Today we’d like to introduce you to April MacLean.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After 22 foster homes and becoming pregnant at 15, I felt very little hope for my life. I lived in my car briefly, and then worked temp jobs and eventually took a community college dance class. The love was instantaneous. I believe it was the main reason I was able to become a functional adult. It gave me a place to express and channel into that made me a better person and allowed me to feel like good things may be on the horizon.
Infuse Dance Collective is that kind of home for a lot people. I see it every day. We do give sweaty, challenging, butt-kicking classes, but my co-owner Julie and I also have created a space where people find their family and color their world. We watch them find their best friends and best self here. That’s really what dance does…refines both body and mind.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been so incredibly awful sometimes. Entrepreneurism is sexy now, and we constantly see slick Instagram photos and stories of success, but real business is not like that. There are moments when you don’t want to face the day, make another decision, hear one more shred of bad news. For us, the hardship of running a business is compounded by the fact that we’re an arts company. The arts are not often regarded as a “real” career, and defending the relevancy of what we do has been exhausting at times.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Infuse Dance Collective story. Tell us more about the business.
Infuse Dance Collective is home to several companies. Our flagship, Infuse Dance Studio, is pure magic. You feel the happiness as soon as you step inside. Many adult dance studios are based on a certain image and have an anonymous, elite feel. We’ve been very intentional about being welcoming and joyful while maintaining high quality classes. We are the only studio for adults in our city and the first to offer world dance. We really celebrate culture and the richness it brings. From West African to Brazilian to Cuban…we can’t get enough.
Outside of the studio, we have two other divisions: the Accelerator and the Online studio. The accelerator is an academy that takes a small group of dancers and gives them not only deeper technique, but knowledge and business savvy. They get business classes, dance history, choreography classes, and more. Our online studio offers classes to anyone, anywhere, and in true form, we don’t just stick with movement classes, but offer advice, tips, and stories.
What we are most proud of is the innovation we represent. Dance can do so much more than music videos and studios, it has the power to make massive changes in so many directions, and we are ready to charge forward.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t ascribe to luck. We try to be strategic, work with integrity, communicate clearly, be kind, work hard, and have been very blessed in the process.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3737 Main St., 103A,
Riverside, CA 92501 - Website: www.infusedancecollective.com
- Phone: 951.223.6683
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/infusedancecollective
- Facebook: facebook.com/infusedancecollective
- Twitter: twitter.com/infuseyourworld
Image Credit:
Michael Elderman
Erica Nicole
Brad Evans
Carlos Green
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