Ms. Toni's Essay

So, I don't think I would be a very good dance teacher if I asked my students to write an essay for our current contest and not write one myself. So here you!

The story behind Star Quality Dance & Cheer Center

In 2004 I graduated college with both my A.A. in Dance and my A.S. in Dance studio management. In March of that year I traveled to Tenn. and auditioned at a National Dance/Theatre audition and received two offers, as well as auditioning for Disney a few months later and received an offer from them as well. With these offers on the table I found myself completely burnt out. Dancing, teaching and completing 15 - 20 credit hours a semester for three years had took its toll on me! I was TIRED! I needed a break. So that is what I did. I moved back in with my parents, quit my teaching job, informed the companies I appreciated their offer however I couldn't accept it at that time. And then what did I do? Well, I took a "normal" desk job at a Mechanic Shop my Uncle worked at. And didn't dance at all, for....6 months. At that time I started to miss something that had been in my life since age 3. I started to take a few adult classes after work and then began weighing my options on what I was going to do next. Along the way I met my Husband....Mr. Nathan.

I started really soul searching during all this. I began praying for where God wanted me to go and what he wanted me to do. I began looking into going back to school as I had a standing offer for a Dance Scholarship at Jacksonville University. And I wanted to teach again, I missed all those little smiling faces at the end of the day. So after much pray it came to me one night.....Star Quality Dance & Cheer Center. Yep, you guessed it the name of the studio was sent to me in a dream. I woke up that morning so sure about what God wanted me to do. So January 2005 I sat down and talked to my parents and soon to be fiance about my plans.

Then you all now the rest.........April 1, 2005 we opened the studio. Yes, this studio is an absolute dream come true, but has it been easy.....NO WAY! I was 22 years old when I opened this business and boy it made me grow up real fast! The studio has taught me so much about life and people and not just the pretty side of things. It has taught me how to deal with ALL sorts of situations.

But most importantly, it has allowed me to not only follow my dream but also the path of what God wanted me to do with my life. You see, if I would have taken any of those job offers, I would have either been in Orlando, Fl, Colorado or North Carolina that summer of 2004 and I would have never met Nathan. And wow, how my life would have been different. But do I regret that, NOPE, not one bit!

I value every moment I have at the studio good or bad, as I chauk it all up to experience. And I love meeting so many different children and being a part of their lives!

Now, I have went on long enough, get to writing, I can't wait to read how my kids express their feelings in words as I can already see their feelings in the way they dance, which has me VERY excited!