Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Ethington.
Hi Erica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up, my dance studio was so important to me. It was the place I always felt like I belonged, even when school was hard or friends had drama. Dance was stable. The studio always felt welcoming. I loved it there and I knew then that I wanted to create that experience for others.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a small business always has it’s challenges, but COVID was particularly difficult for our industry. So much of we do is about building community and coming together – and unfortunately during COVID breathing together in big rooms. We recreated how we did business multiple times a month. It was a struggle, but I can at least say I was never bored during the pandemic.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Dance Concepts?
Youth sports and activities are so competitive these days. Kids have to specialize so early and commit to just one thing like it’s a full on job. One of the things that I’ve always wanted to do with Dance Concepts is create a really great experience for kids who want to dance, and dance seriously, but not give it the time commitment they might if they were serious about a professional career. Our top teams take 7-8 hours of class a week. Some of our teams only have a two hour a week commitment. I want our dancers to get top level training, but also to be able to balance school, family and a social life along with their dance training.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My dad tells the story of going to my first dance recital. He said it was awful. He sat there for hours to watch me do very little for the two minutes I was on stage. He says thinking about all of the time and money we were putting into dance, he wanted to cry. It wasn’t any better the next year. I was not a naturally talented kid. But I loved it, and that was enough for my parents to continue to support me. I think I was 16 the first time he saw me dance a ballet solo on stage and he cried in the audience again – finally from pride.
Pricing:
- 1 hr class each week is $72 a month.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.danceconceptsutah.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danceconcepts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danceconceptsutah
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dance-concepts-utah/
