Meet Lauren Nolan of Studio To Go

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Nolan.

Lauren, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After stumbling upon a pair of pointe shoes in a South Georgia mall as a child, I immediately asked my parents for ballet classes. The studio in my hometown of Americus, GA absolutely mesmerized me. I can still remember my leotard and dance bag.

I informed my folks after my very first class that I would become a ballet teacher one day. I was four-years-old. Even though my dream eventually came true, mine wasn’t the straightest path. Upon entering college at the University of Georgia, I began to doubt the viability of a job in dance education. The desire for financial independence and looming adulthood led to my decision to pursue a different career.

I graduated cum laude from UGA with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences, specifically Interior Design. My personal focus was sustainable design (earning the professional accreditation of a LEED GA as a mere Junior in college), and I had my sights set on the world of academia. My plan was to become a professor of either sustainable or universal design.

Oh, how plans change! I received two job offers in my field of study, both in Rhode Island. I flew up there, made my rounds, met many people, and began my journey only to discover in the very midst of my massive decision that my heart couldn’t leave Atlanta.

With no Atlanta-based design jobs on my horizon, I stayed put. At the time, I was also in the throes of competing for the job of Miss Georgia within the Miss America Organization. All in all, I competed six consecutive years throughout college and my young adulthood. Even though I never won the title, I did win in the professional department.

Since I had been a dance instructor through my years in Athens and my on-stage talent had been dance, my resume was found online by (my current business partner) Leah Matthews. Dance came through for me in a big way through instructing! I’ve now enjoyed 11 years of teaching, and it has been a crazy ride! I have taught for five studios and two mobile dance companies that have taken me into the classroom in public schools, private schools, preschools, and rec centers.

My choreography has graced many pageant and competition stages, and I have also judged for various auditions and competitions. In the administrative realm of dance, I have had the positions of Studio Manager (Studio Dance Academy), Assistant Studio Manager (Cumming Dance Academy), Quality Control Manager (CDA), and I’m the current Artistic Director for Studio Go where I coordinate instructors all over the Southeastern US.

My stage experience has even led me to the world of emceeing, and I was honored to be a host for the Miss Georgia Pageant last summer. My experiences in both the managerial side of dance education and the classroom have well-equipped me to co-found and co-own Studio To Go with Leah Matthews. We are an online dance curriculum company for preschool dance.

Studio owners and instructors all over world subscribe to our monthly content that they use in their own studios. We have successfully created an online community of dance educators who wholeheartedly support one another in business. Our Tribe is the absolute best!

I am the Director of Programs for Studio To Go; therefore I am constantly dreaming up, creating and delivering dance content to our clients who operate anywhere from here in the States, to South Africa, to Australia, to Canada, and to the UK. I love that my job not only fulfills my love for education, communication, and art, but it is also a realization of that little four-year-old’s dream back in South Georgia!

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?
The professional road has certainly not been smooth the entire way for me! As I mentioned earlier in my story, I took various turns and sharp curves along the way to get here. But that’s life, right?! One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is managing my limited time. Dance studios operate when children aren’t in school. That means our hours are mostly 3pm-9: 45 pm.

Once I began working in administration, my day would begin around 8:30 or 9 am. That’s a 12+ hour workday, five sometimes six days a week! For my busy personal lifestyle, that’s certainly not sustainable. I maintained that workflow for about four years and eventually had to pull back when I got married to my husband, David.

At certain points in our careers, we have to ebb and flow. For me, marriage was a huge turning point. I wanted to be available for social outings, rest, weekday small groups with our church, and dinner with my family. I’ve always been an incredibly hard worker (I’ve been called the Energizer Bunny my whole life) so shifting into a different paradigm was quite a transition. It was very difficult for me to say goodbye to working full-time at my studio that had become home, but they (Cumming Dance Academy) were so supportive.

I shifted into a new company called Studio Go, operated here in Atlanta. It’s a mobile dance education company that provides on-site instruction in the comfort of the student’s school. You know what that means! Much more manageable hours for instructors! I’ve had the best time teaching in this arena, and it’s been amazing for my family life. It’s all about balance, Y’all!

Side-note: I still get to teach in the studio setting, both at CDA and at Peachtree Dance in Buckhead. I simply teach during the day between my Studio Go classes and only one night each week. It’s the best of BOTH worlds!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Studio To Go story. Tell us more about the business.
Studio To Go is most proud of the character development aspect of our dance content.

Leah and I both look back on our dance careers with fondness, not only for the steps we learned but also for the many, many life-lessons acquired. Ballerinas are tough. We can take constructive criticism, and let’s get real… Sometimes it is not-so-constructive when you get further along into your studies.

We are disciplined, punctual, hard-working, strong, mentally focused, supportive, open-minded, self-controlled, and powerful. Above all, we are respectful and kind! Anyone who has ever spent a considerable amount of time in a dance studio understands the respect required to participate. If you have a bad attitude or a blatant disregard for authority, you will not make it in the dance world.

These characteristics are often emphasized in older dance classes, but we believe that these traits can be understood from day 1, even with three-year-old dancers. All we have to do is make it palatable for children and easy for teachers! Each month, our content revolves around some concept of character. Whether it be leadership, compassion, perseverance or dreaming big, we break it down into bite-size pieces for our kids who range from 3-5 years old.

For instance, our playlists boast songs like “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” by Aretha Franklin during the month that we cover etiquette and manners. Studio To Go subscribers enjoy marketing materials like newsletters for their parents/clients that explain what we’re instructing that month. Our materials also include custom color sheet downloads that an artist has created to reinforce our lessons at home with the child.

We are extremely proud to be nurturing tomorrow’s future by instilling proper dance technique AND producing kind little humans at the same time!

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I personally don’t believe in luck. Now, that doesn’t mean I won’t give out the occasional “good luck” (or in theatre-speak “merde”) as a positive encouragement; however, I believe in hard work. And you know what?

At times, even after hard work, some things are just not meant to be. It is in those scenarios that our true character is determined. What will our reaction be when the going gets tough? Pivot! Brainstorm another solution, another path, another angle. It is my opinion that self-pity and self-glorification originate often times in the belief of luck.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.studiotogodance.com
• Phone: 470 466 2419
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Gregory Campbell Photography, Amore Photography & Design, & See What Develops Portrait Studio

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.