GRACE DANCE COMPANY

BUSINESS OWNER: Makenna Chapman 

BUSINESS NAME: Grace Dance Company

MAIN PRODUCTS: Dance and Fitness classes

LOCATION: 512 Ruby Stree, Onawa, IA 51040

WEBSITE: gracedancecompany.net  

Short description of your business:

 Our mission is to educate students about both the dance world and the real world. We want to  encourage the students to be strong, confident, and hardworking. We want to lead by example  and teach the students to be a light to those around them. Our goal is to turn our students into  well-rounded dancers in strength, technique, and flexibility. We expose and educate our  students to all types of dance to help each student to have a firm education of dance and be  able to apply this to all aspects of life 

What motivated you to start your business? What drives you each day?

I have been a dancer since I was two years old and have known that I wanted to work in the  dance industry since I could remember. I don’t even remember a time where I considered doing  anything else. Being able to share what I love with others and create an environment that is  positive and encouraging to my students is what drives me to continue to do this. Dance is what  made me who I am today and has provided me with so many life lessons, people that I consider  family, and so much more that I couldn’t imagine what life would be life without them. Being able  to provide that for my students and see them learn those lessons themselves and become  family to each other is one of the best parts of my job. 

What is unique about your business?

 Grace Dance Company is a studio with set values in Christ. We want to teach our students to  love, respect, and have empathy towards others. We welcome and accept people into our  studio from all walks of life. We promise to love and care for our students as God loves us.  Dance is a way of uniting people together, it brings people of every lifestyle together. Dance is  a form of self-expression, it moves people, it gives others the confidence to be themselves,  and it can make a statement. Our statement that we wish to make is to show God’s love to  others through the gifts that we have been given. 

What is the biggest challenge you have had to overcome as you’ve grown your business?

 This has definitely been a “learn on the job” type of thing. Although I always knew that I wanted  to do this, the opportunity came along about 6 years earlier than I had planned. I was 19 years  old and had no idea what I was doing. There is a new challenge that presents itself everyday  and being able to not only overcome these challenges, but also learn from them has been quite  the experience. Even though it has been tough, I am so grateful for each of these challenges. 

What has been your greatest reward?

 My students have truly changed my life. I don’t think I could get through the day without them.  The y have taught me so much about myself and about life. Getting to watch them grow as  dancers and as human beings has been such an honor and privilege. Whether it be seeing  them accomplish their goals as dancers, watching them form bonds and be there for each other,  or seeing their confidence grow and become who they are. They are seriously the best people  in the entire world and being able to be a small part of their journey makes me feel so grateful  for my job. 

How have you benefited from the startup community in Sioux City and the region? What resources did you used?

 I just recently became a member of the Siouxland Chamber and I am so excited to branch out  more into the Siouxland area! The studio has always been a part of our local chamber and  participating in community events, but I am looking forward the new experiences that we will  have with all of these new resources. I got to participate in the Siouxland Chamber’s  Entrepreneur Hour recently and got the chance to speak at a Rural Business Blender put on by  the Iowa West Coast Initiative at our local coffee shop a few months ago. These were great  opportunities to meet new people and gain new resources as a business owner.  

Are there any experiences that were particularly influential in that regard? 

One of the experiences that comes to mind is just the overall support. Being a business owner  can sometimes feel like it’s you and your passion against the world. But getting to know other  business owners and entrepreneurs that are rooting for you and wanting to support them as  well, has been such a beneficial experience. 

Why is important for the community to support startups and small business? What more can be done to help them?

Community is so important and can be such a beautiful thing. In order to keep the essence of  our communities alive, we have to support each other and encourage each other to make it  what we want. All of these little boutiques, cute coffee shops, and other small businesses were  all at one point or are currently a startup. And if there is one thing that I have learned as a  business owner, it is how valuable the support from your community can be. These small  businesses are what make our communities to great and it is essential to support them in any  way that we can! 

What is one thing you know now that you wish you knew when starting your business?

 You can’t do it alone! No matter how hard you try and no matter how much you try to convince  yourself that you can, you literally can’t. And that’s okay! Pursuing your passion was never  meant to be something you do alone. When you think about all of the amazing people that were  brought into your life through your passion in any way, shape, or form… imagine doing this  without them. Your experiences wouldn’t be near as rewarding or positive! Having a village of  those who love and support you truly makes all of the difference!  

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business?

 Go all in! This is your dream and it is what you love to do, so why not give it your all?!   

How can the community continue to help your business?

 Come join us! Whether that be signing your little one up for their first dance class or going out of  your comfort zone and trying out our adult fitness classes! We love to see new faces around the  studio and getting to expand our dance company! 

What are some future goals for your company?

 I would love to expand onto our existing youth dance classes (3years old-18 years old) with a  true company program for dancers of all ages! If you are in the arts at all, you know that love of  the craft never goes away and having opportunities to continue learning, growing, and  performing can be such a rewarding thing! There are not very many opportunities to dance  professionally or continue to perform and compete as a dancer in the Midwest once you  become an adult. So creating a space where that is available is a big goal of mine. I would also  love to expand our fitness program from just having our group work out classes to having a full  gym where people can reach their fitness goals as individuals as well! 

Thank you for reading about our company, we are looking forward to serving you!