We were lucky to catch up with Candace Hearn recently and have shared our conversation below.
Candace, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I have dreamed of owning a dance studio since I was in elementary school. I began dancing at the age of 2, and it helped me to come out of my shell as I was a shy kid. Dance allowed me to express myself in a different way and to be my true and authentic self. The idea of my dance studio has been in the works since I was in college, but I sometimes wish I had started sooner. The dance industry has changed and I feel if I had started sooner, I would have been a part of the change and would be better able to adapt. However, I will add, it would have been difficult to own a dance studio during the pandemic lockdown as it would have been hard to have classes in person. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise that I jumped on the opportunity a few years after lockdown as I am gaining a lot of dancers who trained before the lockdown, and they are now ready to return to a dance studio and resume dance classes.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I began my dance training at the age of two in Collierville, TN at Nadine’s Dancers, later renamed NVS Dance. I began competing in dance competitions at the age of seven. When I began middle school, I started training at Studio 413 Dance in Collierville, TN. I continued dancing competitively while there, but I also became part of the Schilling Farms Middle School Dance Team. While attending Collierville High School, I performed in two musicals, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Some Like it Hot” where I was a tap dancer and the dance captain to make sure everyone knew the choreography for the show. I continued dancing in college as part of the Belmont University Dance Company where I also earned my minor in Dance. I am currently a fifth grade teacher and the Head Dance Coach and Sponsor for Schilling Farms Elementary School in Collierville, TN. I am also the studio owner for Demetria Elite Dance located near Bartlett, TN.
With my dance studio, my goal is to offer affordable dance classes for more dancers to have access to the world of dance. My studio has grown quickly as I started teaching dance classes at the Cordova Community Center during the summer of 2023, and I have now secured a spot at Grindhouse Dance to continue teaching my dance classes. As my dance studio continues to grow, I am helping train dancers so they may continue to dance at the professional level and so they may compete at regional and national dance competitions.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I enjoy being creative because it allows me to think outside the box. I enjoy challenging social issues, and my choreography oftentimes represents what is happening in the real world. Being able to represent how I view the world is very freeing and it is the only time I feel I can be my true self.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
As I was growing up, a lot of my friends could not take dance classes as their parents could not afford it. My goal is to make sure all dancers have the opportunity to reach their dreams of being a professional dancer. This will allow them to learn proper dance technique and it will help them learn what it truly takes to dance at the professional level so they are better prepared for the world of dance.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.demetriaelitedance.com
- Instagram: @demetriaelitedance
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092872928285&mibextid=YMEMSu
Image Credits
Sydney Evans London Taylor Alannah Spurlock