OUR
JOURNEY

Be Pro Dance had its start in 2021 after Hannah Taylor, its founder, had established her own dance studio, South Sound Dance in 2014. Over the initial four years of operation, Hannah served as the principal teacher and leader. Recognizing the necessity of expanding her business, she discerned a need to augment her team. However, the existing team lacked sufficient experience in instructing beginner dancers under the age of 6. Realizing the imperative for growth, Hannah initiated training sessions to instill her teaching philosophies, classroom engagement expectations, and communication strategies with both dancers and parents.

Witnessing the positive outcomes of this training, Hannah extended her efforts, creating additional training workshops, systems, and resources to equip her team with the skills and knowledge required to deliver high-quality dance classes. This paved the way for her to step back from direct classroom involvement, marking the official birth of Be Pro Dance. In 2021, after conducting in-person training events for dance studios nationwide, Hannah garnered attention from Lindsey Hadley, CEO of Joy of Dance since 2011, who recognized the industry's need for continuous, accessible training, preferably online.

In 2023, Lindsey began collaborating with Hannah, and together, they embarked on the journey of developing the best online "how-to" program for dance teachers and teams.

Be Pro Dance is committed to its mission: to help dance studio owners automate building their team to become the best dance industry professionals they can be all while serving the studio owner, and making personal, lasting connections with students, parents, and other team members. Be Pro Dance is the tool to help you do just that. We can’t wait to work with you inside the program!

HOW BE PRO DANCE WILL SERVE YOU

Our mission at Be Pro Dance is to help you build your team to become the best professional teachers they can be, serve you (the studio owner), and effectively connect with students, parents, and team members. Our goal is to go a step above dance education and pedagogy and train teachers how to become their very best teachers, how to be motivational leaders, how to effectively engage and manage the classroom, how to be inclusive, how to meet the current needs in today’s evolving dance industry, and ultimately how to connect best and serve everyone we touch.

CORE VALUES

Our core values are an integral part of our studio. We deeply feel that we are not growing great dancers, but instead are growing great human beings! The values listed below help us stay focused and grounded in order to work towards achieving this goal.

BECOME

In the dynamic world of dance and studio management, the journey of growth is perpetual. "Become" reflects the commitment to personal and professional development. We encourage dance studio owners and their teams to continually evolve, learn new skills, and adapt to changes, ensuring they become leaders and artists who continually enhance their abilities.

EDUCATE

Knowledge is a powerful tool in the dance industry. "Educate" emphasizes the importance of continuous learning. By staying informed about the latest trends, teaching methods, and business strategies, dance studio owners and their teams can provide a high-quality dance education experience and stay competitive in the evolving dance landscape.

PRACTICE

Mastery in dance and studio management is achieved through consistent effort. "Practice" underscores the significance of applying learned skills and techniques regularly. Whether it's refining dance moves or implementing effective business strategies, consistent practice is essential for achieving excellence and maintaining a high standard of performance.

REALIZE

Success in the dance studio industry requires a deep understanding of oneself, one's team, and the business environment. "Realize" encourages self-awareness and a clear perception of the studio's strengths and areas for improvement. By realizing the realities of their situation, dance studio owners and their teams can make informed decisions and navigate challenges effectively.

OWN

Ownership and accountability are vital for a thriving dance studio. "Own" signifies taking responsibility for one's actions and decisions. Dance studio owners and their teams are encouraged to take ownership of their roles, contribute actively to the success of the studio, and foster a sense of shared responsibility. This builds a strong team culture that supports the growth and sustainability of the business.

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ABOUT US

Hannah Taylor

As a teacher and dance educator for over 20 years, Hannah has worked with children and adults of all ages in over 26 different dance organizations - teaching, choreographing, and judging for aspiring dancers, studios, dance teams, public and private schools, community centers, and national dance competitions across the U.S. She is a studio owner of 2 successful dance studios, one in Washington State (South Sound Dance) and one in Houston, Texas (Artistry in Motion Dance Company), with 800+ students! And now as a CEO of Be Pro Dance, she leads three teams of over 28 employees and has developed her team members into independent thinkers, self-starters, leaders, and positive forces of energy to move her businesses forward.

