CHRISTINA EICHELKRAUT / PVT Donna Lamm displays some of the dancewear she offers at her studio along with lessons represents a variety of disciplines. Advertisement

Thanks to Donna Lamm, dance instructor, residents of Pahrump have been able to learn to hoof it until they drop for the past 28 years.

And that's in spite of Lamm's not even having a studio when she first came to Pahrump in 1977.

"Back in the early days it wasn't really a studio," Lamm said. "Wherever they had room for me, I taught." That included everywhere from the Saddle West ballroom, to Pahrump Valley High School, to an old sports center on the north end of town.

Lamm was an instructor for the Clark County Community College in Las Vegas when she began teaching an outreach program, during which she taught an adult dance class at Pahrump Valley High School and a children's class in Amargosa Valley.

In 1979, Donna's Studio of Dance officially came into existence and has been growing and expanding ever since.

By 1983 Lamm had a studio to teach willing pupils at 401 S. Frontage Rd., and there are plenty of people who want to learn.

Lamm estimates the studio now has approximately 80 students, with classes made up of five to 12 people.

Performances given at the Fall Festival have since expanded into an annual spring recital performed in the high school auditorium, which features all of the classes taught at the studio.

And since classes are offered in a wide variety of dancing arts, including tap, East Indian dance, hip hop, clogging and creative dance; recital-goers are certain to be entertained by a wide spectrum of the performance arts.

Individual classes still perform at the Fall Festival as well as other community events.

The studio itself has grown as well, and was recently completely renovated.

It has also become the first and only dance retail shop in town.

"It's a great convenience for people who now don't have to go into Las Vegas to get dance equipment," Lamm said.

The shop has everything from tights to ballerina outfits, and is even having a Halloween special for costumes.

Dancing is a discipline that's open to all ages, as Lamm herself proves.

She began studying modern dance when she was 22 at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, "which is late for dancing," Lamm admitted.

Lamm was actually taking courses to prepare for her future career in real estate.

"I figured while I was there I should take a class I like," Lamm said. "So I studied dance and pottery, and I'm still doing all three."

Although Lamm began studying modern dance, she said her favorite type of dance is ballet.

"It's the most disciplined, and it's the best one to start with," Lamm said.

Children interested in studying dance can start as young as 3 years old "if they're ready" Lamm said.

Classes are also offered for adults.

Lamm said dancing is becoming more popular all the time.

"I see that there's more a demand for it all the time," Lamm said.

She added that right now ballroom dancing lessons are especially in demand, although she's been having difficulty finding a teacher willing to come out to Pahrump.

The studio doesn't just dance, however.

Kung fu is taught by Sifu Glenn Bullock, and fencing is taught by former Olympic fencing coach Mel Bowen.

If you would like register for a class at Donna's Studio of Dance, call Kathy Eason, studio director, at 775-727-4211.