WILLIAMSBURG — Keisha Stewart had no intentions of teaching dance full-time, much less owning her own studio, but in the fall of 2019, she fulfilled a goal given to her by her now husband.
“When we started dating, I had mentioned to him that I’m a choreographer and invited him to the end-of-year recital. I asked him if he wanted to come to the show so he could see what I actually did in terms of choreography. I was pretty sure he was going to say no. He came and brought me flowers but it was after that show that he really rallied around me about opening my own studio,” Stewart said.
However, the pivoting moment came when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Stewart had only been open for a few months and had to work diligently with her staff to figure out how to keep dance in the lives of her students.
“We tried to offer the virtual classes and we had some success with it, but in this area, our customer base didn’t have proper Wi-Fi, so even though they tried, they discovered they were in a dead zone and just couldn’t make virtual classes work. A lot of people tried to accommodate for the space, but they would bang a leg on a bed frame or knock down a vase. For dance in particular, it was really difficult and it really took away from that community and why people come together in the space to dance,” Stewart said.
During the summer of 2020, Prodigy Performing Arts Center was able to open its doors again for in-person dance classes.
Prodigy Performing Arts Company offers dance instruction to kids from 2 to 18 years old and has classes available in all styles of dance. Stewart is also eager to begin an adult program for those who are both beginners, and those who have previous dance experience.
“It’s a little harder for the adults to commit to a set schedule. We have sessions for adults where we’ll put out a call to tell the community that we have a fitness series for the season. We did a test run over spring break this year and the turnout was great. Hopefully, if that program continues with the same interest level, we can continue to provide adult classes to the area as well,” Stewart said.
Diversity and inclusion are important to Stewart and the team at Prodigy Performing Arts Company. The studio works not only on building dance skills, but the confidence and drive to know that being a dancer is possible for everyone.
“I always stress bringing diversity to the community. I love bringing my cultural background to the students and I’m really invested in them, being able to learn a lot of different aspects of the arts and where those aspects come from. When I was dancing, there weren’t many companies that sold different colors of tights for students and that is something that has recently changed. Recognizing and providing different things for everyone who is part of the dance community has been huge. I want to break the stigmas of body types and looking a certain way. I’ve seen kids come in who are hiding in the back of the room and after two months, they are coming in and they are proud to be in the front of the room and their confidence grew, it’s an amazing transformation,” Stewart said.
For Stewart, dance is an emotional release and freeing. As she unlocks the studio each day, she sees just how excited her students are to come to class.
“I love discovering the passion for dance in other people. Even if dance is something that they don’t take professionally, or do it for the rest of their life, there’s something very fulfilling about being able to be a part of that journey. I love helping these kids learn a new skill and discovering hidden talents within themselves, mentoring them through the journey, and encouraging them through all the ups and downs that dance can bring,” Stewart said.
As a women-owned business, Stewart encourages any female with a dream of starting their own company to do it.
“There is a path forward and it’s not as simple as ‘hey, you can do it’ but just start. Start with a plan, start figuring out how a business is established, start thinking about what it is that you want to offer and how you can monetize it. Don’t feel bad for monetizing whatever your talents or service is. Just because you are working for yourself, it doesn’t make it any less legitimate or real,” Stewart said.
Overall, Stewart is grateful for every day in the studio. While it’s hard to be a small business owner, it’s the passion that keeps her coming back each day.
“I’ve been a dance teacher for about 20-plus years. I love it and it’s my passion. Dance is growing in the area, especially with the local universities having dance programs. I’m really just trying to share my passion and love of arts to as many people as I can,” Stewart says.
The studio is located at 8105 Richmond Road in Toano. For more information or to register for classes, visit prodigyartsva.com.