2017-2018:Finding Our Footing in a Year of Firsts

As we’re celebrating 10 years in business, we’re taking a trip down memory lane to remember all the stages that got us here. Today, it’s time we look at our second year in business, which seemed to still be a year of firsts. 

The first year was a whirlwind, but it taught us we were doing something right. We found a pocket of dancers that believed in what we were doing. In the second year, we got to settle in and really find our footing. Many of the things that we started this year are still a part of our business today. 

A Year of Firsts:

• We had enough students to start splitting up the age groups. Twinkle Toes classes were split between 2-3 year olds and 4-5 year olds. Upper School was split into Elementary age and Middle/High school ages. 
  • We now have 10 different age groups from 18-month-olds to adults.

• We had the staff and students to add Saturday morning classes. 
  • In our current semester, we have just added Saturday morning classes at our Simpsonville studio, making this the first year with Saturday classes running simultaneously in two locations. 
• A dress code was implemented for all classes. Twinkle Toes wore either pink or purple, and all Upper School classes wore black. 
  • All of our classes still have a dress code, but much like how we grew to expand our age categories, we expanded the color options as well. 

• It was the first time we participated in a Christmas parade. We were in the Greer Christmas Parade, which was the home of the first studio. 
  • We’ve continued dancing in Christmas parades in the area for many years after. In 2022 we first joined the Greenville Christmas Parade, and in 2024 we first joined in the Simpsonville parade. 

• During the week of Valentine’s Day we held Bring Your Dad to Dance week, and the week of Mother’s Day was Bring Your Mom to Dance week. 
  • This has now become Bring your Grown-Up Week. Now have moms, dads, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and many other relatives/relations joining dance class for a week! 

• For the first time in the recital we had a Daddy Daughter Dance perform. 
  • This has continued every year since and last spring, we had 130 dad/daughter pairs performing across all our shows. 

• During this year’s summer camps, we figured out our flow and formula that we would use for years to come
  • In 2025 we ran summer camps with this same flow in both studio locations and had several sold out camps.

• This was our first time splitting the recitals into two shorter shows. We held them in early May at the Logos Theatre. This was also our first time selling out a show, which is just as stressful as it is exciting! 
  • This year, we’ll have a total of 9 recitals, all at Furman University. 
  • Last spring, we still managed to sell out one of our Twinkle Toes recitals, and we’re here to tell you it doesn’t get any less exciting (or stressful)! 

This was also Molly White’s first year on staff. 

Today, Molly’s official title is Director of Operations, but we also refer to her as master of all costumes and the glue that holds the whole studio together.

She started as just a regular customer in our first year. She was looking for dance classes for her two year old daughter, and DWL was the winner. At the end of that first year, Beth sent out an email seeking tap teachers to apply. 

“I completely ignored it at first,” Molly recalls. Even though she loved to tap and had prior teaching experience, she had three children under the age of 5 and wasn’t trying to add more to her schedule. 

When the same email was sent again later in the summer, Molly thought, “Maybe this is something I’m supposed to be seeing.” 

She knew transition from dance mom to teacher would bring changes to her relationship with the studio, but that never worried her. 

“I already had a unique relationship with Beth because my daughter went in to class crying for the three straight weeks when she stated. I wanted her to work through her feelings and Beth was able to handle her,” Molly recalls. 

That first year she started teaching just a few tap and ballet classes, and quickly became an integral part of DWL. Other than Beth, she has been working at the studio the longest. Her daughter, and now one of her sons, still dance at the studio. 

“Our mission of hard work is worth it has always spoken to me. It is very true for students but also for the teachers. You put in the hard work and show up for the kids. Because we don’t compete, our kids are here because they want to be here, not because they’ve signed a contract. That attitude has always made it easy to be here for these kids. It’s just so cool to help these kids get where they want to be and to celebrate all the wins and all the kids.” 

Getting Out There

Beyond adding all the new, Beth and Molly both recall that this year was all about the events. 

“We were doing all the things,” Beth recalls. “Open House, Bring a Friend Week, school carnivals, Halloweek, Turkey Dance for Thanksgiving, holiday stuff in classes, parade, Bring Your Dad, Bring Your Mom, Daddy Daughter, community performances, etc., etc. Literally anything to get us out there and known and make sure the kids were having a blast.”

“I feel like this is just the year of hustle. I also feel like it was the year of fun,” Beth said. “When I look back at these pictures there is so much joy evident. We were having such a great time!”

Much like our first year, that joy kept us going and is what keeps us going even now. It’s hard to have a bad day at work when your day involves so many teddy bears, bubbles, and tutus. 

This second year also began a long tradition at DWL of trying new things. It seems like every year we’re changing, adapting, and growing. Join us next month to see all the change that come in year 3!