by Keeley Moree
The sound of music floating through the halls is one of many new changes taking place inside the Liberal Recreation Center. More than 100 youth athletes slipped on their tap, ballet, and dance shoes to take part in the City of Liberal’s new youth dance classes following the Spring Break holiday.
The idea for a dance program hosted by Liberal Recreation Department originated with city staff. Scarlette Diseker, Compliance and Innovation Director at the City of Liberal, helped develop the program to expand youth programming offered while also generating revenue.
“Dance has been a popular activity for kids in our community for many years,” Diseker said. “The closure of Liberal’s only private studio in 2022 left many families without a local place to learn, improve their skills, and simply enjoy dance as a healthy activity.”
Finding an instructor was a critical first step in establishing the program. Fortunately, long-time dance instructor, Nikki Frydendall, stepped forward to accept the role. Frydendall has 46 years of experience as a dance instructor. She owned a studio for 20 years, and has trained students in dance, pageantry, cheer, and performing arts in the community.
“Nikki’s reputation in the community as an exceptional instructor generated a lot of interest in our program very quickly,” Recreation Administrative Assistant, Candy Garcia, said. “We reached maximum capacity for several of our class sessions within 4 days. Parents were very excited to have a local program to enroll their kids in dance.”
Frydendall says the new program studio inside the Liberal Recreation Center is both functional and inviting for students.
“City staff did a wonderful job creating a welcoming space to host classes,” Frydendall said. “The studio has plentiful room for kids to move while also providing seating for families to watch their children learn. Bringing kids together is always rewarding, but seeing parents connect with each and build friendships as well has been truly special to see.”
The current classes end in mid-May, and the Liberal Recreation Department plans to offer up to four nine-week courses per year. Classes are open for ages 3 through 12th grade, with most age groups practicing tap, ballet, and jazz dance forms. For questions and more information on future courses, contact the Liberal Recreation Department at (620) 417-8150.
