We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ann Bode. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ann below.
Ann, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
I have a different approach and mindset altogether. Although I do take my teams to an occasional dance competition, our focus is to learn and grow. Our goal is to gain experience and get a chance to perform. Dance, for me is a form of art and entertainment rather than sport. I realize it is athletic in nature and a dancer must push themselves towards technical excellence but when dealing with children, there is a delicate balance. I just don’t see a reason for an eleven-year-old to reach the pinnacle of dance technique at such a young age. Often times it ends up becoming not only physically harmful buy psychologically. I know there are kids out there who worked incredibly hard to become amazing dancers very young but by the time they reached adulthood were completely burnt out, injured and in need of all sorts of therapy. Dance requires maturity for certain expression and can be very sensuous and provocative. I believe in being cautious with musical choices, movement and subject matter when dealing with children. People are entrusting you with their kids and it should not be taken lightly. That is not common at many studios across the country. My team and I are focused on wellness. We are careful when it comes to a student’s health both physically and mentally. Everyone knows there are lots of dancers with eating disorders and I know that some dance studios encourage ultra-thin physiques which can result in some unintentional and detrimental outcomes.
Dance is for everyone, no matter your height, weight or background and there is no reason to hurry in training. It does require a level of commitment but not at the expense of missing out on once in a lifetime childhood events. Students should have the room to explore other things before deciding to focus on dance alone. They should also have the freedom to be involved in school extra curricular activities and events. I do my best to accommodate those things. I don’t think that’s common in the dance studio world.
I am a firm believer in the impact that creative arts and dance have on a person in general. Personal development and self-confidence are one of the great byproducts of classes in the arts. I never have in mind that I’m trying to create professionals. I am teaching the total person things that easily transfer over to regular life through the arts.
I integrate personal development into the teaching of dance and the arts which I don’t know to be the norm. I think sometimes it gets missed in regular schooling and in other environments. Self esteem, body positivity, positive thinking techniques, physical as well as mental fitness and the importance of kindness are all things I hope to share with those that I teach and their families. The experience I hope people take away from Desert Star Dance is one of happiness, joy and a balance of fun and discipline.
Ann, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have been in the entertainment business for 40 years. I started off as a professional dancer as a teenager living and working in Los Angeles and eventually in Las Vegas. Yes, I was a show girl! I danced in a beautiful production show called “Splash” at the Riviera Hotel. It was a glamorous time in my life but also quite challenging.
After retiring from the stage I joined a successful production team and became a casting director and dance captain for very successful large production shows in the casino market. I was fortunate to be able to travel the world to exciting destinations in Europe, Africa, Japan and cities around the United States.
I am an expert at reinventing myself. In 1997, I got married and decided to move Phoenix. It was a difficult transition going from a fast pace life to one that was more settled. I started looking for some thing I could do that would have impact and is related to the arts. I had always taught dance everywhere I went so I pursued this more seriously.
Eventually that turned into Desert Star Dance. Apparently it was a good choice as it has succeeded for the past 20 years! This has been the most rewarding of all the jobs I have done. It feels the most important as I believe that dance and theater have a huge positive impact on children and some thing I can leave as a legacy and tribute to my teachers before me!
One thing that I believe makes Desert Star unique is that we are not in the business of creating just great dancers but we are interested in helping children become better people. I am dedicated to integrating personal development into the teaching of dance and performing arts. I see a lot of exploitation out there and I don’t find it fair to use children as a way to gain notoriety. I’m focused on the whole person and how I can make positive impact on a students life.. I’m not in it for myself or my own accolades. I’ve already done that. I want to be a mentor who helps a person find their joy
Desert Star Dance has been in successful operation for almost 20 years. I am dedicated to sharing my knowledge and love for dance with my students no matter what their goals are. I love what I do. I was born to do this, and I’m so grateful I have found a way to continue to do it as a lifelong journey. As for my future, I hope to expand my influence by opening a second location, reigniting my career in production, as well as creating more opportunities for young dancers.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
About 7 years ago, I had an instructor who was teaching quite a few classes for me. She was very popular and I put my trust in her. Unfortunately for me, she decided to strike out on her own and in the process took 20% of my students and several of my staff with her.
At first I was devastated, but then I realized that every thing happens for a reason. I took the opportunity to learn and grow. I redefined my business. I did not cut back on everything or give in to my fear. I just worked harder, found ways to innovate and be competitive in the market. I worked on myself and how I could improve.
Today I don’t ever hand over that much power to any one person. I make sure the lines of communication stay open and honest between me and my staff and I do my best to keep them happy.
I am very clear on what I deliver as a business and do not try to be all things to all people. I am specific and defined in what I offer and adhere to.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I think every business owner learned the art of the pivot during the pandemic. I took immediate action when things got shut down. I worked with my landlord, my bank and my staff to continue to offer value to customers.
I was unable to offer classes so the first month I closed and charged nothing but gave free videos to all of my customers. The second month we offered online classes (what a challenge!) but we did pretty well with that.
The third month we reopened on a limited basis and implemented new cleaning procedures, health measures and all the other jazz that was required to continue to gather for classes. It was the most challenging time ever for my business but I think I weathered it well and came out on top.
I worked diligently to acquire the PPP loan and was able to keep paying my employees. It was a learning experience and showed me how strong and resilient I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.desertstardance.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Desertstardance
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desertstardance/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-bode-5210a511/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/desertstardance
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/desert-star-dance-chandler
Image Credits
some photos courtesy of Justin Villalobos