Chinook native teaches classical ballet to Havre youth

Patrick Campbell, the owner of the Montana Academy of Dance, teaches Havre's youth and enthusiasts the art of ballet, jazz and tap.

The academy is located on the top floor of the Atrium Mall and teaches all ages interested, men and women; boys and girls.

Sally Anderson of Chinook has been helping Campbell for six years at his studio. Her own 14-year-old daughter, Erika, has been training under Campbell for seven years and assists him in his instruction of his younger students.

"I like the challenge of it; the technique and discipline," Erika said.

Erika said parents should consider entering their children into the dance classes because of the benefits gained from the discipline and artistry they are taught in the classes.

The studio's next goal is to form a company of dancers, but they need more people at higher levels.

"Basically, we're a very strong, technique-based studio," Anderson said. "Technique is a very critical thing in dance. We'd like to form a company and try to do a preprofessional-type program."

The studio, in addition to classical ballet training, also offers jazz and tap dancing lessons to a variety of age groups.

"We recommend a 6- or 7-year-old is a good starting point, but some start as young as 2 or 3," Anderson said. "They do the ballet bar to reinforce positions and the older girls will start being worked in some advanced combinations and choreography.

"The vision is when those girls are on stage, every angle and position they make looks correct," she added

Campbell was raised in Chinook and began dancing at age 19. Since then, he has danced in the northeast, northwest and east and west coasts of the United States and also Canada.

Campbell said the high points of his career were being a soloist in the University of Utah's Utah Ballet, being a soloist in the Metropolitan Repertory Ballet of New York City, performing at the Lincoln Center and being a jazz dancer for Martha Ray's wake at the Friar's Club in Los Angeles.

"Getting to dance at Lincoln Center is rare," Campbell said.

Campbell has studied or taken classes from many respected teachers in the styles of ballet, jazz, modern, ballroom and character dancing. He said he considered ballet master William Christensen from Salt Lake City and jazz dance master Luigi from New York City his main influences.

Campbell studied under Luigi for six years and later taught professional-level classes at the Luigi Jazz Centre in NYC.

Campbell used to teach at Northstar Dance Studio before breaking away to start his own studio five years ago. He offers work scholarships to any boys who want to join in his classes.

He can be reached at the Montana Academy of Dance at 265-2808, through his website, http://www.montdance.com or on Facebook at Montana Academy of Dance-MAD.