Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Collins.
Katie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began dancing when I was 4 years old, but it wasn’t until my adolescent years that I really fell in love with the art and discipline. At that point, I was enrolled in 10-15 hours of dance per week and also assistant teaching. It didn’t take long for me to acquire classes of my very own and by the time I was in high school, I was teaching 6-10 hours per week. From an early age, I knew that my passion was not only to dance but to help shape and mentor other young dancers. As I entered my junior year of college and contemplated what I would do after graduation, I realized that I could combine my strong business sense with my desire to teach dance.
I say today that I was born to be a business owner. I have always been incredibly independent with all that I do. I worked two part-time jobs throughout high school and college while also teaching several hours per week; so needless to say, I was a very hard worker. I also knew that I wanted to be my own boss. I had a vision, creativity, and a strong passion for wanting to be involved in the arts and community enrichment. There was nothing I wanted to do more than to own and operate my own studio.
Opening our own dance studio was something my mother and I talked about for years and it became a reality in 2009.
As I entered my senior year of college, we wrote a business plan, searched for a site, and came up with a name. We applied for a small business loan, we built out our space, hired instructors, and we proudly opened our doors in July of 2009, just two months after receiving my degree from SDSU. It was easily the busiest and most challenging year of my life, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I am so happy to be where I am today and feel fortunate to have found my passion at such a young age.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Well, I was 21 years old and just two months out of college when we opened our doors. I had to teach myself how to run a business. Having been in the industry since I was a teenager, I knew a lot about teaching, choreography, and producing annual recitals. However, there was a whole other side of the business I had to learn. And, fast!
Work/life balance is something that I struggle with every day. Not just because being a business owner is non-stop, but also because I love my job so much that I want to be there and be as involved as possible. I want to continue to make sure that things are constantly improving and evolving, that we are growing and that our staff feels like they are supported 100%. Luckily, each year, we learn a lot and we make changes and tweaks so that the work/life balance is achieved.
A few years ago, my mom and I decided that, for us to take our business to the next level, it was time to bring on additional members to our management team. In doing so, we have been able to pass a lot of the everyday tasks down to them and really focus on growing the business, continuing to develop our programs and, just this year, open our 2nd location! I might also add; my husband and I welcomed our baby boy into our lives this past July. He is now 9 months old and I have never been so grateful to have such a wonderful team of employees. It’s an incredible feeling to watch our staff take on more responsibility and have Dance & Company flourish all the while.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Dance & Company Performing Arts Studio – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Dance & Company Performing Arts Studio is a mother/daughter owned studio that opened in July 2009. We are a full-spectrum dance and fitness studio offering classes in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, hip-hop, mat pilates, barre fitness, and more. We welcome all levels and ages 2 through adult. We offer dance and fitness classes in an affordable, safe, and encouraging environment and cater to our community by helping everyone that walks through our doors feel as though they are part of our family. We are a non-competitive studio, which is not as common these days. Our class variety ensures that there is something for everyone. Whether you want it to be a once-a-week activity, or you want to dance every day after school, we focus on finding the perfect schedule for everyone.
I am most proud of the business that we have built. We opened when I was 21 years old and in a rough economy during the recession (2009). People thought we were nuts! It took time, sacrifice, a lot of hard work and courage, but here we are today, having just recently opened our second location. I am incredibly proud of the community we have built. We call our dancers and their families our “Dance Family” because that’s what they have become. The kids are buddies both inside and out of the classroom. I am so proud to have the opportunity to help shape these children’s lives not only through the athleticism, and discipline that dance requires, but also playing a part in how they grow as individuals. That is incredibly rewarding.
After nearly 9 years, we feel we’ve found a great balance between hiring the right people to pick up where we need them most, still being fully involved with the business, but also having a great family life at home. I think the best part is the enrichment that we provide. I know that as a kid, dancing changed my life forever and helped shape me into the person that I am today. Dance taught me so much more than how to dance. That was our goal with Dance & Company, to not just focus on the dancer or performer, but to help develop well rounded, respectful and kind individuals. We love that we get to make a difference. And we have so much fun doing it!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our new Rancho Bernardo studio opened 4 months ago and so, our focus both near and far is to further expand our program, while welcoming our new families to both locations and continue to develop the class offerings based on the needs of our community. We have our 9th Annual Summer Production scheduled for June 24th at the Poway Center for Performing Arts (12 pm & 6 pm shows) which will include the students from both studio locations for the first time. We are always finding new ways to better our business. Our ears are always open to the needs of our dancers and dance families and it’s important for us to be flexible to keep the business healthy and everyone happy. That has always been our number one priority. This summer we are offering camps at both locations (ages 4-10) as well as a week-long summer intensive for intermediate and advanced students. Check out our website or stop by for more information.
Contact Info:
- Address: Sorrento Valley: 6635 Flanders Dr. Suite D
San Diego, CA 92121 Rancho Bernardo: 12120 Alta Carmel Ct. Suite D
San Diego, CA 92128 - Website: www.danceandcompany.com
- Phone: 858-750-3021 (SV) & 858-524-6355 (RB)
- Email: Inquiries@danceandcompany.net
- Instagram: @danceandcompany
- Facebook: @danceandcompany
- Twitter: @danceandcompany
Image Credit:
Shyla Marie Photography, Ramon Gallo, Kristina Vanderslice Photography
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
