Adel Tumbling & Dance Club – Jan 2012 Newsletter Article
This is a reprint from the January 2012 DiscoverAdel Article:
- Sue Dunsmoor & Lori Rickert
Located at 211 S 7th St, Adel Tumbling & Dance Club teaches Tumbling, Tap, Ballet: Lyrical/Modern, Jazz: Hip Hop, Pre-Pointe, Pointe, and Competitive Dance.
It is owned by Lori (Erickson) Rickert, who has been teaching tumbling in Adel for 35 years.
She has three grown children Jeni, Dani, and Justin, her middle daughter is married and in medical school.
Lori started tumbling at the age of 5 and was a member of the Des Moines Gymnastic Club in High School.
While in school she assisted with coaching students, her High School coach recommended that she teach in Ankeny.
While teaching and working for an Insurance Agency in Ankeny, Lori received a call from Kathy Haldamen asking if she would come and teach 2 full classes in Adel on Saturdays.
- Lori working with a student
Each class had six students. From there the classes quickly grew and turned into a full-time business. Today the studio is used every day of the week.
Over the years, many of her assistants have been life long students.
Six years ago the opportunity to buy Kathy’s School of Dance came up and she purchased it.
- Sue setting up placements
Sue Dunsmoor, who manages the Dance side of the studio, was working at Kathy’s School of Dance at the time of the purchase.
Sue started dancing at three in a neighbor’s basement in Adel. She continued through school and taught dance while in college.
In 1994 she was instructing at Westside Dance in Des Moines when it moved to Waukee. In 1999 her neighbor talked her into teaching in Adel.
A native of Adel, she lives in the same house she grew up in. She has a son Scott and her daughter Tonya assists as an instructor. Sue ensures a family friendly program.
Together Lori and Sue make a great team that focuses on the well being of their students.
One of Lori’s cornerstones of the Adel Tumbling & Dance Club is to “Offer a positive program for families in tumbling and dance.”
The club participates locally in the parades, exhibitions, Holiday performances at Nursing Homes and at the Relay for Life.
Tumbling students have an annual Tumbling Meet and during the summer they compete at the Iowa State Fair.
Dance students participate in 2 dance recitals, and Nationals throughout the year.
Over the years Lori has seen the level of tumbling excel with students starting younger.
When asked if boys ever participate, Lori responded with a smile, “We are popular with boys also. The classes for the boys remain masculine and they gain great balance and strength. We have former students who have gone on to be great wrestlers”.
Adel Tumbling & Dance Club
211 S 7th St Ste A
Adel, IA 50003
Phone: 515-993-4411
Website: www.adeltumblingteam.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adel-Tumbling-Dance-Club
