April 3, 2006
Bodies in motion | A chat with Danielle Drouin, owner of Drouin Dance Center in Westbrook.
By Whit Richardson
Founded: September 2005
Employees: One, plus six independent dance teachers
Startup costs: $50,000
Projected revenues, year one: $65,000
Projected revenues, year two: $90,000
Contact: 854-2221
90 Bridge St., Ste. 325, Dana Warp Mill, Westbrook 04092
www.drouindancecenter.com
Tell me about your dance studio.
Well, we offer dance for ages three through adult, and levels beginner through advanced. We offer classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and for preschoolers. We even offer yoga and tai chi, breakdance and modern dance. So it's pretty broad ˆ basically anything but ballroom and things like that. It's kind of the traditional dance-school-on-the-corner type of thing.
When did you decide you wanted to open your own studio?
I've actually always wanted to open one. I grew up dancing and after college I moved to New York City and danced there professionally on and off for four years, and then burnt out from it and really just wanted to open a studio. I'm from Westbrook, and with the whole downtown revitalization that they have here it was kind of a no-brainer to open in Westbrook. The city was easy to work with, surprisingly, and really accommodating and really welcoming.
What was the biggest challenge making the dance studio a reality?
The biggest challenge was actually getting the students in. It's hard to get in a variety of students and levels because a lot of people tend to stay with the dance school they've been with since they were toddlers. But it worked out well. I ended up getting students from all grades, of all ages and all levels. Somehow, word got out and it's worked out great.
How did you finance the launch of your business?
I went through Coastal Enterprises Inc. with a micro-loan [from the Small Business Administration], and I also worked with the Maine Small Business Development Center, which was really helpful and right at the University of Southern Maine.
How do you differentiate yourself from your competition?
There seems to be one or two [dance] studios in every town. I'm lucky that Maine State Ballet moved to Falmouth about a year-and-a-half ago, because now I'm the only studio in Westbrook that offers the classes that I offer. But there's still competition among other studios in other towns, because I do pull students from Westbrook and Windham and Gorham and Portland and South Portland. So, it's just creating a better and friendlier atmosphere and a place kids want to go to.
How do you market your business?
A lot is advertising that we're a fun studio, but still a good place if you want to dance recreationally or are looking for a more serious program. We advertise in schools, in newspapers like the American Journal in Westbrook, or on radio [stations] like WMGX. But I think I got more students through word of mouth than anything else; we had some free classes last August, and I had a lot of people attend those. They really had a good time and told their friends, and that's how I got the majority of my students for the first year.
How did you find qualified teachers?
Actually, a lot of the teachers [I hired] I grew up dancing with and have known or have taught with in the past. Before, when I was planning to open, I gave them a call to see if they were interested in teaching, and they all were. We all are very similar in the way we teach because we all grew up dancing together and have the same outlook for what we want in our students and our classes and the studio.
Do you have any plans for future growth?
Yes. Right now we have 150 students. Enrollment-wise, I'm hoping to at least gain 100 students every year for the first five years, and then maintain around 500 students after five years. Space-wise, the Dana Warp Mill in Westbrook is a huge old mill and there's tons of room for expansion.
If you could have any professional dancer teach at your studio, who would it be?
Ann Reinking. She was Bob Fosse's protégé. She starred in a number of his shows and most recently helped bring Fosse, the musical, to Broadway. She's just a strong musical theater performer and a lot of our students are really into the musical theater style of dance, so I think she would be a hit. And she's one of my idols, too.
Employees: One, plus six independent dance teachers
Startup costs: $50,000
Projected revenues, year one: $65,000
Projected revenues, year two: $90,000
Contact: 854-2221
90 Bridge St., Ste. 325, Dana Warp Mill, Westbrook 04092
www.drouindancecenter.com
Tell me about your dance studio.
Well, we offer dance for ages three through adult, and levels beginner through advanced. We offer classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and for preschoolers. We even offer yoga and tai chi, breakdance and modern dance. So it's pretty broad ˆ basically anything but ballroom and things like that. It's kind of the traditional dance-school-on-the-corner type of thing.
When did you decide you wanted to open your own studio?
I've actually always wanted to open one. I grew up dancing and after college I moved to New York City and danced there professionally on and off for four years, and then burnt out from it and really just wanted to open a studio. I'm from Westbrook, and with the whole downtown revitalization that they have here it was kind of a no-brainer to open in Westbrook. The city was easy to work with, surprisingly, and really accommodating and really welcoming.
What was the biggest challenge making the dance studio a reality?
The biggest challenge was actually getting the students in. It's hard to get in a variety of students and levels because a lot of people tend to stay with the dance school they've been with since they were toddlers. But it worked out well. I ended up getting students from all grades, of all ages and all levels. Somehow, word got out and it's worked out great.
How did you finance the launch of your business?
I went through Coastal Enterprises Inc. with a micro-loan [from the Small Business Administration], and I also worked with the Maine Small Business Development Center, which was really helpful and right at the University of Southern Maine.
How do you differentiate yourself from your competition?
There seems to be one or two [dance] studios in every town. I'm lucky that Maine State Ballet moved to Falmouth about a year-and-a-half ago, because now I'm the only studio in Westbrook that offers the classes that I offer. But there's still competition among other studios in other towns, because I do pull students from Westbrook and Windham and Gorham and Portland and South Portland. So, it's just creating a better and friendlier atmosphere and a place kids want to go to.
How do you market your business?
A lot is advertising that we're a fun studio, but still a good place if you want to dance recreationally or are looking for a more serious program. We advertise in schools, in newspapers like the American Journal in Westbrook, or on radio [stations] like WMGX. But I think I got more students through word of mouth than anything else; we had some free classes last August, and I had a lot of people attend those. They really had a good time and told their friends, and that's how I got the majority of my students for the first year.
How did you find qualified teachers?
Actually, a lot of the teachers [I hired] I grew up dancing with and have known or have taught with in the past. Before, when I was planning to open, I gave them a call to see if they were interested in teaching, and they all were. We all are very similar in the way we teach because we all grew up dancing together and have the same outlook for what we want in our students and our classes and the studio.
Do you have any plans for future growth?
Yes. Right now we have 150 students. Enrollment-wise, I'm hoping to at least gain 100 students every year for the first five years, and then maintain around 500 students after five years. Space-wise, the Dana Warp Mill in Westbrook is a huge old mill and there's tons of room for expansion.
If you could have any professional dancer teach at your studio, who would it be?
Ann Reinking. She was Bob Fosse's protégé. She starred in a number of his shows and most recently helped bring Fosse, the musical, to Broadway. She's just a strong musical theater performer and a lot of our students are really into the musical theater style of dance, so I think she would be a hit. And she's one of my idols, too.
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