Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Solis.
Andrea, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve loved dancing for as long as I could remember. I was very shy growing up and dance was that outlet for me in which I was able to feel a release and just let go. In high school I started dabbling in choreography and I immediately fell in love with it. Being able to create different shapes & movements and seeing the end result was so rewarding. The best feeling was when the dancers were in love with the movements too! From there I was asked to choreograph different pieces that eventually led to teaching jobs at different places. It was so rewarding watching my pieces awe the audience & even win awards!
In college, I was part of the dance team where I was able to take part in crazy performances & choreograph some of my favorite pieces. After graduation I really wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go. The creative side of me felt like death at the idea of sitting at a desk for the rest of my life so I started brainstorming and thinking of a way to turn my passions into my career.
In 2016, I founded the Thrive Dance Enrichment program, it was a dance program for schools that did not offer dance. I was fortunate enough to work with different schools and meet many talented kids.
A year later, I opened Thrive Performing Arts! It’s been such a whirlwind but I’ve been thankful for every moment!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been crazy! In a good way! At the moment I do everything at the studio so organization has been key. It’s funny because I went from just teaching to now wearing many hats. I never realized how much work goes into running a whole studio but I really thrive (no pun intended) when I have a lot to do. I’ve always kept myself busy for as long as I can remember and I’m so glad it’s paid off. I almost feel like I was preparing for this all along.
I mean there are the obvious struggles that I feel all new business go through such as growing pains, licenses, finances etc but I feel like I’ve been so blessed that most of it has been smooth. I didn’t have any detrimental struggles to the opening of the studio and most of the things I feared never happened so overall I feel really fortunate.
Please tell us about Thrive Performing Arts. What sets you apart from others? What are you most proud of?
We’re a full service dance studio for ages 3-18. We aim to bring out the confidence and creativity in everyone. We’re a judge free space open to all levels from beginner to advance you just need to have a desire to learn. Our studio goes beyond teaching dance. Here at Thrive, our dancers learn hard work, patience, respect, time management, and more. All lessons that they can carry with them throughout life. We offer recreational classes, toddler classes, competition team & we’re getting ready to start our Adult Dance fitness program. Whether you’ve done a little dancing or have spent much of your time aspiring to be like the dancers on YouTube, Thrive has something to offer everyone!
I feel like our giving back initiative sets us apart. Our dancers take part in lots of community events that give back. These past few months alone we’ve performed in several events. Our grand opening alone turned into a hurricane relief benefit and the donations we received went to victims of all the hurricanes in 2017.
I’m most proud of the friendships and talents that have blossomed since our opening. Watching the girls genuinely get so happy when they see each other or having mom’s text me telling me how their child never stops dancing or never wants to leave the studio makes me so happy and proud. It really is more than just a dance class, lots of these girls have found a passion that they love and I’ve already been a witness to the positive changes that come with it.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
We’re still relatively new so I really have not had much time to feel the need to change anything.
I do think standing strong on our studio policies and what we stand for is important. Luckily my dance parents are amazing but every now and then someone tries to come in & have things their way.
In our first weeks of being open I was a little more relaxed on things like that because we had just opened our doors and there was a lot going on. But now I hold my ground and it’s more like this is who we are and how we run things. That’s something I plan to always stay true to.
Pricing:
- First class is Free!
Contact Info:
- Address: Tanglewood Plaza
9708 Pines Blvd
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024 - Website: https://www.thriveperformingartsmiami.com
- Phone: 954.391.7568
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: thriveperformingarts
- Facebook: ThrivePerformingArtsMiami
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