We recently connected with Ashley Bennett and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I signed the lease on my building before I had a business name. I DID have a core of students that were taking classes and workshops on a regular basis, so I did come in with a break-even budget. I had been renting a studio at the Tapp’s building, on Main St., but it had been sold and our days were numbered as resident artists at Tapp’s Arts Center. There was no guarantee that we would have dance studios at the new locations the non-profit was exploring and didn’t feel like it was wise for me to wait and see.
One morning, I got in the car and started driving around. I remembered that Triangle City seemed to often have small spaces for rent, so I started there and the very first space I saw with a for rent sign already had wall-to-wall mirror. It was way too big for me (and outside of my budget) so I got two other dance companies, and some visual artists to sublet a couple of the extra rooms.
We all moved in and opened in October of 2019.
When the pandemic started, I moved to teaching online, but attendance was hit-or-miss. I had been teaching myself silversmithing as a hobby, and took that up in the spare bedroom of my house, while I isolated at home with my 4-year-old daughter. In those days, I would spend upwards of 9 hours a day, just designing rings and pendants, and learning how to solder. Over the past two years, people have started to know me more for my skills in jewelry design than in my dance, even though dance is my passion.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a dancer first. By necessity, I am also a silversmith, and I enjoy dabbling in multiple arts disciplines, including things that might be considered “feminine handicrafts” like sewing (badly), diy home decor, plant styling, terrarium building, and macrame. Currently, I am in school for massage therapy, which I always wanted to do, but never had access to. Thanks to Midlands Tech, I am in school full-time and having a great experience.
I consider myself a compulsive creator and have a rather obsessive personality. This means that, when I become curious about something, I immerse myself in it until I fully understand how it works.
I am fascinated by the experience of learning and I find it very freeing to be a beginner, to share what I’m making, and teach others how to learn.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In September of 2019, I was working as operations director for Tapp’s Arts Center, a local non-profit, when we got word that our building was sold and we would have to find a new artists’ space. I had been running my dance studio through Tapp’s for three years and all the new locations we were scouting lacked space for a full-on dance studio. Realizing I was nearly out of a creative space AND a day job, I found a commercial unit in West Columbia plaza and got a few other dancers to sublet the extra rooms from me, to help cover overhead (always ask your landlord about this possibility before biting off more than you can chew). Pivoting was the name of the game when the Pandemic struck. I had just poured all my money into a commercial studio lease. I had to resort to private event rentals, with limited occupancy, of course. And I had to teach online, which continued for almost the entire year of 2020.
I picked up odd jobs and even sold some of my jewelry designs to keep the bills paid.
I have considered closing the studio many times, but I just can’t live without my dance company and we need our rehearsal space. I don’t consider dance to be my hustle and I really didn’t want to be tied down to a commercial property, but here I am, three years later. Now that I know I’m going to be here for a while, I have decreased my sublets and completely stopped offering event rentals. The studio has become this peaceful home to many dancers, some visual artists, a small peer support meeting place for our trans community members, and home to Carolina Film Network, a veteran run non-profit organization focused on regional filmmaking.
I am utilizing more space for my own projects and have converted a studio into a treatment room as I am adding massage therapy to my business matrix. I love welcoming people into my serene and opulent studio, and have been teaching body mechanics and self care from a dancer’s perspective for over 6 years, so this felt like a very logical and authentic way to continue to support my community and their diverse bodies.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

The people in my community have seen me continue working, consistently, for over 6 years, now. They can see that I value the art that I’m making, that creating is my survival skill, and they want to support that. Some people support me by joining the weekly dance classes, or signing up for my workshops, or coming to our shows. Students trust that they are working with a knowledgeable instructor who will never let them look silly on-stage. I never sell them “fitness” or weight loss plans, I don’t favor thin dancers over heavier dancers. I stick to my scope of practice and have integrity. I never choose profit at the expense of the quality of dance that comes from my studio, so that means that I work slower and in lower volume. My market expects that because they expect me to be great at what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sagestudiosweco.com
• Instagram: @sagestudiosweco @tinycovendance @covenitesilver
• Facebook: Facebook.com/sagestudiosweco

Image Credits
Portrait photos by Fatima Pulley Photo of Ashley with white board: Brad Martin