Through the hustle and bustle of fall enrollment, Kristina Beeler took the time to reflect on 50 years of costumes; 50 years of rhinestones; 50 years of teaching Pliés, tendus, pirouettes, Jete; and 50 years of helping develop some of the region’s most decorated dancers.

Kristina’s Studio of Dance saw its first students when Beeler was just a teenager, and 50 years later, she is not looking to take a break any time soon.

“I took dance from Mildred Chapin who was a staple here for many, many years,” Beeler reminisced on her early years. “Then when I was about 10, my mother took me to Dallas to learn from some other teachers. I took private lessons and stuff like that. But, I never intended to teach dance for my career. I was a piano player. I went to Austin College for music. All my life, I thought I was going to be a concert pianist, but it did not turn out like that.

Kristina’s Studio of Dance opened when Beeler was just 16.

“I had been taking class from a woman who ended up having to move,” Beeler said. “She asked me if I would take over this one tap class that she had. I was probably 14 at this time. She left me two records. I would go to the studio where she taught, and I taught her one class. Then the next year, I ended up with two classes. It was only tap. Tap was my main thing back in the day.”

That second year, she had two classes.

“Well, the woman that owned the studio got married and moved away.” Beeler said. “So I had these two classes with nowhere to teach them. I went to another studio in town and rented a space so I could teach for a couple of hours a week.”

But, she was dead set on being a concert pianist.

“I talked to my mom about it and she was like, ‘Well, I do not think that would be a bad idea to do while you are in college. You will not have to work every day of the week.’ I could pick and choose my days.”

Kristina’s Studio of Dance was born.

“I was a kid and I did not know all of the things,” she continued. “My dad had a business in Denison for 30 years. He helped rent me a space downtown across from where the library is. I ran two or three ads in the newspaper, and I had about 35 kids. I was a senior in high school when I opened the studio. I was young.”

So, Beeler went to Austin College already being the owner of a full-fledged business.

“I could not do that and run a business,” Beeler said. “So, I dropped out of school.”

Back in those days, dance classes would run a family about $10 a month.

“I never billed anyone,” Beeler said. ” I never kept up with it. I was a kid. I just made sure I paid the rent. My dad built me my first bar, and I ended up purchasing some more records.”

Beeler went to Dallas to attend dance instructor trainings and met a small tribe who took her under their wing and showed her the ropes of studio ownership. Beeler taught tap dancing, ballet and jazz.

“I moved to the block right before the courthouse right next to Melrose Tappens Jewelry Store,” Beeler said. “I was there five more years, and in that length of time my parents passed away.”

Beeler moved the studio into her childhood home on Taylor Street.

“We had been here about six months with Melrose Tappen caught on fire one night,” Beeler said. “It burned both my old studio and the older jewelers to the ground. I would have lost all my pictures and all my newspapers.”

In her time, Beeler has seen three generations of the same family come through her studio.

“When we started, competitive dance was nonexistent,” Beeler said. “It was just fun. I just want build kids up. I want them to have fun and then go off and enjoy their lives. They can learn and be able to speak and present themselves and go be successful at life.”

Confidence and personal presentation are all elements of dance.

“I get children who come in and are so shy,” Beeler said. “They come in and they are afraid to talk. I had one girl come in who came in and I would talk to her. She would put her little head down. But, if you put her on a stage, it was a different story. She would completely come to life. It is a transformation almost.”

The competitive dance world can teach technique, performance and more. Not all of Kristina’s students choose to do competitive dance. About 40 students are on the competition team, but nearly four times that many just attend classes.

“There is always going to be someone who is better,” Beeler said. “You have to work, work, work, work. That is in everything. That is just life. It is great to win, but you will not win every time. We help build them up so they can go on to the next big challenge.

“Just about all of my kids are doing more than dance. They are doing drill team, cheerleading, athletics. It is hard. They are doing a lot.”

Most classes at Kristina’s are 50 minutes. Technique classes can sometimes be an hour.

“Dance itself is not expensive,” Beeler said. “Competition is expensive. We try to keep those prices down because we understand.”

The 50th year of Kristina’s Dance Studio will come with some firsts as well as some returning events.

Recently, Beeler and her staff began working with some young dancers who may not have previously gotten the opportunity to take classes.

“This year, we are working with MasterKey Ministries,” she said. “I am going over there and teaching a class one day a week. It is a nice thing. I want them to be able to do it. At the end of the semester, we would love for them to do a Christmas dance for their parents so they can see what we have been working on.”

A returning favorite will be a nursing home performance also taking place during the winter season. Ahead of the Christmas recital, Beeler takes her dancers to a local nursing home as a dress rehearsal ahead of the performance for parents.

“Those little people love it so much,” Beeler said. “I think it was last year when there was one woman in a wheelchair who chased me down. She said she looks forward to this every year. I am so glad they enjoy it. It is so sweet to see the people’s faces when the dancers are performing.”

Each year, Kristina’s does a end-of-year recital in May to celebrate the work the students have done throughout the year. This year, Beeler wants to make this recital extra special with the annual alumni dance, hopefully, bringing in about 25-35 former students.

“And, my competition team is going to go on a cruise,” she said. “They are going to dance on the boat. We did that several years ago, and we want to do a 50th anniversary “sail-bration.” They do not have to do it, but it is something fun to celebrate this year. And, I have 6-7 seniors this year that will be graduating. They are really, really good.”

Kristina’s has 9 staff members. Her main teachers have been with the studio since they were 2-3 years old.

“Curtis Wesley came to me when he was 16,” Beeler reminisced on some of her students that went on to become professional entertainers. “He had never danced, but he was an amazing gymnast. He came to every class that I offered that he could come to. He went to OU on a dance scholarship. He then decided to go to New York City. He booked 42nd Street and went on a world tour. He got to go to Japan and all over the world. After that, he danced on cruise ships, Oklahoma City and everything. He traveled the world performing. Then he got throat cancer and he passed away in 2021.

“I have had a lot of kids that have gone on to be Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Apache Bells, all the big-name drill teams in the area. I have one trying to get on at Disney World. I have had a lot go on to do a lot of things.”