Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Grace Johnson-Wright. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Grace, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

I started my business with myself as a teacher, my best dance friend since middle school, and my mother as my business manager. We began classes and private lessons for adults in a rented studio in Landover, MD. The Adult ages 18+ had difficulties with committment to our programming and we began to get many requests to train the younger age groups.

I was excited and eager to switch my clientele to children and still kept atleast one adult class. I was fresh on the entreprenuership scene and already had to pivot my business. We ended that season with an administratiove assistent who is now our Operations manager, and 40 students enrolled. We sold out our first dance recital to an audience of 125 in a small room at Joe’s Movement. I began recruiting staff for the next season. We gained a hip-hop, ballet, and acrobatics instructor over the summer and began season 2 with 65 students. The staff and students have quadrupiled since our first two seasons.

We typically recruit dancers that we’ve previously trained with in a performing arts high school, summer intensive program, or dancers we’ve met through college and work relationships. We receive about 20 resumes per season from local dance artists and educators looking to work with our talented group of dancers. We sort the resumes according to preferred dance styles and age groups and begin interviewing over the summer. We typically ask for a dance bio, submission of choreographic works, and a brief class demonstration after their interview is conducted; we’re able to make solid selections from there.

Grace, 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 began Neema Dance Collective in 2016, one month after giving birth to my second child. My children inspire me each day to go above and beyond in my businesses that offer services to children. I began dancing at the age of 4 and danced through college. After college I began to offer private lessons and teaching classes at several dance studios. This led to an amazing start of my studio because I had already built a clientele.

Neema Dance Collective We are a versatile Dance Studio and Company performing original and captivating dance pieces that compel a variety of audiences with impeccable technique and outstanding performance quality.
We believe in a communal effort to uplift, inspire, and mold the complete dancer that will be able to master multiple styles of dance in the professional realm.

​We’ve been able to service over 1,000 students in the last 6 years of business even throughout the pandemic. We’ve been able to open locations in District Heights, and Temple Hills, MD and we’re beginning operations in Atlanta, GA Summer 2023.

We’ve been able to assist and secure dance students placement in top dance programs like Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Suitland High School Center for Performing Arts, Baltimore School for Performing Arts and Dance Theater of Harlem, Alvin Ailey, Debbie Allen Dance Academy summer intensive programs with a 100% success rate. All of our students get in!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Yes. Neema had to pivot during the pandemic like most other businesses. We did not take out large loan amounts or completely stop operations. We began our own virtual dance class platform and taught classes for as long as we could. We still ran a summer camp for emergency responder and federal government employees. We put guidelines in place to protect our students and staff, reschduled all of our shows, gained new clients, and successfully transitioned to a new location with more space for our students to safely dance together.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Simple. Our product works. The training curriculum that we have in place proves to be successful each and every time our current our previous students are accepted to the performing arts schools and programs of their choice. We’re know for training students with love, care, and discipline.

Contact Info:

• Website: neemadancecollective.com
• Instagram: @neemadancecollective
• Facebook: neema dance collective