Celebrating 50 years of teaching dance in the Ozarks is Cindy Hubberd.
In the fall of 1976, she established Mountain View Academy in Clyde Horton’s repurposed chicken barn. Hollie, her daughter, was nine months old at the time.
She and her husband, Richard, constructed a house on Maple Drive in 1978 that still houses a dance studio.
Hubberd opened her Batesville studio in 1982 following the birth of her son, Fred, in 1980. Today, same place is located at the intersection of Main and Broad streets. Her Izard County branch, located in Melbourne on School Street beside Bearkatz Academy, opened its doors in 1993. She most recently launched a second shop at 102 Blanchard Ave. in Mountain View in 2023.
Together with coworker Patrick Crommett, Hubberd co-founded the nonprofit North Arkansas Dance Theater in 1994. For committed students, the organization offers comprehensive instruction and performing opportunities at no cost.
The group began performing The Nutcracker in 2004 and is currently in its 21st season. The yearly ballet offers both professional dancers and the general public the opportunity to participate in the beloved holiday performance.
This year’s production will have a public casting call on Saturday, August 16 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Batesville location. You don’t need to know how to dance. Over 100 actors from five counties usually make up the cast.
Prior to enrolling at the Royal Ballet School in London, Hubberd received training in Houston and New York City. She met her husband, a native of Stone County, while dancing professionally with the Houston Ballet and the Frankfurt Ballet in Germany. In 1973, the couple tied the knot.
During her school years, their granddaughter, Havyn, danced at the Mountain View studio, where she is still employed as a coach and teacher. During her competitive years, she took home countless first-place finishes in the most advanced level and received various prizes.
In 2015, Richard Hubberd, a city councilman and builder, passed away. Later, Cindy spent two years in his council position.
To learn more about the studio or The Nutcracker, check their Facebook and Instagram profiles or give them a call at 866-468-6238.
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