Today we’d like to introduce you to Cara Pitch Gregg.
Cara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Toronto, Canada. I danced my entire life and then eventually became a dance teacher. My passion is on Tap, but I danced all styles growing up. I eventually moved to Florida where I live now with my husband and two young girls.
About 10 years ago, I quit my job in Human Resources to go back to do what I loved the most, teaching dance. I taught at studios at night to make ends meet. Soon after, I toyed with the idea of opening my own studio. I wanted the studio but didn’t want the expenses that come with a studio.
I began offering after-school dance enrichment at schools and became a mobile dance studio and 5678 Dance Inc was born. We are now in more than 40 preschools, charter schools, and public schools in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County. Our motto is: We bring dance to you!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The difficult part of my business is maintaining students throughout the different sessions. I typically run four 8-10 week sessions per year following the school calendars.
Since I run dance at schools, I don’t have the luxury of meeting parents all the time and building that rapport. I have to email and call parents and make school visits weekly in order to build those relationships that are typically developed at nights in the studio.
It has also been challenging to find teachers that can commit to teaching a few hours per week at various locations.
Please tell us about 5678 Dance Inc.
My business model is very unique in the dance world. It works because I am able to offer dance at a cheaper rate than studios since I have much less overhead. I typically pay a percentage of my tuition fees back to the school as their “rent.”
Parents constantly thank me for both the price and convenience of having dance offered at their child’s school. They don’t have to worry about additional drop off and pick up times. This also gives teachers the opportunity to make additional income by teaching my classes at 2:00 pm & 3:00 pm and then going to teach at their studio job from 5 pm-8 pm.
We run classes immediately after school on site and cater to those enrolled in aftercare. We still offer parents the opportunity for their children to dance in our yearly recital where all of my locations come together to show off the “studio type” performances. We have a photographer, we sell videos and refreshments during intermission.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.5678danceinc.com
- Phone: 954-579-8820
- Email: cara@5678danceinc.com
- Instagram: @5678danceinc_
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/5678danceinc/
Image Credit:
Bachi Frost Photography, Donner Photography
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