Rhythm Dance Center performing at JUMP
RHYTHM DANCE CENTER
Marietta, GA
Co-directors: Becca Moore and Dani Rosenberg
In business 17 years
What’s your studio’s philosophy? We’re a competitive studio, but we’re more focused on training diverse dancers and making them into good people. Everything they learn in the studio can be applied to the real world. We focus on solid training and building good relationships.
What are the biggest rewards about being a studio owner? I love seeing so many awesome kids grow up. Some of our students started with us when they were 3 years old, and now we’re seeing them graduate. Whether they go on to become dancers or not, it’s fascinating to stay in contact with them and witness their successes. I also love seeing them build and maintain relationships with each other. We have dancers who graduated from the studio 10 years ago and are still best friends. To watch them grow up and know that we impacted their lives in a positive way—that’s why we’re doing this. It’s hard to see them move on, but it’s so cool to see what they’re capable of.
How do you balance your work and your personal life? Time management is not easy. A studio owner’s job is never done. I schedule time to distance myself from the studio. If I can get out of town for a weekend, I won’t focus on the studio. If I stay in town, it’s all I’ll think about. It’s also important to have friends who aren’t associated with the studio—you have to spend time with people who aren’t focused on dance. You have to make per-sonal time a priority or it won’t happen, so go shopping, get a massage or just spend some time with family.
How do you keep your staff motivated? We go on a staff retreat at the beginning of every year—this year we’re going up to the mountains—and literally lock ourselves in and brainstorm. It’s always a wonderful, motivational weekend. Then throughout the year we make an effort to really take care of our staff, since they’re the reason we’re a successful studio. We take them out to dinner when we can and do our best to create a strong dynamic.
How do you keep your students excited throughout the year? We love bringing in guest teachers to help the kids grow. Otherwise they just get used to what they have in the studio every week. We want to offer them even more. And we aren’t one of those “rehearse six days a week” studios. It’s so important for the dancers to have a balanced life outside of dance. The more they’re overloaded, the more burned out they get. As with any type of competitive activity, you have to put in the time in order to be successful. But you need to give them time off, too. We also make sure the dancers are well-rounded within the studio. All of our kids tap, and they all take ballet and hip hop. Ultimately, the most important thing to tell your dancers is that dance is supposed to be fun. We say that if you’re not having fun, it’s not worth it.
Photo: Rhythm Dance Center performing at JUMP (courtesy of Break the Floor Productions)