Author: Andy Ellis (10 Articles)
One of the primary roles of B’More Connected is to provide no cost advice to small businesses and social enterprises that are trying to make a living off of doing things that help the city to live. Frequently then I will write about people I am working with, not because they are clients, but because they do cool stuff that I am excited to talk about.
One business I have been working with a lot recently is Studio Thirty4. Studio Thirty4 is a dance Studio in Hampden that has recently opened and focuses on classes in Hip Hop, Breakdance, Ballet, Modern, Jazz, African Dance, Belly dance, ZUMBA, Yoga and Pilates. I am not a dancer so most of that is all Greek to me, but from what I have seen the people who do know what it means love the Studio Thirty4 experience.
What I love most about this place is the overriding ambition of Studio Thirty4 owner, Cristy Robtoy , to provide dance classes to the youth and social organizations of Baltimore City. In three short months Studio Thirty4 has created over $7000 worth of social value by providing space for non-profit organizations and Baltimore youth to pursue their passion for dance, free of charge.
Social value creation like this is often not the goal of small start-up businesses but for Studio Thirty4 it is a key part of the mission. A history of teaching dance in the city has led Robtoy to understand the importance of providing young people the creative outlets they need in order to develop the ability to express themselves. A studio like the one on West 34th Street in Hampden gives Robtoy and her family just the space they need to realize this vision.
But for value creation like the kind practiced at Studio Thirty4 to succeed it needs the support of a community. As a for-profit family run business there are no grants or foundation funding to make Robtoy’s vision succeed. The ability to offer free and low cost classes to city youth is directly tied to the success of the rest of the business, but Robtoy says she offers high quality dance classes at a reasonable price at a beautiful studio in a great neighborhood, and she expects the business to grow quickly as word of mouth travels around the area.
If you are thinking about dance, for fun, for fitness or as a gift Studio Thirty4 can meet your needs, and can do it while directly integrating a commitment to youth and community in to the mission.
Studio Thirty4 is currently taking registrations for the winter session running from Jan 4- Mar 28 2010, you can learn more here.
