Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Ivanova
maria, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In 2008, amidst the looming global recession, DF Dance Studio was born in the heart of Salt Lake City. Its first home was an unassuming second-floor space in an old print shop—far from glamorous. The studio had linoleum floors, low ceilings, exposed wires dangling from the ceiling tiles, and not a single window. With a modest budget of just $5,000 for renovations, the journey began. Back then, it wasn’t known as DF Dance Studio but rather Drugaya Forma—a nod to its Russian roots, meaning “Different Form.”
At the time, I was balancing a full-time weekend job as a nurse at the University of Utah’s Intermediate Care Unit while also pursuing a master’s degree in Nurse Anesthesia. Stability was my goal—or so I thought. During my application process, a close friend asked me, “Why are you doing this?” I replied that I wanted something consistent in my life and career. His response changed everything: “The only thing consistent about you since I’ve known you is dancing.”
That realization led me to a decision—I chose to walk away from her medical career, leaving my job at the University of Utah Hospital to dedicate myself fully to the dance studio. It was a leap of faith, but one that paid off.
Fast forward to today, DF Dance Studio has evolved into Utah’s largest and longest-running social dance studio. Gone are the small, dimly lit rooms of its early days. Now, the studio boasts a spacious 7,000-square-foot facility with hardwood floors, a team of over 15 instructors, and a packed schedule of daily dance classes and social events.
Salsa was the studio’s heartbeat from the very beginning. In those early years, opportunities to learn Latin dance in Utah were scarce, pushing me to travel out of state to refine my skills. It was more than a passion—it was an addiction to growth, to community, and to the art of dance.
Over the years, DF Dance Studio has played a pivotal role in shaping Utah’s social dance scene. Today, Salsa and Bachata remain the studio’s largest programs, with Country and West Coast Swing close behind. What started as a dream in a small, makeshift space has flourished into a vibrant dance community—one that continues to inspire and connect people through movement.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building a business is never easy, and DF Dance Studio was no exception. Launched in the midst of the 2008 recession, the studio faced its first challenge before it even had a chance to grow. Then, in 2010, another major shift occurred—my ex-husband suffered an injury and chose to move back to Mexico, leaving me to run the studio on her own. From that moment forward, she took full ownership of the studio’s direction, determined to see it thrive.
One of the biggest lessons I learned along the way was the challenge of turning a passion into a career. “When your passion becomes your job, it can sometimes stop feeling like a passion,” she explains. To keep her love for dance alive, I made a conscious decision to separate her personal dancing from her business. This approach allowed her to maintain both the joy of dancing and the resilience needed to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
Then came COVID-19—a crisis that hit the dance industry particularly hard. Studios across the country struggled to stay afloat, and many had to shut their doors permanently. Remarkably, we managed to retain all of their staff during that difficult time. Some of who were with us from the very beginning in 2008.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I selected “other” because business owners in creative industries often have to be both “the artist” and “the business”. What I do as a ‘dancer” is train and compete (currently in West Coast Swing”). I travel to WCS competitions monthly and am part of “WCS All-stars” level dancers in that style. I also work on growing West Coast Swing community in Utah. However Salsa is my first and biggest love. I have the biggest smile on my face every time a good salsa song comes on. it is addicting. However many at the studio also know me as ‘the business”. I do marketing, SEO, organize various business processes, always work on productivity, stats and optimization of everything possible. I think what sets us apart some of the instructors and staff have been with the studio since its earliest days, creating a tight-knit environment that feels more like a family than just a business.
One more thing really stands out I think to most new students at the studio. This is probably the only place I can think of in Utah for sure but probably also in a few other states where you can learn and try many different styles of dancing. Because of this we have recently started an “Unlimited membership for Level 1 students”. This allows new students to try Salsa, Bachata, West Coast Swing and Country Swing as well as some Ballroom classes every day. It is super flexible and a great way for someone to learn, meet a lot of new people and see what they like! We also run Latin and West Coast Swing socials on the weekends, so the community has a place to connect and dance.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am a Russian Jew from St. Petersburg. Speak 4 languages and Absolutely love bread.
Pricing:
- Group classes are $3-$25/class
- $149 Unlimited Level 1 Memberships to learn all styles
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dfdancestudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dfdancestudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dfdancestudio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dfdancestudio
