The Libby Gym at 420 Mineral Ave. recently was granted a business license to operate a dance studio on its first floor.

One of gym owner Vince Backen’s goals in adding the dance studio is to bring to Libby a cultural venue where the focus is on community, not capability.

“Anyone can show up,” he said

Backen’s idea for adding the dance studio came about after he cleaned up the building to open the gym. People kept asking him what he was going to do with the space, and at first he didn’t know.

“More people said dance studio than thrift store,” he said.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, children’s ballet classes are from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and adult dancing lessons — ranging from hip-hop to belly dancing — are from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays adults can learn how to ballroom dance. Adult classes cost $7 each and children’s classes are $5.

Backen hopes interest in children’s ballet classes can someday support a community performance of The Nutcracker or similar performance.

In addition to the regularly scheduled classes, Backen said special classes and events — such as a tango lesson held Saturday, July 15, and perhaps guest DJs — will periodically be scheduled and advertised on the Libby Gym’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/libbygym/.

For more information call 406-200-3193.