Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Benavides.
Lisa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far. My story begins when I was 3 years of age and I performed my very first recital! From there on, my life was a bout Leo’s and tutus, dance classes and shows. At the age of 36, married and with two beautiful daughters, I started to look for a dance studio that would provide my girls the same experience I once had as a little ballerina, However, I quickly grew discouraged for I had no luck. In my quest though, I stumbled in to an opportunity of purchasing a charming petite studio with an eager student body! It was a perfect fit!!
From that moment on I embarked in what I consider my most adventurous journey yet. From one day to another I became, not only a wife, Mom and dance teacher, but a small business owner, a Director and the face to my brand; Dance Academy of Boca Raton. All of this was to be expected, with the years I had spent in the industry as both a dancer and a teacher, you have an idea of what it takes. What I did not realize was the social and community impact that was to come!
I have been very blessed with a team of coworkers, who are not only great professionals but also my friends! We hold close friendships, great respect for one another and most importantly share the common thread that unites us; our deep passion for the ART of Dance!! Together, we took our modest studio to greatness! Today, Dance Academy of Boca Raton, remains a boutique size studio but with the highest quality of training, with 2 full length productions a year and yearly performances in Walt Disney World. We participate in community events throughout the year and are invited to perform at half time shows for the Dolphins Luna Cale Flamenco Festival, on Board of Royal Caribbean, just to name a few. Our biggest pride and joy though, are our students! We have built a dancing family amongst our staff, parents and students. Our dance studio is a second home to all!
These days it takes a village to keep our youth grounded. I often think that maybe it has always taken a village, but in our modern times, the world has become so big so vast, that our children get astray. It takes a place like “a dance studio” in our communities to gather children with common interests and become that “village” a place they can feel they “belong”. A place where they are not just one more being, but an individual that everybody knows by name.
What started as a remake of my childhood in the world of dance has become so much greater! I have not only been able to make a difference in the lives of my own daughters, but in the lives of so many others. What I have come to realize is that, the world is ever changing and recreating the past, reminiscing on what it was, is such a narrow vision of what it can be. The present is full of opportunities, that if you have enough courage to grab on to them, enough belief/ hope to make your vision into reality and tackle into your creative thinking, our tomorrow can be so much brighter, so much bigger and much more fulfilling that you can ever imagine.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? Nothing in life is smooth, if the objective is to do something excellent! Excellence has its price to pay, however, as a Dancer; you learn from early on that ” without pain, there is no gain”.
I think that my biggest challenge still to today, is juggling between being a housewife and mother, to a businesswoman and an artist. To be at your best in these four areas every day. 365 days in a year, is very hard. The good thing from this challenge though, is that you learn to delegate, to trust on those around you and to forgive yourself if you cannot be at A+ all the time. You realize that in the end, you are only human, and being human is also a good quality.
Another challenge I find is being the face of your brand. There is so much PR work that goes into it and you almost have to develop a “persona” aside from your own person to endure this task. Then you have the battle of your person VS persona and sometimes they are in opposite corners. Then you have the issue that those around you have conflicting relationships between the person and the persona and its very comical to see how we all react to this. It is a learning curve and every day I get better at it but I suspect it is a forever learning process. The positive I see in this challenge though, is that I get to learn about myself and where I stand in different topics. My two daughters are very close to me and they often see my struggle. They themselves are learning with me, how to stand your ground as a business woman in today’s society, how to be strong in your convictions but humble enough to know that the power of authority is like walking a tightrope and you need to stay true to the cause and not the glory.
The last challenge I find with this particular line of work, are the long and late hours. You are on your feet a lot, moving constantly and never having enough time to do everything you set yourself to do in a per day basis. The beauty of this challenge though, is that at the end everything gets done, do not know exactly how it all comes together, but it does. This shows me that we only think we are in control of our every day, but we really are not. There is always something much bigger than us directing us. It’s like the wind beneath a bird’s wing…. it just takes you to your destination.
Dance Academy of Boca Raton – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition? Our mission is: To provide students the atmosphere and high-quality training to develop their unique talents and become proficient in the Art of Dance. We provide dance training in: Classical Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Arco, Flamenco and African Dance. From 2 years of age thru pre-professional.
We are known for high quality training, beautiful performances and small size classes where each dancer is treated as a student and not a number. We are a personable, friendly studio, where people stop in to say “Hi” if they are in the area.
Our biggest asset is our continuity… We see former students of Dance Academy walking in with their children, siblings that came in strollers joining their first ballet class and new students that got referred by their neighbor or friend!
We feel proud of what we give back! Dancing is one of our greatest cultural heritages. To enhance this, we strive to play a role in our society. We do so, by promoting our dancers to perform in our community and neighbor communities, to enrich the lives of the youth, families and senior citizens who would enjoy this type of entertainment. In return our dancers build a sense of community and encounter a fulfilling experience, they can feel proud about!
What is “success” or “successful” for you? Success to me means making a positive difference in someone else’s lives. In life we only take with us the experiences we encounter, good or bad. If I can be a positive influence in someone else’s life, then I am being successful! My life has meaning, a reason for existing.
Sometimes this definition of success is hard, for it is subjective and the markers I look out for are within. It’s not measured so much in acceptance, appreciation or respect from others, instead, it is a feeling of peace within, of integrity!
As long as I am exercising kindness, forgiveness and positive thinking, I feel a sense of joy and joy is success!
Contact Info:
- Address: 3350 NW 2nd Ave. Suite A-30
Boca Raton, Fl 33431 - Website: www.daofba.com
- Phone: 561-395-4797
- Email: danceboca@gmail.com
- Other: www.danceacademyofbocaraton.com
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