Hi Lisa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was a school teacher for 15 years and was getting ready to go back to college for my doctorate degree to be a college professor… I was always teaching dance as another job where I would enjoy doing my passion. I taught at nine preschools in the South Tampa area. The day I received my doctorate acceptance letter, I remember driving to my friends to tell her the news and just not feeling very excited. I had three girls at this time under the age of 6. I pulled up to a stoplight on Bay to Bay and looked over and saw a building that said For Lease. I literally heard a voice say, you really don’t want to go back to school. It is time to do your passion and open a dance studio. I prayed about it and decided to take a leap of faith and opened my studio. I have been in business for 17 years and just a year ago opened a second location that I do acrobatics, tumbling and some of our competition classes and team classes.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I had only a few struggles that I can think of. The first one was when my landlord at my first one room studio told me I was over capacity and using to many parking spaces so I had to find a new location very quickly… Since then, I have two locations (a tumbling studio and a dance studio, I have grown to now have five dance rooms. Another struggle would have to be finding last minute subs. I am lucky to have such an amazing and talented staff and each one has their own strengths for the classes they teach so when one is out, it is important to find a teacher that is as good as they are in teaching their classes. I would say the biggest struggle has been teaching virtual and dealing with Covid. We now have to clean and disinfect everything between classes, take the dancer’s temperatures as they arrive. We had to tape squares that allow dancers to social distance 6 feet apart, we also have taken less students in classes to allow more space and everyone is given antibacterial soap Baby Ballerinas 18 to 24 months virtually was the hardest too. It did open my eyes to a new way of teaching though. I became more of an entertainer. I truly believe that Obstacles don’t happen to you; they happen for you to grow your business. From Covid, I wrote two dance CD’s (Ms. Twinkle Toe Tunes and Twirling TuTu Tunes). I also developed my own Ms. Twinkle Toes puppet that I am trying to get the pattern for so that I can make my puppet for sale to other studio owners.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My dance studio is known for many styles of dance. Each one of my teachers specializes and is trained in what they teach. Our classes start as young as ten months of age which is called our tiny tutu classes and go all the way up to age 18. My favorite age to teach is my little dancers… I love planting the seed for the passion to dance and watching them grow. All of my teachers who teach my youngest dancers of two and under go through my training and assist me before they teach on their own. We have about 225 students under the age of 2 at my studio. Having so many little ones and starting so young sets my studio apart from others. We also have a very strong ballet program. My ballet teacher has been with me for over ten years and I have had girls start with me at age two and have seen them grow up to be dancing on pointe in our Nutcracker holiday show. I have had dancers move on to dance in a company and study dance at college. Our studio is like a safe home for our dancers to be with friends that they can go to for support and grow with. We offer classes in ballet, contemporary, a dance combination, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, musicale theatre, silks, tap, technique, tumbling and Voice. We currently have seven competition teams that range from recreational to competitive. I have a full-time office manager at my studio which allows me to focus on other parts of the studio. My mom also does all my bookwork which makes it easier for me to be teaching in the classroom and that is where I love to be.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I think I am very blessed to be doing my passion as my work. I think if someone knows their passion, it is never too late to follow it and knowing how my teachers and I are impacting so many lives brings me true joy! My studio is a very positive and happy environment. I never wake up dreading to go to work! My goal is to build strong dancers with great technique, I also work to build confident happy dancers.
Pricing:
- $55.00 a month for 30 minute classes
- $55.00 a month for 30 minute classes
- $65.00 a month for 60
- $70 a month for a 60 minute acrobatic class
Contact Info:
- Address: Ms. Lisa’s Dance 3805 W San Miguel St. Tampa, FL 33629
- Email: mslisasdancestudio@gmail.com
- Instagram: mslisasadancetampa
- Facebook: Ms. Lisa’s Dance @mslisasdancestudio
Image Credits
Photographer Amanda Van Meter Burch / Avy Photography
