We were lucky to catch up with Andrea Wachholtz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andrea, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Years ago I was a dance instructor and the assistant to the artistic director of a dance school and professional company, while simultaneously dancing and performing with the company. After working there for almost ten years, I decided, that for my own personal best interest and growth, it was time for me to resign from my positions. With no plan of where I was headed, I only knew that I wanted to continue my teaching in a place where every student was treated fairly and with respect no matter their families financial status. I wanted to share my love of dance and create a welcoming, safe environment to all that entered. I wanted to provide the same level of dance education no matter a student’s background or ability, to be conscious of injury prevention, combining my knowledge of the arts through education and life lessons through dance in a safe, fair, and loving environment.
I decided that I would take a huge risk and start my own business. In order for me to put this idea in motion, I would need to step away from performing in order to direct my energy toward everything that I wanted this vision to become. Stepping away from the stage and dancers whom I had loved performing with was extremely difficult however my own self worth and beliefs were more important.
I now had no income, a minimal amount of savings, a blank notebook and a pencil. And that is where it all started. Owning my own business Andrea in motion, was not a plan or something I had dreamed about. It was a path that I was lead to and I felt that if I didn’t jump then I would never know whether I would fall or land on both feet.
I am happy to say that eventually, I did land on both feet. Quite successfully too. I started out with six students in a one room space, originally a storage closet, that was on the second floor of a basketball center. Within one year, I ran out of space to take on more students and was fortunate enough to be presented with an opportunity to expand and have a beautiful studio designed and built for me. I even involved the current students at that time to create a wish list and I added everything they asked for …a play area filled with toys and games, an area for reading that was filled with books, a homework area, a kitchen and even a place to take a nap, along with a state of the art dance studio. Years later I was reminded by students that I never installed the disco ball they had originally asked for, ha ha.
The risk I took paid off but not without lots of sweat and hard work. Unfortunately after successfully running my business for ten years, the covid pandemic made it impossible to stay opened and in December of 2020 I made the difficult decision to permanently close.
I have no regrets, taking the original risk was absolutely worth it. Due to my schooling, many years of experience, supportive mentors, and my strong work ethic I was able to create a successful business that began with a blank notebook and a pencil.

Andrea, 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?

I was born a dancer and I am not just saying that. It is the truth. From the moment I could walk and run, I began to dance and then that is all I wanted to do. My parents enrolled me in a local dance studio at a young age and from there I received a scholarship from The New Ballet School, now Ballet Tech, in NYC to study dance and going on to attend and graduate Adelphi University with a BFA.
I received an apprenticeship to The Empire State Ballet Company my junior year of college and upon my graduation, received full company employment. Touring the United States, Canada and Mexico straight out of college was a dream. Years later, I danced for many regional companies and also did some teaching.
I took a small hiatus from touring life while teaching for local studios and dance for gymnasts. The owner of the gym I was working at, Summit Gymnastics in East Aurora NY, saw something in the way that I taught and offered to train and get me certified as a USAG coach. I enjoyed many years of coaching gymnastics and I eventually did go back to dance performing career.
In 2010, I opened my own studio, Andrea in motion, and ran it for ten years.
Currently, I am a guest artist and teach dance all over New York and New Jersey. I also teach a specialized Balance and Mobility class for children with special needs at an incredible organization called The Friendship Circle of Central New Jersey. I am extremely grateful for finding this group because I have learned so much from these children, making me a better person and teacher.
I am the author and founder of Aspire to Inspire, Performing Arts Assistant Teacher Workbook and Workshop. This program is designed to help educate and properly prepare assistant teachers to enhance the performing arts (dance, theater, music) programs they are involved in. Students receive a certificate of accreditation upon completing my workshop accompanied by my workbook.
I offer consulting to studio owners and also teacher training in regards to ballet curriculum.
I teach my own adult fitness classes, MOVE, which offers women daily workouts which contain joint mobility, strength, barre, pilates, yoga, balance and mobility while also offering daily motivation, recipes and a community to keep them engaged.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of all of the things that I do, (Teaching, Coaching, Consulting, Training) is helping others. I have a talent and knowledge to share and when I do, it helps other individuals succeed and feel better about themselves. Seeing the look on a student’s face when they have accomplished a goal or learning something new, no matter their age, is completely gratifying. I am proud and honored to be able to bring joy into a student’s life.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Over the years, I believe that non-creatives have struggled to understand all of the sacrifices I have made in my life for my one true love…DANCE.
As a child, friends could not understand why I would turn down a birthday party invitation because I did not want to miss my ballet class. As a young adult, I sacrificed fancy cars and living situations just so I could dance. As I got older, friends were building families and I was still happy focusing on my dance career and then building my own business.
The only way to explain why is that it was never a choice. It was always something I was drawn to, something I couldn’t live without.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: move_withandrea
• Facebook: @Move Your Body
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

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