Stop Studio Envy, Go Dazzle Instead!

It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year!

While many of us have been planning for holiday and winter recitals, performances, and concerts since July, the magic and excitement of the actual upcoming events is still tangible, and today’s Backstage Blog interview is with the lovely Lindsay Baker, who is QUEEN of all things holiday magic when it comes to your studio!

Lindsay is the Founder of go•dazzle, a business that’s all about helping dance teachers and studios bring more magic to the performance process, and making sure you, your performance, and dancers dazzle!

Read on to get to know Lindsay and her specific brand of magic better (and take notes for your next performance as well)!

KC: What's your earliest memory of dance?

LB: My earliest memory of dance is being nervous about learning foot positions on my first day when I was about three.

KC: What's your background with dance?

LB: After that class, I actually switched to Gymnastics for about ten years.  I think that gave me a great movement background for lots of different types of sports and physical activities.  I did switch back to dance in high school, and then went on to major in Theater and Dance at the University of Tennessee.  While at the University of Tennessee I performed with University of Tennessee Dance Company, and did a very cool teaching internship at a local magnet school.

While in college I also taught at a studio in Southeastern Kentucky.  Just as I was graduating, the owner was wanting to relocate to a new area.  I already had a great relationship with the families there, so it just worked out perfectly to purchase the studio from her.  She was able to help me and mentor me my first year, so the transition was very smooth, and I’m so grateful to her for that. That was in 2006 and I am getting ready to start my 14th season as the owner of The Dance Centre this Fall, and our studio is celebrating our 20th anniversary this year!

KC: Was it love at first plie? 

LB: The second time around, yes! :)  When I was a sophomore in high school, I auditioned for my school’s performing Show Choir, Swingin’ Blue.  Dance was very heavily emphasized. I loved it and couldn’t I get enough.

KC: How did you get into dance?  Dance days in Show Choir were my absolute favorite days in that class.  From there, I got into some dance classes, and the rest is history!

KC: What's your favorite thing about dance and teaching? 

LB: I love connecting my body to the music.  I come from a musical family, have always sang, and performed musically (I was actually a music major in college for two years, and then switched to dance).  I love that dance gives me another way to enjoy music and express that with my body. I love the visual lines of it, the beauty. I love the emotion it can express and the stories it can tell.  That dance brings together music, physicality, and the beauty of the body, and it is so fun!

KC: Who are your dance heroes, and why? 

LB: Martha Graham is my all time favorite.  I love her story, her innovation, her longevity.  In college, my body felt most at home in my Graham classes.  Those classes gave me confidence in my dance journey. For that, I’ll always be grateful for Martha.  

KC: Tell us about your business, go•dazzle. 

LB: I started go•dazzle because as a dance studio owner, I love making magic happen for my students and their families.  As a busy studio owner, I know I can’t do everything so I love to simplify things in some areas so I can dazzle where it really matters.

On the go•dazzle Blog I have posts with tips to help you dazzle at your studio with special events, studio planning, style, and technology.  In the go•dazzle Shop I have fun seasonal t-shirts and products and boutique Recital themes, and my signature Holidazzle Christmas Mini Recital Packages.

One of my favorite things to do at my dance studio is plan our annual Christmas show, Holidazzle.  After years of trial and error and streamlining, I have perfected our Holidazzle Mini Christmas Recitals so they are less stressful, but still have lots of dazzle.  My families and I love our Holidazzle Christmas Recitals so much, I knew I needed to bring them to other studio owners to help them simplify so they can dazzle at their dance studio during the Holiday season, too.

KC: What's one of your goals in your work?

LB: I want to help studio owners have less stress and more joy as they create magic for their students and their families.  To help them simplify where it is smart, so they can dazzle where it really matters.

KC: What's one of your favorite funny or heart-warming stories about teaching?

LB: I love teaching our preschool classes so much. I broke one of my toes about four weeks before our last season ended so I had to wear my tennis shoes to teach in instead of my Ballet shoes.  Of course my students noticed, and one of them asked why I was wearing different shoes. I told her I had broken my toe, and she said, “It broke off?! Where did it go?!” Such a funny and cute moment!

KC: Are there any cliches or preconceptions about dance you try to correct in your work? 

LB: That as a studio owner, you can’t have joy in your work. I think you can design a life and a business that works for you.  You are the one that lives in your business, so it needs to work for you. Yes, we need to dazzle for our students and their families, but we also need to remember ourselves and our happiness.  We can do this with more joy and less stress if we are intentional about it. It’s always a work in progress, but something that I believe is important to strive for.

KCC: Is there one thing you think the dance community needs more of, less of, or to get better at? 

LB: Studio Envy. I had a time a few years ago where I was comparing myself to other studios, thinking that I wasn’t enough.  I wasn’t good enough, and my studio wasn’t either. But through some education and self discovery, I learned that my studio is normal and average.  That was a great thing for me! It helped take some of the pressure off of trying to be something I wasn’t so I could focus on what makes me special, what I like, and what is going to make me happiest as a studio owner.  When I am happy, I think my studio reflects that, and then my clients are happy, too. Developing and having confidence in who I am and how I want to do things has made such a difference for me and my studio.

KC: What's next for you and your business? Do you have any exciting projects on the horizon? 

LB: Yes! My studio’s Holidazzle show is coming up soon and we are using one of my Holidazzle packages, The Snow Globe this year.  It is one of our Holidazzle Mini Christmas Recital packages that includes a specially designed and illustrated story that I will be sending to my students as a special Christmas gift.  These are available for you to use at your own studio,too. If you are considering starting a Christmas show at your studio or if you are looking for a way to streamline things for yourself and your studio so you can enjoy your Christmas show with less stress and more dazzle, you should check them out at https://www.go-dazzle.com/shop.

Just like most studio owners, I am also in the middle of planning out next year end recital.  We will be announcing our theme and hitting the ground running with all things recital as soon as we get back from Christmas Break.  If you are looking for some inspiration for your upcoming Recital, I also have Boutique Recital themes in the go•dazzle Shop that feature unique and original themes.  I love finding great songs to include in these that are always a crowd favorite at my own studio.  I also include a great graphic pack in these packages to help you promote your show. They are such a great resource to help you simplify your Recital planning process.

And now, just for funsies…

KC: Burritos or tacos?

LB: Burritos

KC: Legwarmers or ballet skirts? 

LB: Ballet skirts

KC: Disco balls or rainbows? LB: Disco balls

KC: Center Stage or Flashdance? 

LB: Center Stage

KC: One word to describe yourself? 

LB: Dazzle!

Make sure you keep in touch with Lindsay on Instagram and Facebook, so you can soak up all of her great ideas, awesome energy, and dazzling-ness!

Are you ready for the holidays and any performances you have coming up? Let Lindsay and I know in the comments! Happy Dancing!