We were lucky to catch up with Anacia Weiskittel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Anacia , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I grew up dancing and doing gymnastics. It was my second home I loved the feeling, the chalk filled air and musky scent of the gym and the smell of hairspray and body spray in the dance studio dancers lounge. I loved the camaraderie of my peers and the feeling of pushing yourself harder than you thought possible. Music vibrating through my bones. It’s the moment when nothing else exists.
I did my High School Senior economics project on opening a dance studio and wrote my first business plan. To do this I interviewed two local dance studio owners. Shortly after while in High School I became an assistant teacher and quickly became full faculty, then I asked to create a small dance team with students I thought showed a lot of potential.
I later managed another studio, danced professionally including films like Tank Girl and live performances for former President of United States and high officials as well as many other projects. I realized I really didn’t enjoy performing. It gave me a lot of anxiety I didn’t like being in the spotlight. Although I performed for many years I didn’t enjoy the process and it wasn’t my passion. I took on another career as a hair/make up artist, photographer and event producer.
Later when I had my daughter she was about 6yrs old when I was looking for a dance studio for her. I wasn’t finding what I was looking for. I didn’t want just a ballet studio or a competition studio that I felt wasn’t age appropriate. I also didn’t want a recreational studio. Even if she was interested in dance I wanted to know she was getting proper training from the ground up. I knew that dance lessons provide life skills and benefits far beyond the steps that lead to self motivation, discipline respect and future success.
It was at the same time a few of the parents of her friends asked me to teach them dance. It was immediate that I felt that at home feeling and passion again of being in the studio and teaching. It occurred to me that other parents might be interested in the kind of dance studio I had been looking for.
A few months later in 2009 in the midst of one of the worst recessions Degas Dance Studio in Encino, CA was born. With a small budget, a lot of passion and no room for failure.
Anacia , 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?
Degas Dance studio is dedicated to instructing, educating and inspiring children to advanced professional performers in the ART of DANCE.
We have our main flagship location in Encino, CA and a new International studio Degas International Dance Academy in The Netherlands. In addition we are just launching our franchise opportunities.
Degas Dance Studio (pronounced Dey-Ga) was named after the French famous painter Edgar Degas who was known for painting dancers. We felt the name closely related to our philosophy and mission to teach children through advanced pre-professionals “The Art of Dance”.
Degas Dance Studio is a training and performance oriented studio with pre-professional opportunities and career guidance. Focus is on technique and artistry. Our studio offers the highest level of instruction for recreational students Ages 3 to High School teens and accelerated Academy professional training for our team students. Degas Dance Studio faculty consists of top industry professionals many who teach master classes all over the world. We have handpicked the best of the best in each style so our students get a really well rounded and diverse study.
Many people have a hard time categorizing our studio. I would say we are not JUST a classical ballet studio, we are NOT just a competition studio. We are creating, inspiring, educating, and empowering well rounded ARTISTS to explore and discover the ART of DANCE and all of its possibilities.
In addition we are training and empowering students to find and use their unique artistic voice. Creating the next generation of artists, dancers, choreographers and directors. Degas Dance Studio has produced unprecedented talent from the ground up.
Our Alumni students have been recipients of National Young Arts, Music Center Spotlight Honorable Mentions and Semi-Finalists, YAGP 1st Place awards. Scholarship recipients and acceptances to top summer programs including SAB, ABT, San Francisco Ballet, Bolshoi, Houston Ballet, Jacobs Pillow, Orsolina 28, European School of Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Harid Conservatory, Bodytraffic, Hubbard Street and tons more. As well as some of the top college programs including Codarts Rotterdam in Netherlands, Copenhagen Contemporary Dance Conservatory in Denmark, Ailey Fordham, USC, Boston Conservatory, Columbia, NYU Tisch, University of Michigan, Vasser, Peabody at Johns Hopkins and many are working professionally in the industry or have used their skills to help them be successful in whatever they set their minds to achieve including Doctors, lawyers, business executives, finance, education, marketing, Psychology, Journalism and other industries. They will all say that dance helped them tremendously to build life skills including time management, work ethic, discipline, creativity, confidence, goal setting and strong character values and a community of supportive like-minded individuals that have helped them be successful.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Starting as a new business in the hight of the recession of 2009 banks were not lending money. Much of that is still true today for new small businesses. We got a small loan from a peer lending. We were able to put in our information, upload our business plan, based on our credit score we received a rating and multiple investors could decide to pitch in to help fund our loan and receive interest on their investment. Within two days our first loan of $20,000 was fully funded. We ended up using this resource a few times after as it’s generally less interest percentage than most credit cards and easier to get than many bank loans.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Pivoting your business is key. I call this kick ball change. There have been multiple times we have had to pivot our business. The biggest example at the start of Covid within a week we had to bring our business 100% online. A few months later we built outdoor studios and spent 8 months dancing outside in 115 degree weather and 45 degree weather. Once we were back inside it was still with social distancing, temperature checks and regimented cleaning routines.
This can be adapted to any situation though. It’s important to keep a close pulse on changes in the world, the industry and your own community.
A more recent example we continually see a drop in our teams as students enter Highschool. Additionally many families were feeling financial impacts. Team students complained about commitment levels. These weren’t direct quotes they were lots of little bits of information you collect when you’re really listening. We looked for solutions that offered more options and addressed all of these underline issues. We also asked our community for feedback.
All of this has lead us to our next journey of franchising Degas Dance Studios. It is our goal to help the next generation of dance entrepreneurs, educators, students and passionate individuals to open their own Degas Dance Studio. Through teaching the ART of DANCE they will change the lives of their students. They will learn valuable life skills and dance skills. While creating enriching experiences, cherished memories that will last a lifetime and building a strong community. #degastribe
Contact Info:
- Website: www.degasdancestudio.com www.degasinternationaldanceacademy.com
- Instagram: @Degas_dance_Studio @Degas_International_Dance_Acad
- Facebook: @Degasdancestudio
- Youtube: @degasdancestudio
Image Credits
Headshot by Marjorie Salvaterra additional photography by Anacia Weiskittel