According to Raquel Urquizu, CEO of Fox Dance Studio in Redlands, California, they are a very fun and safe ballroom dance studio that stays true to their mission statement – Treating everyone that walks through their front door as they would like to be treated.
In Raquel’s opinion what separates their dance studio from other dance studios is that there is something for EVERYONE there . . . Married couples, single people, social and competitive dancers, performers and non-performers. They do not believe in high pressure sales. They listen to their students and do their very best to create opportunities and fulfill dreams. Their instructors are truly inspirational.
Her proudest moment coaching is going to competitions and achieving progress. Even if it is placing better in one dance, it is HUGE! It is so fulfilling and uplifting!
According to Raquel, the biggest mistake she has seen dancers make is (and she has been guilty of this as well) getting in their head too much. Paralysis by analysis — that is a real thing. All dancers go through a stage where they take dancing way too seriously. You have to bring the fun back into it. Let go, let loose and don’t worry about the judges. Dance for you! In her professional career, she and her partner did not start placing well until she stopped striving for perfection. What the judges thought of her stopped being her business.
Raquel says that she has retired from competing professionally, and so her goals for this year are to pass on her experiences to other competitors both amateur and professional with her best intentions. Other goals are to grow their studio and possibly expand soon.
This studio began three years before she got there. Kerry Cummings (founder) danced everywhere as a teenager, and in college she came up with a business plan for this studio. Right out of college, she and her now husband/high school sweetheart Kyle Cummings (co-founder) opened the studio with the help of family. She wanted a studio that engulfed the positives from all of the studios she had danced in.
Three years after opening, Raquel waltzed in. She was in search of a new dancing home, and they took her and her professional partner in. Raquel believes it was maybe a year and a half later that they brought Raquel and her partner in as owners. A year after that, they promoted Raquel to CEO and where she is today. Why did she say yes? This place is truly special. They have a unique and positive energy. They are very much like family here. Raquel feels truly blessed to be a part of it.
More than half of them at the studio (herself included) are parents. That is another thing that sets them apart. They are a family friendly studio. In the ballroom world, she hates to say it, but once you have children, you are done, unless you own a studio or are a world class judge. It is brutal, but it is reality most of the times. They really strive to make the studio a place you can work and provide for your family.
Also, they are very involved with their community. They donate thousands of dollars to local charities – Kiwanis and rotary clubs, Loma Linda University, University of Redlands, community colleges, and many more. They love where they live.
Fox Dance Studio has two main points in its overall philosophy: quality teaching and treating people as they would like to be 
treated. Truly believing in this philosophy, and implementing it has allowed for Fox Dance Studio to be blessed with a wonderful group of instructors and students. The Fox Dance Studio family of students has grown steadily year after year, allowing them to build their group of professional instructors steadily. Not only does Fox Dance Studio believe in treating its students with the utmost respect and care, it also believes in treating its instructors with care, respect, and professionalism. With this in mind, they feel that they continue to build a very strong team of caring professionals for their students. Whether you are a brand new student who has never danced before or you have years of experience, it is their goal that all of their students feel as though they are openly welcomed by their entire team to te Fox Dance Studio family.
If you would like more information about Fox Dance Studio, visit their website at foxdancestudio.com, call them at (909) 335-5959 or email Raquel at raquel@foxdancestudio.com.
Please post a comment if you have had any experience with Raquel Urquizu of Fox Dance Studio.
Written By Cyndi Marziani
Owner
BDancewear.com
