FRIENDS! The Backstage Blog is BACK!

Because 2020 has been, well, 2020, I paused the Backstage Blog, but am happy to be back bringing you interviews with the movers, shakers and creators who are impacting the dance community these days.

Natalie Perkins, CEO of Bella Ballerina Studios shares with us how she flipped the traditional dance studio model on its head to create a unique and thriving business, to create successful and inclusive studios across the U.S.

Read on and get to know Nicole and her work!

KC:What's your earliest memory of dance?

NP: I remember being on stage for the first time and it being invigorating and terrifying at the same time! It was a total rush - a 3 year old on stage for the first time, lights shining so bright you can’t see the audience, your teacher off to the side calling out the steps, the scenery that was larger than life - it was all completely overwhelming and fun at the same time! When I think back to that time I want our students to experience all of the fun without all of the overwhelm; all of the pride without all of the anxiety; all of the excitement without all of the fear.

KC: What's your background with dance?

NP: I grew up in a small town in a recreational program. There weren’t any competition opportunities or more than recreational programs so I made my own. I created dance groups at school and in the community as a way to explore creating choreography and staging shows. I began assisting then teaching at the studio I grew up in and continued well into college.

KC: Was it love at first plie?

NP: Yes! Dance has always been something I could count on as my safe space to be creative.

KC: How did you get into teaching?

NP: After taking dance for many years, I decided that teaching might be an opportunity I wanted to explore. I was assisting at the time and my dad suggested I talk to the current studio owners about creating an “option” to buy their studio when they were ready to retire. I knew that was a long ways off but my dad was trying to teach me a lesson about business so I put $100 of my own money down for the first right of refusal to buy the studio. After high school and into college, my life went in a completely different direction and I took another career path growing other people’s businesses. After a while into my career, my old studio owner called me. They were getting ready to retire and sell the studio and I had first option to buy it! I had forgotten all about that and laughed because I was in no place in my life to move back to my hometown nor was my mindset on owning a studio anymore. Fast forward a few years later to when I had my toddler in classes and was exploring business opportunities for myself. Low and behold I settled on an industry I had grown up in - dance. I laugh now at how that came full circle. It was almost like a destiny I had to fulfill.

KC: What's your favorite thing about it?

NP: I love the philosophy we take with our students. They are so young (18mo-8years) and I love that we focus on building these little humans not just in their dance ability and sharing this art with them, but on creating who they are. We always give them a safe space to be exactly who they are and know that they have support in not just their parents but their teachers and classmates to express themselves and be unapologetically themselves.

KC: Who are your dance heroes, and why?

NP: My dance heroes are not specifically dancers but those who have brought dance to the masses in a way where it makes it accessible to as many people as possible. This can include major course producers like Trisha Gomez who’s courses make it possible for studios to offer dance for special needs students to Founders of Dance foundations that bring dance to underprivileged students.

KC: Tell us about your business, Bella Ballerina Studios.

NP: Bella Ballerina opened it’s first location in 2011. At the time, I was pursuing a completely different business idea but that idea was going to cost $500K in start up capital and NO ONE was lending me that kind of money in a down economy. At the time, my daughter was 2 years old and I was bound and determined for her to try dance just like I had at a young age. I would attend her class with her each week and although it was adorable, the studio experience overall was mediocre, she wasn’t learning anything and it seemed more of an organized play group than a dance class. I started looking for other options and the alternatives were basically a ballet only class, once weekly with instructions to “be here at 10am wearing a black leotard, pink tights, hair in a bun.” If you ever met my 3 year old, that wasn’t happening. I knew she would want to explore more than just ballet and that although this very structured class would be amazing for some kiddos, it just wasn’t going to work for us. There was no middle ground. It was then that I had the AH-HA moment that the business opportunity that I was currently pursuing was presenting obstacles for a reason; it was because THIS was the door that was meant to open instead! A lower cost start up in an industry that I was intimately familiar with and after all these years of branding, marketing and growing other people’s businesses, I was in a prime position to take a dance studio to an entirely new level with a concept that hadn’t been explored before. We opened in 2011 with one location, opened 2 more locations in the next 2 years with profits and no debt and then began franchising the opportunity for other studio owners in 2016. Once we realized we had a “secret sauce” in our hands I HAD to offer it to other studio owners.

KC: What's one of your goals in working with other dance educators?

NP: Dance studios are notorious for being failing businesses - no profits, long hours, exhausting drama and more. We have flipped the dance studio model upside down, shaken it out and have reassembled it in a way where we take all of the negative aspects of studio ownership out of the mix. When I have the opportunity to show a studio owner that they can own a profitable studio that runs on its own with very little involvement from them its like music to their ears. It’s truly a life changing way to look at teaching dance, not to mention we get to inspire the youngest kiddos with what we do!

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

NP: There are so many I can’t even count - our entire student base is under the age of 8 so we get all of the honesty, humor and silliness that comes with those ages. My favorite is when a dancer will say something hilarious or personal about their family aloud in the classroom and because our studio is entirely open concept, EVERYONE hears it and has the opportunity to giggle with us.

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

NP: I think a lot of studios were damaged by the “dance mom” mentality. The show portrayed dance as a genre that called for a specific type of student or mom and it’s definitely not always the case. I cringe when someone thinks that’s what their getting when they sign up for dance so avoids the activity for their child at all costs, but it’s equally as cringeworthy when a mom proclaims she’s a “dance mom” for her child as if that’s the norm or how they should start the experience.

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

NP: The dance community definitely needs to be more inclusive, and not just of gender or race but just accepting all dancers as they come. We try to preach this and I know many studios who do this as well, but there is definitely room for improvement for encouraging those who have a passion for dance no matter where they come from, their body type, etc.

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

NP: We are growing our local studios in enrollment and numbers everyday! We are extending franchise opportunities across the US and are very excited about some new locations ahead! We would love to work with more potential studio owners and existing studio owners who are interested in opening a Bella Ballerina location or adding one to their current location!

And now, just for funsies…

KC: Burritos or tacos?

NP: Tacos for sure!

KC: Legwarmers or ballet skirts?

NP: I’m a sucker for legwarmers - I was born in the 80’s

KC: Disco balls or rainbows?

NP: Rainbows please!

KC: Center Stage or Flashdance?

NP: Centerstage - love the way it mixed it up and reinvigorated dance for a whole new generation!

KC: One word to describe yourself?

NP: Steady

Big thanks to Natalie for sharing her insights with me! Make sure you stay in touch with Bella Ballerina on Facebook and Instagram.

Flip the Dance Studio Model Upside Down: Natalie Perkins of Bella Ballerina Studios