Studio 23 is in a new semester, and busy at work preparing for its Christmas recital, which will be at 6:30 p.m. December 8 at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church.

“It’s going to be more of a recital than last time,” director Krista Matlock said. “Last time was more getting them used to performing and we did it at Parkside. This time, we’ll be on a stage, and the girls will have costumes.”

High school students also will sing at the recital, and Matlock’s husband, Jeremy, will tell the Christmas story. A few instructors also will do a few new dance numbers.

Matlock was hoping to be in her own personal studio by the time a new semester rolled around, but for now conducts classes at Hillsboro City Building.

“We’re still looking for another building, but hopeful something will come soon,” Matlock said. “Once we do, we’ll be able to offer more specific classes and have the tools we need, like ballet bars.”

Matlock is excited with the new way the studio has changed up its classes.

“Last semester, we did Intro to Dance in general,” Matlock said. “This time, we do 20 minutes of ballet and 20 minutes of jazz.”

The studio has added a team class with high school students, ages 13 and up, that is like intro to dance, but focused “more on technique.”

Though the classes have been changed, the goal of the dance studio has remained the same.

“Our goal is to teach them how to perform and give them a love for dance,” Matlock said. “That’s our goal and it’s still going strong. It’s so fun to watch the kids improve.”