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Meet Kate Waits

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Waits.

Kate Waits began dancing at age seven in Neosho, Missouri at Solomon’s Dance Studio. There, she learned the beginnings of dance; how to point her toes, how to do a plie, and of course how to make a butterfly! Not only was she starting her dance career, but she was learning from Charity Solomon, a very strong Christian woman. Charity is not only focused on dance techniques but also making sure she is using her platform for ministry. Kate did not know the impact this would have on her life until much later.

In 2013, Kate decided she wanted to try competitive dancing. Unfortunately, this was not something that was offered in her current studio. After long discussions with her mom, Kate had decided on Kara’s Kicks in Anderson, Missouri. Because Kate was switching from recreational classes to competitive classes, there was a large cost difference. Kate was now to pick up this extra cost. She was only 15 at the time and had no job.It was time for Kate to get creative. At this time Kate’s Aunt Kim had just opened a daycare in Granby, Missouri. Kim suggested Kate teach a dance class at the daycare. Nine kids signed up the first year, which happened to be just enough to allow her to pay for her own dance classes. At first, this was all it was, nothing more than making money to take the class.

After a few months of teaching, Kate decided this was something she would like to do as a career, she put her focus on dance and building a business. After a couple of years, the classes grew to where she couldn’t fit many more at the daycare. Unfortunately, Kate couldn’t go out on her own until she turned 18 for legal reasons. On the day Kate turned 18 she signed the lease papers for a building in Granby. The following dance season she was teaching classes in her own studio. She thought it would stop there, but God continued to put dance on her heart in other parts of Kate’s life.

In 2017 she put on a one-day dance intensive in Rogers, AR and she was surprised by the turn out she had. Through this event, she made connections with dancers, dance moms, and instructors. In 2018 She recreated this event in three cities that were also very successful. That brings us to today. After reflecting on past events, Kate realized this wasn’t only her dream. She believes that God has given her this passion for a reason. After a lot of prayer and conversations with others, she believes the next step is to make a giant leap of faith (literally). In 2020 Next Gen will start the first tour as competition & convention.

Next Gen’s focus will first be on giving God the glory in all aspects of our lives, and second, dance. We hope to use our platform to reach others for Christ. We hope you will join us on our “CREATED” tour.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been some struggles along the way. My husband and I are very young, and we don’t have much history with making money yet. We’ve been saving our money for a very long time to make this happen because we knew it would be very difficult to get a loan for something like this. It has also been very stressful because our source of living will be coming from this, which is a lot weighing on our shoulders.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
Next Gen is a Dance Competition & Convention that prides itself on excellent education for dancers and dance instructors. Kate Waits founded Next Gen with a goal in mind—to show dancers they have much more potential than they believe. Next Gen is a platform to teach this powerful message to many dancers at one time. We offer classes to ages 3+, including college students and studio owners. Dancers can earn scholarships and other awards at our events. This is a great stepping stone for those who are interested in making dance a career.

During the day our venue is in convention mode, meaning dancers take classes from our excellent faculty. Here they will learn the technique and other important life skills for the dance world. In the evening, we change everything to competition mode, it is here that dancers will get on stage and compete the dances they have been working on at their home studio for months. They will win trophies, plaques, ribbons, and scholarships for their achievements. Next Gen we see each dancer as a unique creation, made to do something special on this earth. Our faculty will take the extra steps to ensure each dancer feels they are an individual in our events. Dance is just a little part of the bigger lives they have been blessed with.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I always feel the proudest when I am surrounded by people who share the same passions as us. I could just sit and watch my faculty teach dancers from all around the country. Dance makes us vulnerable, it’s like seeing inside of someone’s soul, Next Gen makes it a safe space for dancers to let go of everything, even if it’s just for a weekend.

Pricing:

  • Convention Classes (2-Day pass) – $155-245
  • Competition Dance (Solo) – $120
  • Competition Dance (Duet/Trio) – $65 per dancer
  • Competition Dance (Group) – $50 per dancer

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Skylight Photography

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