she attended Hope College to earn a Bachelor of Arts in dance performance and choreography.
Upon graduating, she moved east to Washington D.C. where her sister was living and was privileged to do an internship at the Kennedy Center. After an injury, she took an interest in pilates and found she had a knack for instruction. But like for so many people, the COVID pandemic took its toll on her career, and she was forced to do some soul-searching.
“At that point, I asked myself, ‘what do I want to do more than anything,’” she said. What came to mind was teaching dance. She wasn’t exactly sure how to do this, however. On a whim, she put in a call to Vicki Schnoor, owner of Living Art Dance Studios, in Aberdeen. The women knew each other from their Johnny Cavelle days. Schnoor was Johnny’s primary employee for years who eventually took over his studio and had taught Peterson her whole life
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