Why do you dance?
I no longer “dance” for myself but I do teach. When I was dancing it was because it was fun. Plain and simple, it was a blast to do!
What is your passion?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a teacher. After receiving my Associates Degree in Commercial Art I decided to return to school to get my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. During which time I taught dance on and off before I had my own two children who then began taking lessons where I started to teach at as well. When the owner retired 3 years ago I wanted to start my own studio with all of the same teachers who had been a part of the “old” studio. So far so good! I’ve gone from 8 instructors that first year to 21 this year!
What is your biggest challenge and how do you overcome it?
My biggest challenge is a personal one. I have a 13 and 16 year old who dance at the studio 15+ hours a week. It’s extremely hard for them to see me as “owner/teacher” when needed (like when I need to give them corrections when I’m running their team dances). To them I’m just “mom” which has led to some stress. I’ve only been doing this for 3 years so unlike a lot of studio owner kids, they didn’t grow up with me doing this. I was a stay at home mom for 13 years, the change has been challenging for all of us.
