Our Mission
We are devoted to providing dancers of all ages an encouraging environment where they are given the opportunity to grow, excel and flourish. We strive to deliver the highest quality of dance training, while nourishing each student's unique gift of talent and creativity.
Whether a student is dancing for fun, exercise, or planning to enter the arts on a professional level... there is a place for them at Motion Works.
Meet The Team
Mallory White
Mallory started dance at the age of 2 at The Dance Company with Miss Kay L. Nelson. Around age 7, Mallory dove into ballet seriously, taking class multiple times a week at Omaha Ballet Theater, under the direction of Robin Welch. In high school, she assisted at Tremaine Dance Conventions and danced with their teen performance company in many performances, a very memorable one though, was at World Jazz Congress. She apprenticed with the local ballet company, Omaha Theater Ballet, during High School. She was also selected to train at Ballet West and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater’s summer programs. Upon graduation, she danced for Odyssey Dance Theater’s production of “Thriller”, then joined Quad Cities Ballet. Mallory has been teaching dance for over 17 years.
“I truly believe in the magic moments and friendships dance creates. I also believe in hard work and plenty of fun. Hard work not only improves a dancer's technique, but develops personal dedication. And of course fun, because that's what brought us all to dance in the first place. I never want our students to lose focus of the fact that they do this because they love it, and enjoy those magic moments losing themselves in the music under glittering lights”
Abbey Edwards
Abbey started dancing at the age of 3 at the Dance company with Miss Kay L. Nelson. She auditioned for the Nutcracker at the age of 8 and continued to participate in the Nutcracker for 9 years while fulfilling formal ballet training at the Omaha Theater Ballet. After graduating high school, dance took a back seat to Photography while attending the University of Iowa. However; she couldn’t help but teach dance at a local studio while attending university.
“Dance is the ultimate culmination of my creative abilities and it’s challenges have alway been met with sincere rewards. The emotionality, technicality, discipline, and physical strength are what hones my intuition and creative nature into a true art form. My Love of dance have only flourished in opportunities to share those same challenges and rewards with others.“
Rachael Cooper
Rachael started dance at the age of 3 at Kerrie’s Dance Studio. At age 11 Rachael started dance at A Step Ahead with Miss Mallory White & Miss Abbey Edwards. Rachael loves all styles of dance with her favorite being pom. In August of 2022 Rachael competed pom on a world competition stage in The Netherlands, winning a silver medal for the United States. During her high school career Rachael was on the Abraham Lincoln Dance Team. Rachael currently studies English Education at the University of South Dakota where she was The Sound of USD’s feature baton twirler. Rachael has taught dance for the last two years, & is now starting her dance teaching career at Motion Works.
“Dance has brought me many friendships that will last a lifetime, & has taken me many places around the world. Dance was something that was always there for me. When I was going through a difficult time or needed a break from the world, dance was my outlet. Dance can comfort you, but also challenge you at the same time. I enjoy the rewarding moment you feel when passion & hard work comes together to create something beautiful. I can’t wait to continue to teach my love of dance to these amazing young dancers.”
The Facility
At Motion Works, the health and well being of our students is paramount.
Because of this, we decided to install a sprung floor. Sprung floors absorb
shock, enhance performance and greatly reduce injuries. Dance is a highly
physical activity that requires jumping and elevation, which can put stress
on bones and joints. Most dance footwear does not provide the proper
cushioning support to reduce shock to the joints and postural alignment
of a dancer. One of the best ways to prevent injury is by choosing a studio
with a professional “floating floor.”
What is a sprung floor?
A sprung floor is a floor that is built with material designed to absorb shock.
Why a sprung floor?
Concrete floors and other unyielding surfaces can create physical problems as they do not “give”. Stress injuries are very common when dancing on concrete or even concrete covered with a vinyl surface. A good sprung floor absorbs energy and returns a small portion back to the user. It provides an even and consistent resiliency.
We installed over 1,300 foam blocks under our sub-floor to insure our dancers had a great floor to assist them in their dancing endeavors.