Hannah is passionate about motivating, inspiring, and mentoring her team members and her dancers. She is proud to say she has over 16 Be Pro Dance members working for her inside her businesses. Many of these have become Directors and are full-time employees, and have been working with Hannah for almost 10 years! Her employee turnover is less than 4%, and she usually only loses an employee due to a major life or career change. Building exceptional long-term employees is one of Hannah’s superpowers!

Hannah is always hungry to learn more about teaching, pedagogy, composition, and leadership and has spent over two decades training in these areas. Her choreography has won numerous choreography awards, recognition, and overall placements at national and international dance competitions. Many of her dancers have gone on to study at top university dance programs and/or are leading professional dance careers in Broadway, concert, and commercial dance. Yes, Hannah still takes classes, teaches, and choreographs too! She believes that continued learning through dance can be anyone’s conduit to success because “the foundation of personal growth and self-awareness that dance provides is unmatched. We all should always be dancing, always be learning.”

Whether she is in a 3-year-old class singing "1,2,3 Plie with Me" or mentoring her employees and teams, she loves every second, every moment as a teacher and leader! With the right amount of dedication, knowledge, training, and passion, any human being can be successful, any team can be successful!

*Hannah has a BA in Business Administration from the University of Hawaii, and a diploma from the nationally recognized High School for the Performing and Visual Arts as a Dance Major. Performance highlights - dancing with the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil in Kona, Hawaii!

Lindsey Hadley

Lindsey's teaching career started in 2000 when she was asked to be a class assistant for the 3-4 year-olds. Initially nervous, Lindsey soon realized that she absolutely loved it. Her passion for teaching grew even more over the next two years, and she fell in love with teaching.

In 2002, Lindsey attended the University of New Hampshire and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in Dance. Choosing dance as her major was driven by the desire to share her love of dance with others through teaching. However, during her four years there, she never truly learned how to teach dance. Despite taking a pedagogy class and choreography class, along with technique classes, it didn’t prepare her enough for what it would be like teaching her own classes. When she was hired at two different studios after graduation, she had no idea how to lesson plan, compose thoughtful, clean choreography, or manage a class of 10 wild, 3-4-year-olds. The studio owners didn’t provide any training or much guidance, so Lindsey learned by trial and error. As she figured out what worked in the classrooms, she began to create systems to refer back to later.

In 2011, after six years of teaching at a small studio called Joy of Dance, Lindsey took over as the owner and director. When she hired her first teacher, it hadn’t even occurred to her to onboard or train her in any way. It wasn’t until she was pregnant with her second son that she realized the need to hire more teachers to be at home more often. She also needed to provide better training to ensure an excellent experience for the dancers, even if she wasn’t in the classroom as much.

This realization led Lindsey to focus on investing in herself and her business. She has spent over $75k in the last six years on professional development, attending over twenty business trainings, completing three teaching certifications, attending four dance teaching conferences, and now developing Be Pro Dance with Hannah, allowing her to quadruple class enrollment over the past 13 years.

Lindsey's biggest lesson to date is that her business can’t run without her and grow without the right team. There were a few years with a string of mediocre teachers and bad office admin that led her to create systems for onboarding and training a rock-star staff. She is now here to help others implement this system for Be Pro Dance, saving time and money for their business.

Marc Lourenz Golong

Marc's journey began with a passion for aviation, which led him to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Aircraft Maintenance Technology in Cebu City, Philippines. Dreaming of soaring the skies as a pilot, he was determined to make his mark in the aviation industry. However, after graduation, Marc felt the pull to explore different avenues for personal growth and skill development.

He found himself working alongside his family in their Junkshop business, where he learned invaluable lessons about business operations, perseverance, and the importance of teamwork. Overseeing a team of 15 employees taught him not only leadership but also the significance of supporting and nurturing his colleagues.

But Marc's story didn't end there. A year later, he took a leap of faith and embraced a new adventure at Be Pro Dance as their virtual executive assistant. Stepping out of his comfort zone, Marc eagerly joined the team, confident that his diverse skill set would complement Be Pro Dance's vision for growth and success.