Move, reset and refocus is the idea behind Alexis Richens’s new dance school, Movement Matters.

She had a soft opening in July with dance classes for older adults.

“It was built around the belief that when you move, you feel better,” she said.

She started by holding classes in a temporary space in town with no air conditioning. She was amazed when her classes filled up anyway, despite the heat.

The school opening itself was a bit of a reset and refocus.

Until a few months ago, she had been working as a co-owner, assistant director and instructor in another dance school. The decision to pivot happened quickly.

With a degree in business management and a bachelor of fine arts in dance, she said running a studio is the best of both worlds.

“I feel like I was always meant to run a dance studio,” she said. “It feels perfect.”

The new location, at the Berkeley Cultural Centre at 23 Berkeley Road in Pembroke, will now offer noon, evening and weekend classes, designed to catch people on their way out of town, knocking off work.

Movement Matters offers a broad range of styles, including modern, contemporary, ballet, salsa, hip-hop and a popular mobility class — a guided stretch session that has quickly become a favourite.

Classes are open-level, welcoming everyone from true beginners to seasoned dancers. “By about week three and four, you really do feel like OK, I’m getting the hang of this,” Ms Richens said. “Beginners will find their place in the classes.”

A sense of belonging is at the core of the studio’s philosophy.

She said she wants everyone who arrives to feel as though they can be seen: “Every dancer matters.”

This philosophy extends to her younger dancers. The focus is purposeful training while recognising that the dancers develop at different rates and have different goals.

“A lot of the other dance schools do the big recitals,” she said. “For us, rather than a big, large-scale recital production, the student programme will have more of an informal showcase experience for parents, families and the child’s support system so that we can see the progress the children are making.”

Ultimately, Ms Richens hopes that all her students gain more than technique.

“It teaches you way more skills than just dancing alone,” she said. “You learn discipline and the consistency and other things that can carry over into whatever industry you go into.”

• For more information, seewww.movementmatters.bm