by Lee Pierre
JD’s Stomp Nation’s open house was held Sunday, Sept. 21, at its location at 3035-B Peters Creek Road in Brammer Village on Peters Creek Road. Jamese Dillon and Aureon Bannister vibrantly welcomed visitors to their new location. It was more than just a chance to see the building and owners, Dillon had reached out to vendors and many were there – food trucks, home baked cookies and brownies; jewelry, lemonade, and plenty of other offerings as well as registration for the classes.
When asked the reason for starting a Stomp and Shake studio, Dillon eyes lit up and she proudly stated, “I’ve been dancing for seventeen years and my mom was always wanting me to start my own studio. I fell in love with Stomp and Shake and wanted to be able to offer it as a safe place for girls and boys.”
The walls of the studio are covered with affirmations and positive statements. Dillon feels that by providing young girls and boys an outlet of physical exercise and positive motivation will be quite beneficial as an “outlet where they can let go of some of their emotions and frustrations in a safe place.”
Her head junior coach, Aureon Bannister, agrees with her and feels that being a part of this studio was a great fit for her.
“All my life I have been involved in sports,” Bannister said. “And both of my daughters are registered to start here. I feel that this is a place for participants to build confidence.”
As of now, the two are planning for an enrollment of sixty students. There will be four 15- member teams at JD’s Stomp when it opens on October 6: Pure Ruby; Pure Sapphire; Pure Diamond, and Pure Gold. The teams will be involved in performance and competition based on their levels.
Two of the registered girls, Kali Epps and Saritta Davis-Dillon are eager for the studio to open. They felt very comfortable talking to others and encouraging them to join. They both agreed that cheering serves as a “way to express themselves and show their personality.” And they had personality plus!
As for Jamese and Aureon, they both have bright ideas for the studio and what they want to offer to the participants and families. It is obvious that they are team workers, are respectful of the time and involvement of the parents and have the best interest of the young girls and boys that they will be interacting with.
