Courtesy / Investcomm Commercial Group
The new owners of Academy of Dance are opening a larger studio space at 567 Elm St. in Biddeford.
Updated: July 9, 2019
Larger space accommodates growing dance studio in thriving market
Courtesy / Investcomm Commercial Group
Amanda and Nathan Braley purchased a larger space in Biddeford for their thriving business, Academy of Dance. They’re seen here with their daughters, Brianna, Danika and Alexis, who are regular students of the academy.
The purchase of a Biddeford building will allow a long-running dance studio to expand the number of students and type of classes it offers in a thriving market.
Amanda and Nathan Braley purchased 567 Elm St. in Biddeford from Leonard J. Mendez for $255,000. Suzanne McKechnie of Investcomm Commercial Group brokered the deal, which closed May 29.
The Braleys will run their business, Academy of Dance, at the location. Academy of Dance was founded 15 years ago; the Braleys purchased the business last year.
The 3,700-square-foot professional building contains a separate 500-square-foot office unit with bathroom and storage, according to the listing.
Locate on U.S. Route 1, it’s highly visible in a high-traffic area that connects Arundel and Kennebunk to Biddeford, and it's a two-minute drive to the Maine Turnpike.
Focused on management
Nathan Braley is an engineer with Praxair Surface Technologies, headquartered in the United Kingdom with a location in Biddeford. Amanda Braley previously ran a home day care center.
The couple became familiar with Academy of Dance through their three daughters, who have taken classes there for the past seven years. The Braleys were involved throughout that time in support activities, such as making props, donating time to set up and break down events, and volunteering on numerous occasions.
When the previous owner decided to sell the business, the Braleys stepped up to buy it. Amanda Braley had handled fundraising for the studio for several years, managed the business for a year before purchasing it, and enjoyed its community aspect.
“I loved it and I knew this was something I liked,” Amanda Braley said. “My youngest was getting ready to go to kindergarten this year, and I didn’t want to be sitting home while all of our daughters were in school. This was my next step.”
The studio has four contracted dance teachers in place, allowing the Braleys to focus on management. Parents of dance students also regularly help out, handling things like lights and audio at performances, and other volunteer activities. The studio includes not only classes but competitions and community events like participating in parades.
“We pretty much knew what we were getting into,” she added.
The studio’s previous owner had run the business from a carriage house located on her property in Biddeford and at a second location at 45 Wells Plaza in Wells.
After the Braleys bought the business, they continued to run it in those locations.
Growing demand
But demand has been growing, so they started looking for a larger Biddeford property last November and found 567 Elm St. a month later. The purchase was financed with loans through Biddeford Savings Bank and the Small Business Administration.
The new space is more than twice as big as the old one, allowing for two dance studios instead of one.
Renovations include painting, installing a wall of mirrors, and laying a dance floor. Dance studio floors typically have cushioning under them and are finished with a vinyl layer, called marley, that is also typical of dance studios, she explained. Investment for renovation is about $10,000.
Even before moving into the new space, business has continued to grow, with 15 new students coming in the past few months, and calls coming in early for summer classes. Hip-hop classes have been especially popular, and more boys are getting into dance, she noted.
“We’ve been pounding the pavement, getting our name out there, going to events,” she said. For example, the studio’s competition team put a routine together for a pre-game performance at a Portland Sea Dogs game. The academy donated earnings from the performance to a backpack program in Wells that donates food and other items to families.
The academy teaches dance to people of all ages, starting from 18 months. The Braleys plan eventually to add programs for people with disabilities.
“We want to offer dance for everyone, and bring back the fun family atmosphere while supporting our community,” she said.
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