Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Moore.
Hi Whitney, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I, Whitney Moore, graduated high school and went to college on a full-ride Army scholarship. My thought was I would graduate as a Second Lieutenant and travel the world much like my grandparents and aunt had done. God however had much different plans for me. In 2005, I graduated from the University of Texas Arlington with a B.S. degree in Psychology, minor in Business.
I began dancing at the age of three and had extensive dance training at outstanding ballet academies and studios. I was able to train in all styles including tap, ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and gymnastics. While attending college, I was offered a dance teacher job and quickly fell in love. I taught at 4 local studios for over six years plus taught tap for the University. Halloween night 2007 I was given the opportunity to purchase one of the local studios I had been teaching for, Caron Moore Dance Productions, and started Foot Works Performing Arts Center in May 2008.
When opening the doors in August 2008, we had less than 100 dancers. We started quickly growing and realized the need for more space. In 2013 we were able to secure a second location half a mile down the street to open another dance room when our registration was full after our pre-registration in May. In 2017 land was purchased to build a 10,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility a few blocks from the current studio locations. On March 15, 2020, a huge celebratory Grand Opening was had and then Covid hit that very night shutting everything down. The studio remained closed for over 4 months until we could gather together again safely.
Since then, we have thrived and have continued to grow to nearly 700 dancers. Our mission at Foot Works PAC is to not only better your child’s experience in dance but also to teach them lessons that can be carried over into everyday life. Dance should not only teach technique, poise, rhythm, style, and grace but should also teach dedication, cooperation, teamwork, camaraderie, and discipline. My Foot Works staffs dedication, education, passion, and enthusiasm help support our studio goals of inspiring the love of dance into every dancer.
I feel very blessed to be able to do what I love every single day.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Has the journey been easy, absolutely not! Haha! I can honestly say that I don’t think anything has been smooth, however, I know it has gone exactly how it should. I truly believe there is a plan for us all and detours make us who we are. From the very start, when heaps of people left and didn’t believe in Foot Works PAC, we as a studio kept climbing while personally believing in our program and have seen the success and fruits of our labor. Struggles are truly what got us this far!
I believe these past two years, through a global pandemic, have been some of the most challenging, conflicting times any workforce has ever seen. I try to make sure my staff knows they are appreciated with little gifts randomly, their favorite snacks and drinks in the teacher area, random texts to start their week, inspirational quotes, and just being “human” along with them. Covid killed many places, but we are coming out stronger than before!
Personal struggles and challenges come along with everything you do; however, I wish someone had told me that this job is NEVER easy! The job never starts at the beginning of a day and ends at the close. You are always working and thinking about your job no matter what. Even though it isn’t easy, it is ALWAYS worth it!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Foot Works Performing Arts Center offers training in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, and acro for recreational and competitive dancers from 18 months through adults. Each week, we are able to offer 133 different classes Monday through Saturday. We are known for providing a space that is so much more than a dance studio but a home away from home for many. Our goal is to shape kids not only into well-rounded, talented, and workable dancers but into hard-working, humble, and successful adults. We were named the best studio of Fort Worth in 2021.
On the competitive side, we were awarded National Top Studio in 2019 and 2021. We have been named Regional Top Studio over eighteen times in the last 5 years.
On the recreational side, we fill our classes with fun, learning, games, terminology, etc. We have a “prop closet” full of hula skirts, leis, animal and dinosaur masks, crowns, wands, light-up rings, parachutes, and tons of other things to make our classes stand out from the rest. We also have an exclusive preschool program that we use as a fun approach to dance class. It’s like having a dance party in our preschool classes every now and then! This fun program fits into our existing preschool curriculum and serves as a supplement offering creative activities for our smallest dancers, complete with characters, catchy rhymes, and a super fun book!
We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking.
The biggest risk I ever took was actually starting this business at the age of 23. I had no idea what I was doing but had worked for so many different studios I had an idea of what worked and what did not. I wanted to create a safe space for dancers where they felt valued and could be the best they could possibly be. I knew I had to start Foot Works PAC for that reason.
Another huge risk I took was building our new facility. I knew that that was the time that they say most businesses fail or succeed. To grow or not to grow? To stay in my comfort zone or to press forward? With a lot of prayer and a lot of support, I was willing to jump headfirst and see what path God lead me down. To say it has been the biggest blessing would be an understatement.
Pricing:
- $45 Registration Fee
- $40 Christmas Recital Fee
- $80 Spring Recital Fee
- $57-$237 Tuition Fees (sliding scale based on number of hours)
- $80-$110 Costume Fees (depending on class)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.footworkspac.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/footworkspac/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/footworkspac/
