Meet Amy Connolly | Royalty Dance Academy Studio Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Connolly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I’ve had my dance studio for 15 years, and it has taken 15 years for me to find a good work life balance, and even then I’m still perfecting it daily. When I first opened my studio I was a slave to it, as any new up and coming small business owner is, and all I did was eat, sleep and breath my dance studio 24/7 around the clock! I would say it took the first five years to get it going, establish it’s name and reputation in the community and off it’s feet for me to realize that it was okay and “allowed” for me to step back a little and okay for other people to help me! I knew I had to make a change or I would be burned out before I ever hit our ten year mark, and that was the last thing I wanted to happen, especially after how hard I had worked building my studio from the ground up and how much love had been put into it! After I started releasing the reigns a little, it became easier and easier every time, wether it was letting a teacher sub for me, allowing a parent to help with costumes or even letting students help when needed. Then my son “Commodore Jet” came along, and that changed everything for me, it changed my whole perspective on life! I knew I had to step back even more if I wanted to be a part of his life and especially during his younger years, which are the most crucial in a child’s development. I didn’t want to have to miss out on things with him, just because I had always had the mindset that the “studio came first”, until him. The studio was booming, so when he turned 3 years old I decided to make a huge transition and stop teaching dance classes all together, so I could just focus on the business side of the studio and manage it. It was a very difficult and sad transition for me because teaching in the classroom is where I found my love for dance, but I knew it was what I needed to do to be able to spend more time with my Son and balance my everyday life in a healthier way. Then in Oct. 2019 my precious and loving husband got an incredible offer to work with Walt Disney Studios in California, a once in a lifetime opportunity and one that we could not pass up, so off we moved to California! I love my studio, my teachers, my students and my parents too much to let my dance studio go, so I decided to manage it remotely from the sunshine state and fly back for special performances. Luckily I have incredible, extremely talented and very loyal teachers on staff who do their job well which helps make my job easier and managing the studio remotely easier! I also have a teacher, Ms. Kristen Tett, who has offered to step up and help me on the business side of things and in return she has been given the title of “Royalty Dance Academy’s Assistant Studio Director and Prodigy Executive Director”. This was a huge step for me since I have been running the show for 15 years by myself, a one man show, but I feel extremely blessed to have her and I have come to realize that we make a fabulous team! Loyalty weighs a lot with me and so I have to give a shout out to one of my teachers, Mrs. Lauren Van Syckle, who has been with me over 10 years and she is not only a phenomenal teacher but a dear friend, and someone who has had a tremendous hand in building Royalty Dance Academy to being the award winning and successful studio that it is today! Honestly, I couldn’t do it without all of my staff: Ms. Victoria Dolph (Ballet Director), Ms. Rhodessa Bell, Mrs. Lea Zablocki, Ms. Amanda Petit, Ms. Shelby Fox, Ms. Sarah Mauldin, Ms. Susanna Wesson, Ms. Jamie Driver and my right hand gal who keeps my front office running like clock work, Ms. Felicia Avant whom we all call “Tink”! Without this amazing staff I would not be able to run my studio remotely, I would not be able to spend time with my munchkin and family, I would not be able to travel and I would not be able to have the work life balance that I do which has taken me 15 years to get to!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I knew I wanted to be a dance teacher and studio owner since the seventh grade. I was given the opportunity to be a student teacher in a class at my studio I was taking at, and fell head over heels in love with it. I knew then and there that was my calling in life, to teach kids the art and love of dance and to see their faces light up when they were on the dance stage doing what they love most ! I love my job because I consider myself to be a very creative “think outside of the box” kind of person and with my dance studio I get to do that almost everyday! My job is never “ordinary” and each day brings a new challenge to overcome or adventure to begin. My dad is a musician and has made his love for music his career, he inspired me to make my love for dance my career, and to use the talents God gave me and share them with others, bring joy to others through the gifts you have been blessed with! I took as many dance classes as I could when I was young, I went to college for dance and then competed in the Miss Texas pageant using my dance talent and I tried to do everything I could to gain the most experience possible for me to use with my studio.one day. I wanted my studio to be a combination of teaching dance and the poise/elegance of pageants, and that is where the name “Royalty Dance Academy” was born. When someone told me it couldn’t be done because I was too young to open my own business, and that it would fail, I turned the other way and showed them it could be done with enough hard work and determination, I never took “No” as an answer and I never let fear be a road block in my life. I believe I am a true example that your dreams really can come true, no matter what age you are, and you can make it happen with lots of hard work and endless amounts of determination!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In Rockwall, I would say you have to go eat Mexican food at either Mi Cocina or Gloria’s at the Harbor, both excellent choices with fantastic margaritas! Sometimes in the summer they do concerts at the lake down at the Harbor and that is always fun to go to if you like to listen to free music! Most likely I would take them into Dallas and do some fun stuff there too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband, Tim, who has been my rock and the person I lean on the most. He has been my sound board more times than I can count and no matter what, he has always stuck by my side and held me closest when times were tough. He is truly the love of my life and the one person on this earth who completes me! My Mom, Darlene, who is my best friend and truly my number one fan, we have always had a great relationship and have made some incredible memories together. She has supported my dream of owning a studio from the moment I first mentioned it in seventh grade and has always been there to cheer me on! Some other people who have influenced my life and helped with my success are: Kerry Cleavinger, a long time friend who lights up any room she walks in and the one person who can make me laugh to the point I am peeing in my pants no matter what kind of day I’ve had, Avery Cleavinger, my protege/student who has been loyal to my dance studio for 14 years, from the day it opened and is the most talented, kind hearted and gorgeous person I am blessed to know! My wonderful Dad, Glenn, who is where I got most of my talent and stage presence from and who was always willing to help me with whatever I needed when I needed it, no questions asked. My awesome Brother, Nick, who went to every dance recital and pageant with a smile on his face, even though my Mom may have forced him to go, and was always supporting me and cheering me on win or loose! My loving Step Dad, Robert, who came to every performance I ever had and was always there guiding me down the Godly path and full of words of wisdom that I needed to hear. My precious grandmother, Maui, who people say I look like, has always been one of the most loving, generous and selfless people I know and someone I hold very close to my heart. My sweet Step Mom, Laura, who was always so supportive of my dance training and career and always the first to brag about me, which made me feel so special and loved. It really does take a village to raise a child, and I am blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people in my life who are the reason for my success!

Website: www.royaltydanceacademy.com
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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U_E4lF7wdYa

Image Credits
Jaalam Aiken- Premier Portrait Studio Sarah Duckworth- Sarah Duckworth Photography