We recently connected with Nykisha Banks and have shared our conversation below.

Nykisha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?

If I could go back in time, I see both ways of wishing to have started my career sooner or later. Sooner because I would’ve loved to enjoy the life I have now, to be creative without judgment of Corporate America, or serving under someone who doesn’t value the work or feel like something was taken from them when the heart was pure and only being authentic without any strings attached. I would say starting later made me have an appreciation for the struggle it took in maturing to get to this place. I value it because I believe I’m so much stronger and okay with refusing to tolerate someone else’s stressors as my emergency. I am a very detailed Dance Studio Owner, so when someone is out of order, I’ve learned to become mentally calm and advise what their next steps could be to regain order in certain situations even if creating the best outcome is uncomfortable. When I was younger, I would’ve allowed all stressors to dominate in worries of what it could mean for my name and reputation. Now I let my work ethic and honesty speak to that since I can’t live in the perfect bubble of pleasing everyone.

I started teaching at 19 years old. When Hurricane Katrina destroyed my home and all I’ve every known in New Orleans, I evacuated to Texas, then Georgia. If I would’ve had a dance studio in that season it wouldn’t have been as successful as it is now. Probably a disaster! Though I was still dancing, and a life long student of my craft, I was not only working in Corporate America, but also teaching at different dance studios every evening and Saturday’s. When I wasn’t at one, I was at the other. I’ve always enjoyed the fruit of my labor while teaching dance. I never saw the fruit of my labor or reaped where I’ve sown while in Corporate America. My financial stability was better, however, that was all.

Stability, peace of mind, and a better me came in my latter years so I would credit the success to starting this creative career later than sooner. I can handle conflict resolution better and more efficiently and I’ve learned to hold myself more accountable. My only woe to starting later is that I really would’ve loved to have more years of experiencing the fruit of my labor.

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?

In the Key of Dance is a nurturing and structured environment that specializes in dance education. We take pride in our work and we aim to do it well. We are not a 500 kid studio but we are growing by the day so we most definitely specialize in having order. Order, structure, accountability, and organization is what we strive for. It’s not only a charge to me to ensure everything remains in order, but parents must do the same. It takes both parties to make things work and in cases where things could go left usually determines who’s a good fit for us and if we’re a good fit for them.

We are big on the entire package, not just their skill. We are known for several things. We allow everyone to have a voice, respectfully. If something is uncomfortable, such as a class, another student, the way an instructor teaches, etc…I encourage an open door policy to make them comfortable enough to say it. I can’t handle discomfort, if any, on the front end if I am hearing it only as a concern from a parent on the back end. I can’t fix what I don’t know! It matters what they think and feel while in my care however, I encourage them to talk about it with a trusted staff person, not another student because it may not return to them as it may have been shared, which forms another discomfort.

We are big on their health. A healthy whole package makes a great dancer that will love you and desire to return! I have grown to love each of them so I care about their physical and mental health. I believe what may set me apart (or maybe not) is that I currently hold a Youth Mental Health Certification which helps identifies crisis and non-crisis situations. We have tons of resources to provide if they need a place to live or if they need a therapist, etc..

I know that I’m not the only studio that do this! We are also big on Dance Education and Technique. We provide a great curriculum that not only aids with dance terminology but the importance of the details. So many dancers love the excitement of tricks, but your preparation and your ending is just as important. I explain to them that the little “boring” plie’s are just as important because it provides better jumps and landings, simple port de bras aid in the cleanliness of you as an entire package. We explain the importance of articulating through the entire foot and their toes. The importance of the details are equally important and so many aren’t taught that. Beautiful arms with crab claw fingers doesn’t appear clean. The details are important to fix!!

I am most proud of seeing the fruit of my labor. I opened the doors during a pandemic. I never recruited not one child I ever taught along the way from another studio. I actually worked in secret so some of my students from other studios wouldn’t ask me questions and also not to betray another studio owner whom I’ve taught with. When I built it, my prayer was to ensure that the right people came. Not the one with the best technique that someone else coached, that’s a credit to them. To see beginner dancers that I’ve trained and to see the fruit of bringing them into the community and receive the highest distinction of honor for their technique & behavior speaks volumes on what I’ve built without taking another studio’s dancer. My prayers are always answered even when doesn’t feel like it.

Everyone that steps into the doors doesn’t have sweet stories. Life is hard and choosing which hard to live through is tough. Meaning, several parents struggle to keep their dancer in a positive extracurricular activity opposed to struggling at home and having to be accountable for trouble they may get into. Choosing which hard is still hard. I have kids experiencing tough single parent situations that they simply cannot process and nothing in life that makes them happy due to all of the losses many of them have suffered. I know I can’t take it away, but I have set up a 501(c)(3) which aids in helping any kid make sure a class can be taken, shoes can be purchased, tights can be replaced, costumes can be aided for performances, etc…

I am not only a very proud studio owner. I am a #1 Amazon Best Seller Published Author. The book is called “A Leap Into Accountability.” 100% of the proceeds go to the 501(c)(3) to help every dancer when needed. The book can be purchased at the studio or on Amazon!

Finally, our studio was recently voted Best of Best Dance Studio for our area! We are extremely honored!

We will keep growing and keep going!!!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative is seeing a dancer that may not understand or grasp something in the beginning, come back stronger all because of them feeling encouraged & inspired. To see a skill that they may have shed a tear about, conquered at the next rehearsal. Growth is a rewarding aspect. Especially from dancers that never danced before.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivoting is how the dance studio was built. I didn’t wake up that day with dance studio brick & mortar readiness. I had to pivot as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Dancing, training, & teaching was altered and hard to navigate in another state. Once the pandemic happened, like so many independent contractors, I lost work. I questioned if I needed to pivot back to Corporate America or go back into teaching at other studios. Life again for me came to a halt. One day I woke up extremely sad and applied for a corporate job that I had the qualifications for but didn’t get the job. Every certification was perfect on paper. Although I thought I had a foot in, I was rejected. Every route attempted didn’t work.

I was driving to the store and detoured to another store in a strip mall that I didn’t know existed. As I sat in the car, I noticed several suites had “For Lease” signs on it. I took a picture of the sign. I initially called another company I was interested in working for in the corporate arena (never heard back), then called the number on the door of the random suite that I saw available. Just entertaining the idea. I called and emailed on a Friday afternoon and they responded and allowed me to go to the space to look around. In the beginning, I didn’t want the space because I was worried that it wouldn’t be enough, the space didn’t look clean, and the floors were bad. So I convinced myself that it wasn’t going to work out. Every pivot brought me back to the same spot. I had nothing to lose. Everything fell in place and landed on my lap. Faith walking is hard but necessary. I built it and they came and it’s been a great and successful ride. Growth is happening and we are in a great place. Pivoting can be necessary. Losses in life can cause pivots, however, pivots can be a scary yet good thing to happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.inthekeyofdance.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/in_the_key_of_dance/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthekeyofdance/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@inthekeyofdance

Image Credits
Headshot & Photo with Book: Photography by Bricen All other photos: Crush Photography