We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Courtney Spears. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Courtney below.
Courtney , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
ArtSea came about when I performed professionally in The Bahamas for the first time. When I was in college, I joined Ailey 2, junior company of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This company opened so many doors, taking me all over the world, doing what I love, and making money as a professional for the very first time. And now, this company was taking me back to my home country of The Bahamas. A committee fundraised to be able to bring us to The Bahamas to perform, and after months of work, we were on our way. There are still no words to describe what that moment felt like. I saw friends, family, and the entire island show up to support us. I saw so many bright, young students come to the theater, and the idea hit me. We need more moments like this. We need more spaces for dance in The Bahamas and for these young dancers. I was so fortunate to have the outlet to dance, and these students deserve the same opportunities.
After that performance, I brought the idea to my brother, Asa Cary. Asa is what I like to call “the man who executes the plan”. He’s worked and thrived in the events marketing and branding industry, while also being a lover of art and music. I brought him the idea, and watched him work with me to make this idea a reality. We launched that same year.
In full honesty, I’d never planned something of this magnitude. Asa had done a lot of events for work, but not an international arts education program at this scale. There were many times I doubted if we could pull something like this off, but with Asa’s experience, and the fact I had been to dozens of dance workshops over my career, I figured I was absolutely capable of doing one myself.
Asa advised me to get all of the ideas for the workshop on paper. I drafted a proposal that had a full layout of what we wanted to plan. Then, I relied heavily on my community for fundraising, going to different businesses in the hopes of finding sponsors. Once we started securing funding, it was building a website to manage registration and payment. I taught myself how to build one on WIX and modeled it after programs I had myself signed up for. We made a social media account, secured a space/venue, and emailed local publications and newspapers to help get the word out. We did local news stations and had a spread in the paper! Now, it was time for launch. I told myself the launch was a success if at least one student shows up. And to our surprise we had a turnout of about 80 students. I couldn’t believe it. That was 5 years ago. We’re currently planning our 6th workshop, and we’ve continued to gain more students, parents, teachers, and a network of support around the island. The growing and planning never stops, but each year, it feels like the biggest blessing to see our students grow.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
A little bit about me! I’m a professional dancer with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and have been with the company for four seasons. This year actually marks my 10th year with the Ailey organization as a whole, coming from the school, and through the junior company. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program and joined Ailey 2 my senior year of school. I traveled all over the world performing in places like Greece, Japan, Spain, Italy, France, The UK, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Denmark. I’ve been featured in global publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Self, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Allure. I’ve had the pleasure of performing with lots of choreographers in multiple styles. In 2016 I received a Princess Grace Award from the Princess Grace Foundation which honors the late Grace Kelly’s love of supporting the arts and the Shirley Hall Bass Legacy Award in 2021 for my work in The Bahamas.
While dancing, I’ve always made time to work on my studies and stay up to date on my academic work. I’ve been a public relations administrator for Alvin Ailey and also worked with their events team to plan our virtual gala during the pandemic. Right before the pandemic, I also had the extreme honor of being accepted into Harvard Business School’s “Crossover Into Business” program built for professional athletes to gain more business knowledge in the classroom.
With what has been an amazingly diverse experience in New York, I started ArtSea because I saw a need and wanted to do my part to fill that gap. As a dancer who has been fortunate enough to be a professional in the busting New York scene, I wanted to bring that same energy and bring it to my home country of The Bahamas. The arts in The Bahamas are embedded within our culture, but not seen as a true career option. I wanted students to know that a career in the arts, in dance, was possible. As I continued to grow in my own career, I always knew deep down it had to mean something. It had to be meant for people, and this was my way to reach people. My family is from The Bahamas and it has always been a dream to combine my love of the beautiful Caribbean sun with my love of art, hence ArtSea was born.
ArtSea Dance offers an immersive experience for young aspiring dancers in The Caribbean, but mainly The Bahamas. We offer a high level of dance education, wellness, and college readiness to our students. Each workshop is balanced with dance classes in various styles like ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and modern. We also offer wellness and physical therapy workshops that promote overall health of the body and how to maintain your body in an efficient way. And we’ve also had college prep courses to help give students tools when it comes to applying for school.
For some extra fun, we’ve also added Mommy & Me classes and vision boards for our youngest students to inspire them and encourage them to dream big.
