Sharing the love of moving the joy button for Naperville dance studio owner – Chicago Tribune

Business: GV dance and fitness

Address: 631 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville

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

Owner: Genevieve Garcia, 35, of Donners Grove

Years in business; three months

What does your business do? “We offer youth and adult dance and fitness classes. We are more like a traditional dance studio. We have ballet, jazz, hip-hop. Soon we will be offering Irish dancing. … The goal is to get great teachers and get kids moving. Our focus is definitely youth. His adult side is growing,” Garcia said.

Where does exercise come in? “On the adult side, fitness and wellness are my biggest passions. I was going to the fitness program and the dance program at the same time at the Oak Park Park District. There is too much overlap. It’s about moving your body and taking care of your mental, emotional well-being mostly around music. In the center, I wanted to give fitness classes to adults. I have an adult who runs a hip-hop class. Adult ballet. We’ll have pilates, yoga.

How many teachers work here? “Now it’s just me. I’m talking to the Irish dance teachers and the ballet teacher when they’re going to start.”

What is your background? “I grew up dancing. I worked in a studio. I grew up with a single mother, not a lot of money. I love dancing, obviously. The only way to get into dance lessons was to work in a studio. So I did that as a kid. Attended Northwestern (University) College for Dance. In the year I majored in dance in 2009 and minored in international health. … After college I played with a student group called Boomshaka. … I had three jobs. I put myself through college. Northwest is not cheap.

What did you do after college? “I had my own dance company. Held in Mexico City, New York, Chicago, San Francisco. I knew I loved organizing things. I used to run shows.

Does dancing work well? “Dancing professionally? Not normally, no. Besides, spending your whole life is rare. ‘What else can I do?’ You said as you walked in. It wasn’t teaching for me at the time. So, I did other things. Turns out I loved running businesses and learned a lot from them. As soon as I had a daughter, I wanted to do one more thing. I want to give more to the world. That’s when I started working at 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 to do it for myself?’

Why are you in Naperville? “I wanted to be in a community with different socio-economic families so that I could serve a wider array. … They support local businesses. This is important to me. “

What’s so special about dancing? “I love to move. I think all people need exercise to balance their lives, to live happily. And I love music. When I share that with others, especially kids, it’s the best thing I can give them.”

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

What is your goal? “Creating artists and athletes because I think you can really have both. In that, create a community of connections, where kids and families can connect and grow together. It’s not a ‘dance mom atmosphere’. We need it. ‘Hey, your kid did great.'”

What happens when children come in? “They usually run all the time, so they’re pretty athletic as kids. My 5 year old son can outsmart me. … teaching technique, how to use their body, getting them to be creative and having teachers who show them about posture, alignment and coordination. This can serve you forever.

What do you like the most? “Positive involvement in the community, especially for the youth.”

Are there negatives? We are at the beginning of the most difficult phase.

What misconceptions do people have? “Everybody thinks it’s ballet or that it’s just for women, but it’s not.”

Any challenges? “Getting the Word Out”

Any favorite stories? A mother reached out and said, ‘(My daughter) loves your class and talks about it all week.’ It looks like I’m covered in gold.

What advice do you have for someone starting a business? “Know deeply why you want to start the business. It can’t just be about the money. If there’s value, the money will come.

If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.

Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.