Call Us
(319) 427-0005
Hey There
My name is Jackie Heinz and I am the owner of Heinz Academy for the Performing Arts. I am so excited you are interested in our program and believe wholeheartedly that Heinz Academy is the perfect dance home for your dancer and family. Please reach out if you have questions and I cannot wait to meet your family!
Our Story
I was blessed with the gift of dance when I was in college at the University of Northern Iowa studying health promotion. I was asked by the dance instructor to take part in a piece she was doing in honor of West Point Military Academy and the meaning of each fold of the flag. I had never explored dance before but jumped head-first and fell in love with everything dance!! I immediately began taking every dance class I could and later started working at the studio when I graduated. I was approached by the previous owner to purchase the studio in 2008 and it's been an incredible adventure since then!
When I took over the studio, I had the vision of creating a studio that was center on the family and that created a welcoming and encouraging environment for every student. When I was growing up going through grade school, I never felt like I fit in because I was different from everyone else. I never had a ton of friends, I always just felt like I was an outcast who really wanted to fit in but didn't want to become something that I was not. I have always been independent, and determined, and someone who just wanted to prove the world wrong. I never truly felt like I was a part of anything bigger until I found dance. Dance allowed me to express myself in any way that I wanted and my individuality was accepted and celebrated. Once I became a studio owner all I wanted to do was continue to build a community that felt like home to me. I wanted to build a place that accepted all people and encouraged their individuality and gave them a place where they felt like they were part of something bigger!
We have come a long way from first holding classes in a church community hall for a handful of students...to now entering our 20-year as the leading dance educator in the Cedar Valley! We have two locations which allow students from many different communities to take part in classes. We do several community outreach programs that offer classes to lower income families through the YMCA's and Boys & Girls Clubs. We also work with local preschools to provide dance programming to their students each year. Each year we take part in multiple community fundraising events that help support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, Dance Marathon and many others as we truly believe in helping others. Heinz Academy will always be dedicated to the individual dance. We not only strive to develop incredible dancers but also to further the development of incredible humans. Our focus is to create an environment that is positive, encouraging, welcoming and free of judgment.
Here at Heinz Academy we have nine core values that are the center of everything we do. Not only are our values the driving force behind how we run our classes and encourage our students, but also in how we run our business as a whole. Here are our core values:
Better Together Than Alone
We can achieve so much more as a team and grow together than we can as individuals.
Always Stay Humble
It's important to stay humble in all our endeavors and to let our results speak for themselves.
Every Child Is Important
Every child plays an integral part in our success and every child's input and contributions are valued.
Continuous Improvement
It's important to always grow and be better than we were the day before.
Our Door Is Always Open
We believe in investing in each dancer to ensure their success in dance and in life and we will always be a safe place for them to share and express themselves.
Be Real, Be You
Be your authentic self. Be creative in the way that suits you and know you will never be expected to look, feel or dance like anyone else. Be your individual self.
Be Innovative Leaders
We should always strive to think outside the box and be different, rather than re-create what's already been done.
Always Have Fun
Laughter and a deep love for what we do is our foundation. Perfection is not essential but working from the heart is.
Dream Big
Life is yours to create and it should be crafted just as you envision it. You are the only one who has to live it so dream big and make it grand.
What We Stand For
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Meet Our Team
Ms. Jackie
Ms. Jackie is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in health promotion and dance. While at UNI, Ms. Jackie danced with Orchesis Dance Company and the International Dance Theatre, and was a lead instructor for the Young People's Dance Theatre and Movement Outlet. She has attended the Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston, Maine and has trained extensively in Horton and Ailey technique. She has training in ballet, tap, modern, jazz, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, and pom-pom.
Ms. Amber
Ms. Amber began dancing at 3-years of age in her home town. She is currently a freshman at the University of Northern Iowa. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz,lyrical, and hip-hop. She was on her studios Competition Team for 6-years and was a cheerleader for her High School.
Ms. Madison
Ms. Madison is a Heinz Academy alumni where she started dancing at the age of three. She is currently studying secondary math education at the University of Northern Iowa. She has studied ballet, tap, modern, jazz, hip-hop and baton.