In 1998, Jennifer Kinsey opened the dance studio she had dreamed of since childhood. She wanted an interesting name for the company, something she wouldn’t get tired of saying when she answered the telephone. She also wanted a name that would be listed in the first pages of the telephone book.
She flipped through the family dictionary for something that would resonate and last. She discovered the musical term a capriccio. She loved the idea of using a musical word.
It was an appropriate term for the philosophy of the dance company. “The name means the performer gets to choose the style and expression of the piece,” Kinsey says. She applies this philosophy to every ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and tumbling class.
Kinsey’s plan to be in the front of the phone book didn't happen. When Acapriccio Dance Company (ADC) opened, Kinsey managed it from her cell phone. She didn’t have a landline for the first five years, and the company didn’t have a listing.
Word of mouth spread fast, though. When the studio moved into its current location, they advertised an open house. A mom in the community wanted information, but she couldn’t remember the name from the ad.
She called directory assistance and told the operator she was looking for a new dance studio with a name that sounded like Acapulco. The operator knew who she meant.
“A lot of people don’t know what the name means,” Kinsey says, “they don’t know how to pronounce it or spell it, but there is so much name recognition. Once, at a dance show in New York, we ran across a rhinestone company from Minnesota, and they recognized our Nebraska studio from the name on my husband’s lanyard.”
Kinsey’s husband has a strong presence in the studio. They met shortly before Acapriccio’s first recital, and he jumped in to help. In his day job, Captain Kinsey is a thirty-year veteran of the La Vista Police Department and a huge supporter of the community. He still helps out around the studio along with the couple’s four sons.
“We love being a part of this community,” Kinsey said. “We’ve been in the area for all twenty-eight seasons. We also have dancers from Omaha, Springfield, Bellevue, Plattsmouth, and other places. But Sarpy County is our home.”
Acapriccio’s method has obviously worked. Several instructors are former students who started with Kinsey as children. They understand the studio philosophy because they have lived it.
Kinsey describes what it feels like to see a performer begin to move with freedom and self-expression. “It’s almost like they step into a grace,” she says.
It turns out a capriccio is more than just a name.
Classes offered by Acapriccio
Ballet
Tap
Jazz
Tumbling
Hip-Hop
Summer Programs
Demi classes
Ages one to five
Club classes
Ages six and up
Competition Teams
Various ages
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