Life & Work with Stephanie Hill of West Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Hill.

Hi Stephanie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always loved to move. When I was 4 years old I remember twirling around the kitchen for my mom. Later, when I was 9, I was recruited by a Chinese cultural dance teacher, at my elementary school, to study and perform traditional Chinese dances. Suddenly going to my local Trans Pacific elementary school became very exciting because every day I entered into a world of dance. We performed at school assemblies, shopping malls and New Year’s celebrations in the downtown Seattle China Town. At the age of 11 I took my first formal ballet classes at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Washington. While majoring in Psychology at the University of California I took many ballet and modern dance classes. At the age of 19 I stepped into Paige Taylor’s jazz class, in Santa Barbara CA. Once again I felt connected to my love of dancing. After I graduated from UCSB I moved to Los Angeles CA. I got a dance scholarship at Moro Landis Studios where I immersed myself in as many dance classes as possible. I also auditioned for local showcases and Disneyland.

In addition to performing I discovered that I loved teaching children how to dance. When I was teaching I was able to connect to my inner child and spark the imaginations of my students. I created Dancetime by Stephanie as a mobile dance instruction program for children. Dancetime now partners with elementary schools, both public and private, as well as preschools and Montessori’s throughout the San Fernando and Conejo Valley. We teach classes in a school setting and offer summer dance camps as well. Over the years our talented team of Dancetime dance instructors has trained thousands of students in the art of dancing. Our newly built Dancetime by Stephanie Studio Program attracts students who desire extra training in dance while being in a Studio setting. Every June our annual dance shows are second to none. Year after year we dazzle our audiences with exciting dance entertainment in which every performer can shine on stage!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It is not always a smooth road with my business. The pandemic was particularly difficult for us. We were not able to run our dance programs due to school closures and safety concerns. We decided to build up our online presence during this season of uncertainty. We conducted Zoom dance classes and many of our students participated. Creating dance videos for Youtube kept us busy. Dancetime by Stephanie now has a Youtube channel with some of the videos attracting a large audience. Once the pandemic ended we were able to return to our school dance programs. We had more students than ever! Dance is our area of expertise and our instructors are of a high calibre. Children know when they are in a quality dance class and they tell their parents about it. Dancetime is now a brand known for excellence in instruction, providing attention to each student and outstanding performance opportunities!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My day to day life includes a LOT and no two days are alike. I usually begin my day with emails, phone calls, and organization. When I’m not teaching dance I’m busy putting together new choreography and planning curriculum for my students. I take a lot of dance classes myself including Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. I also do strength training and stretch out frequently. Part of my job is to stay current with movement trends and music. I enjoy the creativity of selecting music for my classes and choreographing dances in a variety of genres.

I have a strong performance background and so I always invite our students to participate in performing. Our dance program features an annual dance show which is an exciting culmination of all we have learned! Though the show lasts approximately an hour and a half it takes months of preparation! Securing a site for our event is the first step. A show theme needs to be selected. Costumes need to be ordered in the correct sizes and styles. Lots of dances need to be choreographed and then taught to the children. Rehearsals need to take place. Tickets need to be sold. The reason I am so focused on every detail of the show is that I want my guests to have a magical experience. From the moment they enter the theater, are given a program, and are led to their seat by the usher the tone is set. All of the details require extensive planning. I am very diligent in making sure that it all comes together. I am most proud of my students on the night of the show. There is the once shy girl who has developed a new confidence as she moves through her choreography with ease. There are the students who have danced with me for several years and have shown improvement in their skills through dedication to dancing. I love it when the lights go down in the auditorium, the stage is lit up, the music starts and the children begin dancing.

Any big plans?
Dancetime looks forward to branching out to new schools in the future. Often schools are recommended to us by families who would like a dance program at their child’s school. Schools also seek us out because our program has an excellent reputation. Our future plans include growing our Dancetime Studio business. At this time we have a small Studio program consisting of students whose passion is dancing. We hope to enroll many more students in our Studio classes. We also plan to grow our Dancetime by Stephanie Youtube channel by posting new videos that provide dance education and entertainment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dancetimebystephanie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancetimebystephanie/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dancetimebystephanie6168