Ginny Hintze has taught dance in Cypress for 25 years and plans to launch a nonprofit this year.[/caption]Ginny Hintze’s passion for dance is only matched by her passion—and compassion—for helping others.
Hintze has been teaching dance for 25 years at her Cy-Fair studio, Hintze Dance Center, on Spring Cypress near Skinner Road. A second studio is in the works and should be open by August at Spring Cypress and Telge.
Hintze welcomes any dancer into her studio with open arms, and offers scholarships and sometimes financial help from her own wallet to help students whose families are on tight budgets.
“Whenever there’s an issue with a student or a kid comes into the studio upset, she is the first person to give them a hug and see what’s up,” said Mary Orr, an instructor at the dance studio who has worked with Hintze for three years. “That’s inspiring to me because I want to be that kind of teacher—one the kids come back to.”
Giving to others plays a major role in Hintze’s life because of ideals instilled in her during childhood, Hintze said. Her mother was adamant about the importance of giving rather than receiving.
One example of Hintze’s generosity is the help she gave to one student in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Hintze said the girl and her family moved to Houston from Louisiana after they lost everything, so Hintze purchased a leotard and tights as well as point shoes.
“It’s just the way I was brought up, because I grew up in a large family, and we didn’t have a lot of money,” Hintze said. “I never had my own bedroom and had to share with my sister my whole life. My parents, especially my mother, always told us you should always help people. That’s just what you do.”
Hintze also believes in fostering a sense of community in her studio and all of Cypress, and hopes to further those efforts with the creation of a nonprofit organization that will operate out of her studio. Cypress Contemporary Ballet Incorporated has achieved its 501(c)(3) status and in the coming weeks will be open for auditions, Hintze said.
The nonprofit will provide an opportunity to area dancers to continue practicing their craft and for the community to enjoy high-quality performances usually only available in downtown Houston, she said. Hintze said she hopes performances at local venues, such as the Berry Center and the amphitheater at Towne Lake will bring the community together—something that is difficult due to Houston’s sprawling nature.
“Cypress is very spread out—it takes up so much land—and because it’s not compact, it’s hard to bring people together,” she said. “I want to leave something with the Cypress community that can continue. As a nonprofit, even years from now when I am dead and gone, it can continue. It’s a legacy I want to leave for generations to come.”
