Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in dance education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nina Kay, Founder of ZIND Performing Academy, located in North Bethesda, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
ZIND Performing Academy is a Bollywood dance studio that services the Maryland, DC & Virginia areas. We have weekly classes for dance lovers ages five years all the way to adults who want to have fun and create lifelong memories through the art of Indian dance. We emphasize community, fun, performing, culture, and growth. In addition, we host monthly dance workshops of different south Asian styles (Bollywood, bhangra, semiclassical, etc.). And recently, we have launched an online platform of Bollywood wedding dance tutorials catered towards family dances and bridal parties, so all the choreography and teaching are done for you.
Tell us about yourself
I started training in Bharatanatyam (Indian Classical Dance) at the age of 6 in Maryland and really found a liking to it that never left. There was a freedom that I couldn't explain. I loved being on stage; I loved the confidence it gave the dance friends and me I met along the way. In high school, I started choreographing cinematic and folk dances and continued to teach and choreograph for local Indian community programs. I graduated from my Bharatanatyam dance school in my senior year of high school. I would have loved to further my training to an Arangetram level but put it on hold to attend St. John's University Queens, NY, to pursue a Doctorate in Pharmacy.
When I went to college, one of the first things my dad told me was to "not even think about dance." So, of course, being an 18-year-old with my first real taste of freedom, I quickly looked up and auditioned for the all-female south Asian dance team (SJU Raaz) during the very first week of college.
After returning back from college, the dancing still didn't stop. I contacted my Guru and started to train for my arangetram. I'm sure my parents thought, "omg – This girl is STILL trying to dance?!". But, yes, I was. I finally completed my arangetram in October 2013. I always had a dream to open a dance studio, and about eight months later, I opened up ZIND Performing Academy (formerly known as NinaKshi, LLC) on June 21, 2014 (a day before my 26th birthday!). It has been a rollercoaster ride with growth, setbacks, expansion, performances, and obviously COVID, but we are still here and doing what we do best.
I currently work as the Oncology pharmacy manager at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, but dance always has been and will always be my gift, my outlet, my blessing, and my calling. I knew from an adolescent age that I wanted to open up a dance studio to create dance routines, teach dance lovers and perform the art of Indian Dance.
I love seeing students (kids & adults) come through our doors, maybe a little nervous, and in a few short months - on stage with confidence and having fun. Dance teaches so many leadership skills that will aid in various areas of life. You have to show up even if you're a little scared, you have to work with a team, you have to take feedback, and you have to be able to get up quickly after a public mistake and keep it moving. There's nothing else like it. It's a FUN business. You won't really find people coming in or leaving the studio stressed or upset. We have the music blasting, people are moving, and teachers are hyping you up - it's such great energy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
When I realized that it no longer needed me every day to sustain itself, it took on a life of its own and became something so much bigger than myself. We have an amazing team of passionate instructors and a great leadership team on the backend. There's organization and structure mixed in with great people who are doing this because they want to do it.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Letting go. We want everything to be perfect and done the way we would do it. But that perfectionism is just fear out loud. You have to get out of your own way and trust that the people on your team know what they're doing and that they'll probably do a better job.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't wait until you're "ready" to start.
- Take action every day, even if it's small. It will build momentum and greater habits.
- Try different things; throw spaghetti on the wall. Something will eventually stick.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.zindacademy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zindperformingacademy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zind_academy/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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