Aside from dancing, we also hosted cinema movie nights where we’ve had the community come out for a night of the arts! We’ve showcased dance films and showed different pieces like Swan Lake and works performed by Alvin Ailey. And after the films, held intimate talk backs with different artists, international and local, to continue the conversation of making dance more accessible in the Caribbean. Outside of the workshop, we’ve also provided dance entertainment for major events. We’ve flown in dancers from New City and hired local dancers. Most recently, Asa and I assisted a team in the development of a new education program in the Cayman Islands called Current, which was in partnership with Caribbean Connection, fully supported by Palm Heights, a beautiful, luxury boutique hotel on the island. We offered classes based in ballet & modern dance, as well as architecture!
I’m most proud of the international exchange. Watching our faculty fly into The Bahamas, connect with the local community, and make a lasting impact is priceless. I want people to know that ArtSea is about much more than dance. It’s about using the arts, the art of dance, as a means to inspire our youth to be their best selves. To be the best versions of themselves that they can be. We believe the arts can change lives, and every time we have the blessing of interacting with our students, we want them to know that their dreams can be a reality
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
People love to ask when and how I started ArtSea. The idea popped into my head when I was still dancing for Ailey 2, but the launch actually happened while I was unemployed. I was on a cloud coming off of school and traveling with Ailey 2, and then reality began to hit. I’d been to so many auditions and got turned away from all of them. I was making it to the end of so many and not getting offered the official contract. I really doubted if I was going to actually make it in this industry. I had a lot of thinking to do, especially if life wasn’t going to turn out the way I planned. But that’s the thing about plans, God always has something better in store. I made a decision. If I couldn’t dance, I was going to teach. Up until this point, I had gained so much knowledge about the industry that was still extremely valid regardless if I was on a professional stage. I had so many tools in my toolbox that I unknowingly gained for this moment. I had interned for my school, volunteered for numerous projects, and was a teaching assistant for years. I decided to pivot my own dream, and focus on giving back. Giving back saved me. Those students saved me. ArtSea kept my love of dance alive. I was so invested in my community that I didn’t have the time to be super critical of myself and the pause on my own dreams. There was too much work to be done. We launched ArtSea, and one year later, I finally got my YES and got offered a contract with Alvin Ailey. That pivot has made me the versatile artist I am today. Now I’m doing both, building something that will last and living my dreams. That wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been flexible and open to change. Life is all about pivots and following God’s nudges. I followed mine and have never regretted it one bit. Now, I’m doing things I thought I’d never been doing.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The best way to grow, gain new clientele, and expand are three things in my opinion: Relationships, A Great Team, & Promotion
Relationships: Relationships are in my opinion the most valuable asset you can have. Clients and our students need to feel seen and valued when they attend our events. It should be an experience from start to finish. Yes they are there for dance, but we pride ourselves on providing much more than that. It’s about making each workshop memorable every time, especially because it’s always someone’s first time attending. Making a client feel seen, heard, and valued will always make them want to come back for that same magical experience. Shaking hands with parents, and talking to them about their journey always makes for meaningful conversation. And for our sponsors and teachers, I always follow up with a handwritten note expressing my gratitude. It adds a classic touch that makes people really feel appreciated. People always remember how you made them feel, and that will always be a priority of mine as we continue to offer our services.
Team: A huge key to ArtSea’s success was bringing the idea to Asa, who honestly has in my opinion made ArtSea what it is today. His ability to execute, see an idea through, and think of the whole picture has helped us grow in unimaginable ways. We recently added a new partner to our team, Petra Haven, who is the founder of Chameleon Management Group, an extremely successful marketing agency on the island. Her expertise on the community we want to reach, her eye for branding, and her love of the arts make her one of a kind.I had the arts background and vision, but I knew the importance of having people in my corner who don’t think like me. People who are strong in ways that I’m not. It’s imperative to have people surrounding you that push you, make you think outside of the box, and can support you when it’s hard. We’ve got a great group of volunteers who also continue to show up for every workshop, and they’ve contributed in ways that are priceless.
Promotion: I’ve had to learn to not be shy about our business and what we offer. Yes, humility is extremely necessary because it keeps you on your toes and constantly working hard. But I also know that closed mouths don;t get fed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve brought up ArtSea and put myself out there and it’s come back with blessings. It’s gotten me more sponsors, more clients, and even something as big as a larger venue. Putting yourself out there is huge and not being afraid is most important. You have to be your biggest advocate. No one will be able to sell your dream and your product the way you can. Have your business cards ready at all times. Have your website up to date. Have your rate sheet ready to go at a moment’s notice. If you stay ready, you’ll never waste time getting ready. You never know who you will meet, and sometimes those meetings can be your next big break. I found that once I stopped being shy about sharing my work, we grew immensely. People can’t support or join what they don’t know about. Put yourself out there and watch God do the rest.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artseadance.com
- Instagram: bahamaballerina
- Youtube: www.courtneycelestespears.com