Sharing the love of transferring the important thing to happiness for Naperville dance studio proprietor – Chicago Tribune

Business: GM Dance & Fitness

Address: 631 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville

Phone/Website: 331-226-6905, www.gvdancefit.com

Owner: Genevieve Garcia, 35, of Downers Grove

Years in business: Three months

What does your company do? “We offer dance and fitness courses for young people and adults. We’re more like a traditional dance studio. We have ballet, jazz, hip hop. We will be offering Irish dancing soon. … The goal is to get great teachers and keep kids moving. Our focus is definitely on youth. The adult side of it will grow,” Garcia said.

Where does fitness come into play? “On the adult side, fitness and wellness is a great passion of mine. I previously ran the fitness program and dance program simultaneously in Oak Park’s Park District. There’s so much overlap. It’s mostly about moving your body and caring for your mental, emotional well-being around the music. With that in the center I wanted to offer fitness classes for adults. I have an adult hip hop class running. Ballet for adults. We have pilates, yoga.”

How many teachers work here? “Right now it’s just me. I’m talking to Irish dance teachers and a ballet teacher about when they will start.”

Dancing is a lifelong passion for Genevieve Garcia, whose new dance studio, GV Dance & Fitness, opened in Naperville in March. (Steve Metsch / Naperville Sun)

what is your background “I grew up dancing. I worked in studios. I grew up with a single mother, not much money. I love dancing, obviously. The only way to get into dance classes was to work in the studio. So I did that as a kid. Attended Northwestern College of Dance. I graduated in Dance with a minor in Global Health in 2009. … After college, I performed with a student group called Boomshaka. … I had three jobs. I fought my way through college. The Northwest is not cheap.”

What did you do after college? “I had my own dance company. Performed in Mexico City, New York, Chicago, San Francisco. I knew I liked organizing things. I would direct shows.”

Is dancing worth it? “Dance professionally? Usually not, no. It’s rare to finance your whole life with it. You walk in and you think, “What else am I supposed to do?” It wasn’t a lesson for me at the time. So I did other things. Discovered that I like running companies and learned a lot from them. As soon as I had a daughter, I wanted to do something more. I want to give more to the world. That’s when I started working in the Park District in Oak Park. …I was running the programs there and I was like, ‘Wait, I’m good at this. Why don’t I try it for myself?’”

Why are you in Naperville? “I wanted to be in a church that has a broad spectrum of socioeconomic families so I can minister to a broad spectrum. … They support local businesses. That’s important to me.”

What is special about dancing? “I love to move. I think that all people need physical activity to keep their lives balanced in order to live happily. And i love music. If I can share that with others, especially with children, that’s the best I can give them.”

What about pricing? “The more you buy, the less. It’s usually around $16 per class. I want it to be sensible.”

What is your goal? “Creating artists and athletes because I think you can really have both. Create a community of connections within which children and families can connect and grow together. The ‘dance mom atmosphere’ is not necessary. We want. ‘Hey, your kid did great.’”

When children come, what happens? “They’re usually running around all the time, so they’re pretty athletic when they’re a kid. My 5 year old can outrun me. … It’s about teaching them technique, using their bodies, letting them be creative and having teachers show them things about posture, alignment and coordination. That can serve you forever.”

What do you like the most? “Having a positive presence in the community, especially for the youth.”

Any negatives? “We are at the beginning, the hardest chapter.”

What prejudices do people have? “They think it’s all ballet or it’s just something for girls, which isn’t the case.”

Any challenges? “Spread the word.”

Any favorite stories? “One mom reached out and said, ‘(My daughter) literally loves your classes so much she talks about them all week.’ It feels like I’m covered in gold.”

What is your advice to someone starting a business? “Do you know exactly why you want to start the company. It can’t just be about money. The money will come when the value is there.”

If you know of a company that you would like to see featured in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.

Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.