We recently interviewed Bethany Hooks, owner of Just B Dance in Campbell, California. In her opinion her dance team is not her average dance team. Unlike many teams like many
teams, they do not compete. They are more about community outreach and giving back to others and go to conventions for the educational aspect. Their classes are meant not only to build good technique, but also to focus on building a “whole” individual. Their teachers strive to encourage students mind, body and should. They try to make their environment fun and enjoyable while teaching you a variety of styles and of course good technique. All walks of life are welcome at Just B Dance, and they also have The Grace Dance Academy program, which is designed to incorporate the Christian faith as part of the dance training.
She is a big advocate of positive re-enforcement. She believes that if her dancers see improvements in themselves and see that they are becoming stronger, that alone is enough motivation for them!
Her proudest aspect of coaching is their “Grace and Beauty” program. They have a weekend retreat with any student who is interested and is over the age of 10. It is an overnight retreat where the girls work on their self esteem, self worth and beauty from the inside. That is huge for her, and it has created such a positive environment for her staff and students.
Bethany judged dance competitions for quite a while and she said she would have to say that the biggest mistake she has seen is that the dancer and choreographer forget about the true meaning of performing. It’s not about the amount of tricks you can put in a dance/ It’s about entertaining your audience and telling a story through your movements.
When asked what she considers “good” dance clothing, Bethany jokingly asked if there is such a thing, and of course here at Bailar Dancewear we would like say yes of course there is such a thing as good dancewear J. Bethany grew up with black leotard and pink tights for ballet. No exceptions! She thinks a black leotard and dance pants is proper dance etiquette. Also, she thinks that when you are picking costumes for dances, they need to be age appropriate, fit the kids (all sizes taken into consideration) and fit the song.
Bethany’s goals for this year are about building her students from the inside out. Her studio word is “ownership.” By taking ownership, they can only blame themselves for being consistent in class, applying corrections, pushing themselves beyond their limits.
Bethany decided to start a studio because she was tired of seeing studios send the wrong message. She believes that studios shouldn’t be all about competing against each other. She feels that starts to create an unhealthy environment for the students and parents. She wanted a place where her students could learn good technique in a fun positive environment. If you have experience with Just B Dance or Bethany Hooks please leave a comment below about your experience!
Written By Cyndi Marziani
Owner
