Name of business:

Lily’s Academy of Dance

Address:

304 Mondamin St., Suite 108

Minooka, IL 60447

Phone number:

(815) 661-0602

Name of owner:

Kimberly Sims

In business since:

2011

Primary products/services:

Dance Education.

Our studio is for children ages 2 to adult and we  offer classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, poms, lyrical, acrobatics and self-defense.

Although we are a dance studio we also offer self-defense classes for those 18 years and older.

Awards/honors:

Platinum first-place overall award for top solo, outstanding costume, legs for days and several other platinum, gold and silver awards for dance.

About the owner:

Started dance competition at the age of 12. Won top solo in 2005 in Las Vegas  at Nationals Outstanding costume 2002.

I began dance at the age of 5 at the Joliet Park District with Anna Targonski and continued my dance education with Anna when she opened her own studio, Michelle’s Dance Academy. I started dance competition with Michelle’s at the age of 12 and started teaching there at 15 years old.

I have studied several styles of dance such as Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-hop Lyrical, and Acrobatics. I have spent some time in New York studying dance, music and acting with beginnings workshop, taken a master class from tap legend Al Gilbert just before his passing and was invited with my dance group to perform for the Secretary of State, Jesse White.

Once the owner of Michelle’s Dance Academy decided to retire from owning the dance studio last year, I made the choice to open up my own studio in the same area so I could continue teaching all of the children that I have taught for so many years and reach out to new students and inspire them to dance just as Anna has done for me.

I studied martial arts for many years and have traveled all over the world to places including Paris, France, Athens, Greece, London, England, Dublin, Ireland, and Edinburgh, Scotland with  my parents, Christen and Brian Sims, who are fifth- and sixth-degree black belts  as they competed for Team USA. My mother, Christen, is our self-defense instructor.

Through dance and the martial arts, I learned Respect, Discipline, and the value of hard work which I believe are important lessons for all children of any age.

Dance has been a huge part of my life and now with a daughter of my own, Lily, whom I have named the studio after I wish to pass my love of the art of dance on to her and others.