Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Jenkins.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am Stephanie Jenkins, the owner, and operator of Mrs. Jenkins Dance Academy. I first began MJDA in 2007. At the time I was a single mom moving into my 3rd year of teaching Dance Education at Dent Middle School. I had just received my master’s in Divergent Learning from Columbia College and was hit with the reality that my career in teaching was not affording me the opportunity to live comfortably as a mom of a young boy with growing interest.
Therefore, I began teaching dance lessons at North Springs Recreational Park as a way to supplement my income. Because working with young dancers and teaching is something I am so passionate about, I grew the dance program at North Springs Park within the 2 years that I worked there. After 2 years of developing a successful program, I decided to branch off and start my own dance program which I called, “Miss Jones Dance Academy”.
I moved my dancers from the recreational gym and began to rent space at Love of Dance Studio. It was there that my program began to blossom and grow. It was not until October 2014 that MJDA was able to move into our own location and the rest is HER-story. MJDA grew leaps and bounds over a 4 year period. So much so that I was able to leave my career as a Dance Educator and focus on my business full time (in 2018).
We began to develop a team of teachers in 2015. Like most businesses, we experienced many ups and downs but were able to recover and learn from the bumps and hurdles that we experienced along the way. The growing pains only made us stronger and wiser. Over the years, we have developed a team of skilled instructors who work together cohesively to pour into young, eager, talented dancers. Our program is continuously growing and glowing and I am proud of the perseverance, strides, and business savvy of MJDA.
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?
Growing a successful business has certainly not been a smooth road. One of the biggest bumps in the road could have completely been the ending. We experienced an unethical contractor when we moved into our second space in 2016. (This was after outgrowing our first space within 1.5 years which was only 1100 square feet.) We hired someone to rebuild a 5,500 square foot space behind Columbia Place Mall which at that time resembled an open warehouse.
Our blueprint was a 3 studio space with an office, a storage room, and 2 restrooms in the rear. The contractor and his team began work on the space, then after a month of work, they completely halted and left us with a half-done workspace. I was cheated out of the money I paid him for the work and was completely out of resources. There was drywall that had not been mudded, sanded, or painted. There was trash, dust, metal, and work debris left everywhere.
My doors were supposed to be open to the public in a matter of 1 month from the point the job was left undone. I was at a breaking point, but my husband would not allow me to fail. He began reaching out to his resources and friends began to pitch in to help us complete the job. To make what seems like the longest story short, we were able to finish the building by the grace of God and the doors were open by the end of August 2016. We survived to tell the story.
With every horror story comes a lesson. This mishap taught me so many lessons that honestly made me wiser and made us stronger. When we outgrew the 5,500 square foot space in 2 years, I was more than prepared to hire an architect, contractor, electrician, and other necessary parties needed to move us into our newly renovated 7,500 square foot space.
We were ready and equipped to avoid all the pit stops that we encountered in the past. Now I can say I do not regret the experience because it taught me more lessons than any school could have prepared me to learn. I honestly feel like I can take on anything after that one experience.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Owner/Operator/Artistic Director of Mrs. Jenkins Dance Academy. I began my Dance Career as a Dance Education Specialist in the public school system where I taught at Dent Middle School for 6 years then Keenan High School (my alma mater) for 6 years.
In the dance academy’s beginnings, I taught every class that was offered. MJDA is best known for being a black-owned dance studio with superb dance instruction, talented dancers, amazing organizational skills, and outstanding customer service. I believe it is our family-oriented atmosphere and impeccable customer service (as well as sincere love for our MJDA dance community) that truly sets us apart.
We often receive gratitude from our customers for our consistency overall and the love that is shown by our staff. Dancers feel that MJDA is a safe space for them to grow and develop as young artists. We hold this sentiment very dear to our hearts.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Though I always encourage my dancers to dance like nobody’s watching .. or to block out the crowds and dance for their lives… I have complete stage fright. I dislike performing on stage or even speaking in front of crowds. So when I tell my dancers that I admire what they do, I really mean it. They are rock stars in my eyes.
Pricing:
- Registration Fee (For 1 Full Season) – $35
- Tuition for 1 Hour Per Week – $60 per month
- Tuition for 2 Hours Per Week – $115 per month
- Tuition for 3 Hours Per Week – $165 per month
- Unlimited Hours of Dance Training Per Week – $265
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mjdastudio.com
- Instagram: @mjda_dance
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MJDADANCE
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxYAYwWfQ-URqisZY7Ow8xQ/featured
Image Credits
Katie Hilliger Page Photography
