When Tiffany Russell moved back to Michigan, she was really just looking for a dance studio that would prepare her daughters to dance competitively, as well as be a challenge to her after working as a professional dancer. The problem was, she couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for.
Rather than give up, Russell created the studio she needed in
Spartan Dance Studio. As it turned out, a lot of others must have been looking for such a facility as well. After opening just a year ago in East Lansing, Spartan Dance grew right out of their downtown location and is now renovating their new Lake Lansing Road location.
“We more than tripled our number of dancers in our kids’ program the first eight months,” says Russell. We started with 30 kids in kinds program and had over 100 in our recital.”
More than 1,500 names are now in the studio’s database from dancers of all ages who come for drop-in classes at their convenience. The studio now employs nearly 30 teachers.
The growth has allowed Russell to invest $30,000 to renovate her 2,700 square foot facility, including a second bathroom, a high-density foam floor to protect from injuries and a lobby that is separated from the studio.
“We are running cameras to the lobby so parents can observe class without being right on top of it,” says Russell.
Renovations are now underway, and Russell expects them to be finished by mid-month for a September 18 open house.
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