Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Davis-Bailey.
Hi Dana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Vision: I had just graduated from The University of North Texas with a major in Fashion Marketing and a minor in Dance. I was taking local dance classes and working in Dallas as a manager for Sakowitz Department Store in men’s wear, lingerie, chapeaux, and haute couture. I enjoyed both jobs, but something was telling me, “There is more…;” So, I went to my parents and told them my dream was to open my own dance academy. In 1985, my parents loaned me enough money to start my own- Dana’s Dance Academy. My dream was born. Background: I started teaching dance at age 14 and loved it. I danced with several professional companies over the next few years, but my true “calling” was to teach. I was a Dance Drillteam officer at J.L. Long Jr. High, A MacArthur Cardette Leader, and a Kilgore Rangerette Lieutenant while taking dance at local studios and colleges. I was a theater, broadcast, and speech communication teacher at Lamar Middle School for 11 years.
Currently: I own, manage and teach at Dana’s Dance Academy in historic downtown Irving. The property consists of three buildings. The front dance studio (formerly the 2nd St. Lukes’s Church) and the home (rectory) were built in 1928. The back dance studio was built in the 1940s. We offer dance classes for students, ages 2yr-adult in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop, ballet tech, conditioning, contemporary, modern, choreography, and jazz. We have combination classes in ballet/tap/jazz/hip hop/gymnastics for ages 4yr-8yr. We have classes available in Belly dance, Polynesian, and Bharatanatyam, all taught by expert teachers in their unique art form. We have two competition dance companies that won the 2022 National Dance Championship. We are also home to two different worship services on Sunday. Our office hours are Mon.-Thurs. 6-8 pm and Sat. 9 am-12:30 pm. Please come join our dance family!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall, it has been a fairly smooth road. I’ve learned to anticipate a day of various roadblocks, frustration, challenges, and negativity when you own and run a business, but the day is so much brighter when I open the doors to a precious group of smiling, laughing, eager dancers, whether they are age 2 or 17 and I know that I have instilled them with discipline, boosted their confidence and made a positive impact on their day, life and future as productive, successful young adults. The struggles are varied, from a broken water pipe, a leaky roof or toilet, an unhappy, sometimes unruly child, a lost dance shoe or dance bag, a confused adult, miscommunication, etc…and the pandemic nearly killed us, but thanks to bank loans, my retirement funds and my savings, DDA survived.
In my experience, anything is possible; good, bad, or indifferent. However, to remind me there is light at the end of every dark tunnel, I keep this quote by my bedside and read it each morning. The author is Alice Morse Earle.
“Not every day is good but there is something good in every day.” My good in every day is Dana’s Dance Academy, my family and friends, and my four-legged fuzzy babies.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have always been an artist and creative. My love for dance, performance, choreography and teaching has been a defining part of me for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, all I wanted to do was dance. As I grew older and realized I needed a career, my parents, especially my dad (a CPA), encouraged me to study business, accounting and marketing. I’m glad my parents shared their advice because I’m not sure my “artistic dance” brain would have been successful in the business world. I learned you have to be well versed in business management, among other things, business, to be successful. I personally specialize in teaching classical dance to my students. I teach various styles in each of the different genres Dana’s Dance Academy offers to our students. I specialize in “minute details.” I am the Grande Dame of “cleaning” our competition dances. I am an expert at correcting the smallest movements that the dancers make that are not in sync with the others. My expertise helps our dance company win competitions as well as teach my students the importance of the “the behind the scenes” tedious work and what sets Dana’s Dance Academy apart from others. I am most proud of our former students who are currently professional dancers on Broadway, in California and Europe. Many of them are dance instructors in dance studios, colleges, etc… A few run their own dance studios. I look forward to teaching at Dana’s Dance Academy for many years to come.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Advice:
1. Actively Listen, ask questions, take notes (whoever you speak with, is there because of hard work, vast amounts of learning from mistakes, and sheer determination to succeed) So heed their advice carefully. 2. Stay positive! Avoid negative people, communication, and situations.
2. When things don’t go your way, they inevitably will change your direction.
3. Remember your dreams and goals. Keep them in focus at all times.
4. Rely on the people you trust and value you the most for advice. They will be honest with you, even if you don’t like what they have to say or suggest to you.
5. “Sleep on it.” I always take at least 12-24 hours before I make a big decision. Write down your thoughts, pros and cons and have someone you trust review your plans/decisions with you. Make decisions when you are rested, not when you are exhausted and frustrated.
6. Take a daily walk, “smell the roses”, play with your animals, plant some flowers, work on a creative project or a necessary one, meditate, etc… Sometimes you just have to step back to gain a new perspective.
7. Smile and laugh, help someone else, it always makes me feel better.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.danasdanceacademy.com
- Instagram: DDA_Irving
- Facebook: Dana’s Dance Academy Irving
