Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Johnson.
Hi Grace, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began dance training at age 4 and continued through college where I began to teach. After college, I began private lessons in my community for dancers preparing for auditions.
I grew up training in a strict ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance studio and performing arts high school. Although I wanted to venture into other styles of dance, not many studios offered those other styles all in one location. I found myself hopping around to different studios just to get a more diverse experience.
I founded Neema Dance Collective “NDC” in 2016 (just one month after I gave birth to my youngest daughter) and I wanted it to be different from my childhood experience.
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?
It has not been a smooth road. Just like all start-up businesses we’ve seen the highs and lows of entrepreneurship including difficult clients, show glitches, and technical difficulties.
However, going through an entire pandemic as a “baby business” was least expected. We had to pivot in a way that was very scary at first but we ended up with more clientele than ever before.
We stayed engaged with our audience on virtual and social platforms and held safe, hybrid, dance classes, and virtual showcases that everyone loved. We even opened a second location in 2020 and another in 2021.
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?
We offer classical ballet and pointe training, hip-hop, Horton, jazz, tap, dance fitness, mommy and me dance class, father/daughter dance practice, aerobics, Zumba, tumbling, liturgical, and acrobatics training.
We have seasonal dance concerts and awards ceremonies throughout the year and compete in various competitions with our competitive team. This year, we will present Melanin; a spring dance concert that represents back excellence and superb technical dance training at the legendary Fillmore Silver Spring on Sunday, June 12th, 2022.
We are the one-stop-shop studio that I wish I had growing up. Our innovative styles, technical dance training, competitive dance team, and new facilities have helped us grow tremendously!
Over the years, NDC has expanded to service over 300 students offering classes in multiple states including the District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia, New Jersey, and now Georgia!
So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is making a positive impact on today’s youth and having a safe space for them to be loved, trained, and expressed.
It matters so much to me because I was once in their shoes and the experiences that I had as a youth has made me a successful woman today. I want every child I encounter to achieve their own success in whatever their purpose is.
Pricing:
- Melanin Dance Concert Tickets- General Admission $35.00
- Melanin Dance Concert Tickets- VIP $60.00
Contact Info:
- Email: Info@neemadancecollective.com
- Website: Neemadancecollective.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/neemadancecollective/
- Facebook: Facebook.com/neemadancecollectivendc
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCeneCpxc5spMayUQfmy2rdg
- Other: https://www.neemadancecollective.com/melanin
Image Credits
Gracij, Cayla Williams, Delisa Patterson, and Taylor Griffin
