We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alana Hill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alana below.

Alana, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I always knew that if I started an arts business it would be in Hip Hop Dance. It’s an art form that really has given me so much personally and professionally. I tell people this all the time, I never saw myself starting a dance studio but I do believe there was some divine timing with regards to getting EUAC off the ground.

I was working in arts administration and dance education, and the program I was running was coming to a unexpected halt. Because I had been so committed to the growth of the program, several parents and students made strong suggestions that I do something on my own. I was scared, and honestly devastated because essentially I was losing a position I loved and worked tirelessly to grow. I would have been fine doing that forever, but the universe had another plan. After pulling myself out of depression and defeat, my very wise daughter reminded me, that the program is about the people and that included me, and the rest is history.

Alana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As an experienced Arts Educator and Administrator, I am proud to be the Founder and Director of Elements Urban Arts Collective (EUAC). Our collective is a vibrant community in the DC Metropolitan area, dedicated to the rich culture of Hip Hop and Street/Urban Art Forms.

EUAC is home to Elements Dance Company, a pre-professional youth program that stands out as one of the few in the region solely focused on these dynamic art forms. We provide quality instruction for all ages and levels, fostering a welcoming environment where students can truly feel at home. Our mission goes beyond teaching dance; we are committed to individualized education, nurturing relationships with parents, and investing in our students’ overall growth. Our goal is to cultivate smart, kind, responsible, and talented dance artists who embody the spirit of our community.

At EUAC, we don’t just teach dance steps; we build a family.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Our dance program, EUAC, started in 2017, but we didn’t have our own studio until June 2019. Building a new business in an area with established dance studios offering more generalized education was tough. Just as we were gaining momentum for our summer session and our dance company, EDC, was gearing up for end-of-year showcases, the COVID pandemic hit. We had to close our studio and pivot quickly to online classes and rehearsals. Despite these challenges, our incredible EDC families stuck with us, and all our dance company students completed the season. However, our adult classes struggled, and we had only three students registered for virtual summer camps. With virtually no income over the summer, it was a challenging time.

To keep things running, I made the difficult decision to cut my own salary to ensure I could pay our teachers. The support from SBA’s PPP and EIDL Advance programs was crucial in keeping all our teachers employed. I applied for various funding opportunities, including through LISC, Hello Alice, The Red Backpack Fund, and even Bumble’s community grant. Initially, I felt embarrassed about applying through a dating app, but I realized that as a woman in business, I had to set aside my pride for the greater good. My priority was to ensure our studio survived this tough period so our students would continue to have a place to dance.

One of the most memorable and touching moments of this journey was when we opened the floor to our students amidst the BLM protests and the pandemic. Our senior company teens shared their thoughts and emotions, supporting each other through tears and words of encouragement. This sense of community and the impact we were making in each other’s lives reminded me why I persevered through sleepless nights and stressful days.

This journey illustrated our resilience as a community and as a business, showing that even in the face of overwhelming challenges, we could adapt, support each other, and continue to thrive.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

My biggest lesson that I am still unlearning is the need to people please. As a mom, a woman, daughter, a sister, and teacher, I have always been told that selflessness is a virtue, and that really does a number on you when it’s conflated with trying to please everyone else. While I have heard that not everyone is your ideal customer, when you are just starting out, you really are scared to lose customers and sometimes people can use that to their advantage.

I remember having a student tell me that I should change my program because the students prefer something different. It was alluded that I was going to lose all of my students if I didn’t make my program (what they considered) better. As I listened to them, something in me decided at that point, that I would rather go down with a ship that I believed in than sail with one I didn’t. And I have to remind myself of that, every single day. It’s definitely a test of my confidence, my desire to be liked and accepted, and even my own worth. But I have to remember that when the stuff hits the fan, my butt will be on the line and all of the people who wanted me to do something different, would be able to walk away without injury.

I do want to point out that I do actually listen to people opinions. Community is important to me. But I am the person at the table with the most knowledge, so I have to trust my voice and my mission which at the heart of it is love. Love for myself, love for others and love for this beautiful are form,

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elementsuac.com
• Instagram: elements_dc
• Facebook: elementsuac
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elementsurbanartscollectiv5457
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/elements-urban-arts-collective-bethesda

Image Credits

Stage photos by Huff Productions. The studio photo is courtesy of Elements Urban Arts Collective. Headshot by Daniel Nathan.