We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Apra Bhandari a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Apra, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I was sitting in my living room with a notepad and pen and on a mission to come up with the “perfect” name for my business. I was opening a Bollywood/Indian dance studio in Orange County so I wanted to make sure it appealed to a larger community. My company’s name needed to be easy to pronounce and reflect the essence of my vision for the company. Dance is a very personal journey. Dance is a journey through which the audience gets to experience your emotions. Instantly, the word Adaa came to mind. It means grace, charm, poise and your unique personality. Along with learning dance technique, it was really important to me that my students tapped into their Adaa and felt confident enough to bring it out using dance and movement. I always felt the most at home and at peace on stage. It is where I let go of my fears, I embrace the music and feel complete. That is pure joy, and if I could guide and encourage my students to feel the same way, I knew they would see how incredibly important dance was as part of their lives. And so, Adaa was the word, the name of my company.

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 mom to two amazing kids. I am a Dance studio owner. I am a passionate human being who loves to spread joy. I love to travel, listen to music, spend time with my family and friends and I love children. I started Adaa Dance 11 years ago in my living room with 2 students. I grew up training in dance and performing from an early age. And even though I never thought I would open a dance studio when I grew up, I knew dance would always be an integral part of my life. I am so grateful I have been able to run my studio all these years. It brings together so many factors of my life that are important to me. It allows me to connect with people daily, to teach them an art form that keeps them rooted to their culture and it gives me the opportunity to empower my students through dance and music. At Adaa, we offer classes for all age groups. We train in many different dance styles along with both a recreational and a competitive program. We also choreograph for special events, corporate events, and community outreach events. Our wedding choreography department allows us to help brides and grooms and their friends and families perform dances. Our fitness program gets people moving and working out in a fun and safe environment. We also organize community events at the studio. I think what really sets us apart is the fact that I am a mom as well as a business owner. I always approach our services from a mom’s point of view. Will this be convenient for parents? Will this benefit children? I have experience and perspective of being a mom so I try to bring that love, connection and compassion into the studio. I understand parents live a busy life and if they have trusted our studio with their child, we need to make it worth their time and money. The value they receive at Adaa has to outweigh the time and money they spend. And most importantly, I want ALL our dancers, no matter what age, to feel at home at Adaa. We are more than a dance studio, we are a dance family. My staff and I truly strive to make our dancers feel that as well. I am proud of building a community at the studio. I am happy to see students fill our studio with smiles and sweet memories every day. They are becoming confident individuals, connecting to their culture and learning a beautiful art form. I am also grateful that so many families trust Adaa dance. We have a huge number of adults that take our classes and I love that these people are pursuing their passion for dance despite their busy schedules. I am glad we are able to bring joy, dance and Adaa into our students’ lives.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was renting space from a community center for many years to conduct my classes. I hoped one day I would have my own studio. In 2019, I finally found a space that was perfect for what I was looking for. The location was convenient. The space was suitable for a dance studio and I was ready to take this huge step towards my business. On January 25th, 2020, we finally had our grand opening of the studio and I was so excited to welcome our students to their own studio. I had so many ideas and programs planned out. In March of 2020, we went into lockdown. For over a year, I paid full rent on my space as I taught classes virtually. I have always been off the mind set that there is a solution. You have to be creative, positive and look forward. My staff and I poured our hearts into teaching online. We made the classes engaging. We kept the love of dance ignited in their lives through one of the most pressing times in our lives. When we were allowed to open the studio again, we were ready with all the safety precautions in place. And within two months of being open again, we actually hosted a recital. It was outdoors at a hotel where we got a stage built. We had three shows so that there was proper social distancing. The dancers danced with masks on stage. But it was probably one of our most memorable recitals ever. I was beaming with pride watching the students on stage. They were back in their elements. The families were emotional seeing their dancers on stage, feeling a small sense of normalcy after months and months. We all came together as a community to show our kids that even when and especially when things seem impossible, a little faith, positivity and teamwork go a long way. I didn’t know if I would be able to keep the studio with the huge financial loss I had incurred as a small business, but I knew I would not give up. I would find a way, and I did.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

You are nothing without your team. They are your backbone and without them your business can not move forward. I genuinely believe you need to treat your staff with respect, confidence and ability to grow within the company. When they feel invested in your core values and vision, they truly give it their all. We work with children every day and so my staff needs to feel supported so that they can be a role model for our students. As the CEO, it is my responsibility to empower my staff, give them the resources they need to succeed. Everyone has a love language. You have to take time to find that for each of your staff. Make them feel special in a way that matters to them. Also, as the leader you need to be calm and be ready to burn out fires without getting overwhelmed. There is always room to grow as a leader and constantly educating yourself is key. I have an incredible team that helps me stay true to my vision for the business, and I am so grateful for each of them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.adaadanceacademy.com
• Instagram: @adaadance

Image Credits
PC: John Merrell and Gilda Photography