Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenna Kuhn.
Hi Brenna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been a professional dancer and dance teacher for the past 25 years, 15 of them in the Austin area. I have trained and mentored with the best in the dance industry and toured the world teaching and performing throughout my professional career. I have also been managing dance studios for 15 years. After analyzing the community, the needs of the students, and the learning environments being offered, I decided to open my own studio. I wanted to create a space where everyone is welcome, and the education wasn’t about the latest trend or trick but rather about solid techniques taught in a healthy and nurturing environment. It doesn’t matter what shape your body is, how old you, are if you have learning disabilities, special needs, or any other kind of different ability – at Art Beat Dance Center you are welcome and you can dance.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No road is smooth, but no one expected a global pandemic either! ABDC has made a name for itself in the community as a safe space for students to get a high-quality dance education. In 2019, I was awarded the Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and in three short years, ABDC had become a profitable business. Once Covid-19 hit, however, everything changed. ABDC lost more than half its students and it was struggling just like all small businesses around the country. The students slowly started coming back, though, and we were determined to get through it. During the pandemic, we pivoted to online classes, virtual concerts, and our community held strong with some in person classes following CDC and state guidelines. We paid all of our rent with no help from our landlord and kept all of our teachers at full pay throughout the pandemic; and we are incredibly proud of that achievement. We received multiple grants through our county, city chamber of commerce, and Texas Women’s University as well as loans through the SBA to help us survive. In just a few months, we are moving to a new location because our current landlord is raising our rent beyond what we can afford. Our new space is within a mile, but we are still recovering from Covid and a move is expensive and may cost us some clients. As I said, no road is ever smooth, but we are determined and have an amazing community of supporters that believe in our mission and are proud to call Art Beat home.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Art Beat Dance Center’s mission is to create a community of dancers united by their passion for music and dance through high quality training in a healthy and nurturing environment. ABDC is a locally-owned dance studio that focuses on hiring the highest quality teachers who will serve as role models to students from all walks of life. We provide creative music and movement classes for young children, recreational dance classes, and professional level training for older children. Classes for adults consist of both dance and fitness, giving them a wide variety of options while providing a community of shared passions.
Art Beat Dance Center offers a wide variety of dance classes including Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary/Modern, Yoga, Dance For Parkinson’s, Pilates, dance and fitness classes for Cancer Survivors, Adaptive Dance Classes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Down Syndrome, and Creative Movement for young dancers ages 2-6. ABDC has also taken its classes out into the community, teaching its Creative Movement program at several area pre-schools and its Dance for Parkinson’s program at multiple assisted living/senior living centers.
In addition to effectively meeting the identified needs of the dance community, Art Beat Dance Center has enhanced its position in the community by offering classes that are not readily available at any other studio in Cedar Park, such as a full adult dance class schedule. ABDC also offers classes that are not available anywhere in Austin – a Parkinson’s Dance Class, dance and fitness classes for Cancer Survivors, and an Adaptive Dance Classes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Down Syndrome. Ms. Kuhn also established a non-profit arm of the studio in 2018, The Art Beat Foundation, in order to support the Parkinson’s Dance Program, Cancer Survivorship Program, Adaptive Dance Program, as well as a Scholarship Dance Program for low-income families, and a Historical Tap Dance Preservation Program with the support of tap dance legend Dianne Walker.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am very shy and introverted. I don’t like to be the center of attention. I never got into performing because I liked to be on stage – I became a professional tap dancer because I loved dance. I am passionate about the art form. I love the hard work, the dedication, the history…being a part of a community.
Pricing:
- Drop-in class – $20
- Monthly price for 1 class/week – $75
- Studio rental $75/hour
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artbeatdancecenter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbeatdancecenter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artbeatdancecenter
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/art-beat-dance-center-cedar-park?osq=art+beat+dance
Image Credits
Matt Bynam Nicole DiDaniele Karen Wallace
