We were lucky to catch up with Amber Daniels recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amber, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I was sitting at my favorite brewery in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time, I was the community engagement coordinator for Jacksonville Dance Theatre (JDT), a non profit modern dance company. A man sitting next to me explained he was on a business trip and was looking for an event for his team to attend. I mentioned JDT‘s annual concert occurring that weekend at the historic Florida Theatre and even offered a few comp tickets. What a great way to support local art, explore downtown and visit one of America’s oldest theaters? The man said “no, thank you. I’ve never really felt included in the dance community.” That statement was the beginning of Beer and Ballet’s journey.

The ideas of accessibility and inclusion can be seen in multiple facets of the dance world. In our experience as adults looking for dance classes, it’s hard to find a location offering quality classes that are non-performative driven, and that also won’t break the bank. People are curious about dance. They want to experience it without being nervous to do so. Professional dancers often seek classes that are engaging and self-driven without the aspect of competitive movement practice. They also look to immerse themselves in the community they are often performing for. There needs to be a home for those who wish to engage or continue their experience with dance in a non-pressured environment. This is where we come in.

Beer and Ballet offers one-hour dance classes at local breweries and small businesses. Participants may choose to enjoy a beverage (alcoholic or non) of their choice during or after class. There are no mirrors and no judgment; just an invitation to come as you are. I always open class by saying, “We’re all adults and we are in charge of our movement practice. You know your body better than anyone else. I’ll invite you to move in a certain manner, but if that doesn’t feel good to you, feel free to manipulate the movement. If something feels great, stay in it for one more breath. This class is for you”.

In its seventh year of existence, we hold classes in two states, Maryland and Florida. Through profits, grants, and small business sponsorships we have contracted professional dance artists to lead classes of a variety of styles, such as contemporary Chinese dance, social dance, modern, jazz, musical theater, and yes, ballet. We’ve partnered with over 10 breweries that not only allow us to utilize their space, but support the mission of this business. We are a business that not only seeks to provide a path to dance but uplift local artists and small businesses alike through collaborative efforts.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a professional dance artist from Jacksonville, Florida. I danced with Jacksonville Dance Theatre for six seasons, was the lead choreographer for multiple musical theater productions, and served as the youngest Director of a high school dance program in the city. In 2019 I moved to Baltimore, Maryland to pursue my MFA in dance and performative studies at the University of Maryland at College Park. Along with owning Beer and Ballet, I am currently an independent choreographer and dancer, an adjunct professor, a Pilates instructor, and the president of the Board of Directors for Jacksonville Dance Theatre. Dance is my world and while I enjoy the many projects I am involved in, Beer and Ballet is always where I feel I am fulfilling my purpose.
I am proud of the work my team and I are doing. We are small, but creative and smart. We love our participants when they join the crew. That’s why we call them the Crew Members of Beer and Ballet. Once you join the class, you will find yourself in a supportive and welcoming community.
As one Crew Member, Kate Kight shared with me, “Beer and Ballet has given me an opportunity to dance after a time when I didn’t know how to return to it.”
In addition to offering classes, we hold rehearsals and optional performance opportunities for dancers of the DMV area. In 2023, some of these dancers performed in the Peabody Dance Festival and received performance pay. In the same year, our Maryland Staff visited our Florida Staff to support their annual concert. We have raised over $5,000 for non-profits such as Beer is for Everyone and the Trevor Project.
“Beer and Ballet has been a breath of fresh air in the craft beer space. They have worked with us and many organizations to continue to build the community they’d like to see in the future,“ said Lindsay, founder of Beer is for Everyone.
This year, we are developing a training certificate program for small dance companies and artists that would like to franchise with Beer and Ballet. We are excited to expand our team to continue spreading the joy of movement.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building your brand is not only about font styles, brand colors, or logos. When I think of the term branding, I include our mission, goals, and reputation of Beer and Ballet. For this reason, I carefully curate our partnerships in every aspect of the company. For example, I pre-screen prospective partner breweries to make sure they are the right fit for the Beer and Ballet experience. This industry unfortunately has seen complexities with unfair wages, human resource flaws, and bias’ against folks of color, the queer community, and those who identify as female. It’s important to me that the breweries we partner with are practicing communication and ethics to improve the brewery industry’s environment. I notice those who join or attend conferences such as Brave Noise, a group that strives to have breweries provide transparency of their work policies. I also notice those who support organizations such as Pink Boots Society and Beer is for Everyone. We want to ensure our Crew Members feel safe in the environment they will be moving in. It is that safe space that is both our mission and reputation.
While our classes are created for multiple levels of dance experience, I am very particular about the teaching artists I hire. Teaching a class for Beer and Ballet is very different than teaching a “traditional” class in a dance studio. Our teachers are collaborative, creative, quick-thinking, and excited to meet those in their community. If you attend our classes, you are guaranteed access to high-level professional dancing artists.
In the same breath, I was very particular about my core staff team. At first, each member was hired to assist Beer and Ballet classes. They checked in participants, made sure the space was clean and safe for class, and were another friendly face to our Crew Members. Throughout the years, and the continued success of the business, I have promoted most of my team members to social media managers, community engagement coordinators, and much more. My team believes in this work and they constantly inspire me to continue Beer and Ballet’s mission. I’ve hired and trained each of them, and I fully trust them in upholding the Beer and Ballet reputation.
Beer and Ballet has grown from just a representative of myself to a team of over 10 staff members and partners. I am no longer the only face of this business. In any meeting or discussion with my team, I always remember this. I am honored they have decided to work with us throughout the years and beyond. We as a team strive and succeed in fulfilling the community we want to see. Our Crew Members recognize this and spread the word of our carefully curated community. If folks recognize a positive and forward-thinking reputation in your business, people will talk. That’s the best marketing you could have as a business in my opinion.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Our social media journey began during COVID. Folks were reaching out wanting an outlet to move and meet new people. We started holding classes on Instagram Live and later moved to Zoom. However, as we transitioned back to our Live classes, we gained followers and supporters from all over the United States. This was also in part due to our use of Eventbrite for a registration platform where people from all over could search for and find unique events like ours. The greatest piece of advice I ever received is that your audience must see you. They need a face with the business. They need to know who they are supporting when a financial transaction occurs.
Before this piece of advice, I rarely posted myself on our business social media page. My social media team had many discussions with me about this. They made a great point to bring it all back to the mission of Beer and Ballet. We are creating a friendly and accessible dance and brewing industry outlet. Both of these industries can be a little scary to enter if you’ve never been part of the community before. By exploring our page, you’ll find our teachers’ faces and hear their voices. You’ll see our end-of-class photos to showcase who our community is. No matter what, you’ll recognize someone in your first class.
By creating social media engagement packages we not only give a preview of what to expect for class but also provide additional opportunities to move with Beer and Ballet no matter where you are located. Such as our “Sunday Resets” where Instagram followers, can follow along with a movement exercise focused in classes throughout the month. We’ve also used social media as an educational tool to inform our audience about fun facts about dance and brewing history. (Check out our “Fun Fact Friday” posts). Our page is fun and interactive, but informative.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amberdaniels.net/beer-and-ballet
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beer_and_ballet/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandballet/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-daniels-91936437/

Image Credits
Mollye Miller Photography