On this first installment of “Local Business Love” we will be highlighting a business that is very near and dear to my heart. The teachers, the students and long lasting friends I have made as a result of the connection is indescribable.
5th Dimension Dance Center is where my daughter and her dance sisters call their dance home. I’m positive if you ask anyone of them, they will say Dance is not just an extra curricular activity. It is a sport. As the cliché says “Blood, sweat & tears” are shed learning, practicing and perfecting their craft.
5th Dimension’s fearless leader Alexis Johnson, has allowed Mi Bella Life a little bit of her time to ask a few questions. Take a moment, get to know the place and people we love so much.
I introduce to you… 5th Dimention Dance Center’s leader Alexis Johnson.
My name is Alexis Johnson. I am the owner and artistic director of 5th Dimension Dance Center and a Florida-based dance instructor and choreographer. I specialize in contemporary dance education.
Q. How did you get your idea or concept for the opening a dance studio?
A. The idea to open a dance studio was something I had actually not thought of doing (especially not as early on in my career as I did), but when I was approached with the idea, I knew it was my passion and knew it would be something I would work extremely hard at. So, I decided it was something I should go for.
Q. What was your mission when making this decision?
A. My mission was to help our students develop their potential through the education of dance.
Q. How many employees? What do you look for in an employee?
A. We currently have 9 employees. I value employees who demonstrate loyalty and openness. I also value employees who understand their roles thoroughly and can be a team player. The field of work I am in requires a lot of collaboration to make sure each student is reaching their potential (it takes a village).
Q. What services does 5th Dimension Dance Center offer?
A. We offer dance education to children ages 2-18.
Q. How do you advertise for 5th Dimension Dance Center?
A. We advertise mostly through social media platforms. We have a Facebook and Instagram business account where we have the option of promoting posts. On these accounts, we will often offer promotions and contests for our followers and we’ve noticed that those have helped to bring in more customers. We have a website that includes all the information about our studio and a YouTube page that we keep updated with dance videos.
Q. To what do you attribute the success of your dance studio?
A. I try to be honest and clear about all the goals I have. I always express them to others and I keep them in the back of my mind all the time so it helps me to stay focused and put my energy in the areas I need to be working.
Q. What made you choose your current location?
A. We liked the location we chose because it was very visible on a main road in my area and near FishHawk (a giant community in the Brandon area) with a reasonable size and at a reasonable price. It also had minimal build-out, which was nice.
Q. What’s your Dance Center’s goals?
A. Our company’s goal remains helping our students develop their potential through the education of dance. By participating in our dance-program, our students increase their physical and mental well-being.
Q. Do you work locally or nationally? If locally, do you plan on expanding? How long?
A. Currently I work locally. I do have goals of expanding. In terms of the studio it would be within the next few years. I don’t know how long it would take to work nationally, but the sooner the better!
Q. What is unique about your Dance Center?
A. Our business is unique in that we offer an unlimited rate that our customers can pay a month and take all the classes they wish. We also made our unlimited rate start at the amount our competition team members pay monthly for their required classes. So, every member of our competition team gets unlimited classes.
Q. What are your responsibilities as the owner of a dance studio?
A. The responsibilities as the studio owner include being on top of finances, keeping customers happy (students and parents), staying innovative and creative, making sure day-to-day responsibilities are getting done, making sure customers are coming in and classes are getting filled and being a leader and model that your employees can look up to.
Q. What made you choose this type of business?
A. It was a passion that I was lucky enough to pursue as a career. I grew up in a dance studio and saw first-hand the experiences, lessons and opportunities it provided to me and knew I wanted to give that to other kids. I really believe in the values dance instills in students and the creative outlet it provides.
Q. Does your dance studio help the community where it is located?
A. We currently perform for community events, we have also discussed donating the trophies we receive at competitions to charities.
Q. Have you ever turned down a client?
A. We have not had to turn down a client and I hope we never have to.
Q. What is your biggest challenge with parents? Students?
A. The biggest challenge with the parents is really just being on the same page in regards to the needs of the student. Sometimes parents can have the idea that their student should be working towards “a level” and my ideas as a dance teacher can clash with what the parent wants for their child and you have to break through that by reminding them that we are on the same team and I am not against them or their child by placing a student in a certain level.
Q. What is your biggest challenge with students?
A. The biggest challenge with the students is entitlement. A lot of students want the status of being in a higher level or the attention of having certain tricks, but not many want to work as hard as it takes to get there. The will misplace the blame onto anything or anyone else they can when the reality is that they should be accountable for their own growth.
Q. With so many teenagers, majority girls, how do you handle drama amongst them?
A. Though harmless, there is always a constant stream of drama. For the most part it can be contained by having the kids talk it out and reminding them the insignificance of that drama in comparison to everything else. Really, as the ones constantly handling the drama, the teachers usually just laugh it off after its handled.
Q. Do the moms behave anything like the moms on Dance Moms?
A. The moms like those on Dance Moms are a pretty rare breed. You don’t get them often but they do exist and they can be like tornado if they aren’t controlled. No parent is perfect because they have to learn the responsibilities that come with having their child in dance just like the students do, but if you teach them those responsibilities properly they usually are pretty easy to handle. Every once in a while you will have a parent that just completely refutes everything you try to teach them. When a parent gets to the place where you feel like they can not trust you in educating their child in dance, that is usually when you have to cut ties with them.
Q. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
A. Keep a healthy mind. Starting out is very stressful but it’s also very exciting and you want to be able to enjoy it as much as you can. Have a strong mission you believe in. It will help you to stay focused and keep your head clear when you’re making decisions.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know 5th Dimension Dance Center. The dance center is small but OH SO MIGHTY!
The purpose of this blogvertisement is to show some local love. As a small business starting out can sometimes be more expense than profit in the beginning. It’s up to the locals to help the business thrive and become something great! This is part of my contribution.
Please feel free to stop by 5th Dimension would love to have your dancer join an amazing family of dancers, parents and teachers. Come take a class or two or three. You wont regret it!
Don’t forget to mention you heard about the studio via Mi Bella Life. Remember to Like!! Comment!! Share!! Repeat!!
Mucho Amor 💗
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