Today we’d like to introduce you to Melinda Cassiday Jacques.
Hi Melinda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started dance classes when I was 13 years old under the direction of Kathy Thomas. I trained for several years at an outreach dance ministry she was running in Maysville, Georgia, but when I was 16, I started taking classes at En Pointe School of Dance in Lilburn, which was also owned by Kathy, or “Miss” Kathy as we called her. I fell in love with everything about dance and later was fortunate enough to go to college on scholarship to earn my dance degree at Brenau University. It was during college that I learned to be a teacher and discovered that it was my true passion. After college, I began dancing professionally in the Atlanta-area, performing and choreographing free-lance, dancing with Refuge Dance Company and eventually co-founding my own company with Leigh Ducas and Olivia May called Profectus (where I still dance now). But, most importantly, after college, I started teaching dance full time. I returned to my home studio, the place that has felt like home to me since I was 16, En Pointe School of Dance. I never wanted to run a dance school. I always thought that I could never own my own school because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to teach at En Pointe anymore. I couldn’t imagine not being at En Pointe and not teaching under the direction of “Miss” Kathy.
In March of 2021, I received heartbreaking news. After a nearly 12 year battle with cancer, our dear “Miss” Kathy was dying. I know that this sounds like it was expected because she had cancer and she was 74, but it hit me harder than anything I’d ever experienced. When someone has cancer for that long and continually defeats it the way Kathy did, you just get used to living with it. In March, the administrators of En Pointe School of Dance spoke with me to see if I would be interested in becoming the new director of the dance school. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be the one chosen to carry on Kathy’s incredible legacy. I was shocked and honored. My husband and I decided to buy the dance school, renovate it, and make it into something that could carry on Kathy’s legacy for decades to come.
By May of 2021, I was a business owner. “Miss” Kathy passed away in July, as we were amidst renovations on En Pointe. As world-shattering as it was to lose my mentor, teacher, and friend, as I sorted through boxes and boxes of pictures and documents at the studio, I was able to learn more about her and about what her business was like when she first opened En Pointe in 1987. I found many old photos that I’ve framed and hung at the studio to cherish for years to come.
Because Kathy was so sick for the last years of her life, En Pointe had suffered a lot. It hadn’t been updated or upkept in years and Covid-19 had taken its toll on the business as well. We’d lost customers in 2020 during the pandemic and there was no one at the studio to pour time into marketing to try and attract new students. Because of this, when I bought the business in 2021, there was hardly any money in the bank and the school had less than 70 students enrolled. My incredible husband, Cody and I invested our savings into renovating and saving the dance school. Our families and friends all pitched in to help us do much of the renovations. Meanwhile, Emily Cheaves and Erin Lee, who worked for Kathy for many years, graciously gave me hours and hours of their time and taught me to run a dance school. We created a space that’s almost unrecognizable from what it was before. However, despite the cosmetic changes, you can still feel Kathy in the studio. She approached everything with the mindset to “always love” and to love first. Everyone who walks into En Pointe feels this as we carry on her legacy and it’s special because it feels like she is still right beside me.
I’m proud to say that in less than a year, En Pointe’s enrollment has grown from 127 to 132 students and continues to grow as we launch new programs and classes. I also have been able to rent affordable studio space to many metro-Atlanta artists and choreographers throughout the year. We plan to continue to grow as the year continues, all while keeping Kathy’s spirit and legacy alive by teaching dance students through an encouraging and “always love” mindset that Kathy taught me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Last year was the hardest year of my life. I jumped into business ownership with no experience and on top of that, the business I bought was failing. I did not know if I would be able to pay En Pointe’s rent for the summer months because things were so dire. Somehow though, miraculously, we did. Then with our renovations, online marketing, and word-of-mouth marketing from our incredible customers, we started to grow little by little in August. Additionally, it was also a hard year within my personal life. It was a hard year because I lost Kathy, my grandfather, and my husband lost a long-time family friend all within a few months of each other. Every month, it seemed like we had another memorial to go to. I was struggling a lot with grief while throwing myself into my work. It was really tough.
As you know, we’re big fans of En Pointe School of Dance. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
En Pointe School of Dance has been providing quality dance training in Lilburn, Georgia since 1987. It was founded by Kathy Thomas, my teacher and mentor, and in 2021, I bought the dance school and took over as director. We offer classes for ages 3+ in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, and Acro as well as rent studio space for artists and choreographers in the metro-Atlanta area. En Pointe is different from other dance studios because of our approach to teaching. Many dance studios solely focus on their dancers’ technique and appearance which often leads to unhealthy goals and harmful thoughts. At En Pointe, we focus on getting to know each student individually so we can meet their needs and encourage them in a way that helps them reach their fullest potential. Currently, we’re enrolling students for our 2022 Summer session as well as summer workshops and master classes, such as our breakdance master class in June. We are enrolling students for the 2022-2023 dance season which will begin this August. We are also holding auditions soon for our brand new Ballet performance company and our competition team. More information can be found on our website about all of our auditions and program offerings.
How do you define success?
Success to me in my line of work is knowing that I have made a difference in a student’s life. I like to think that my dance students are learning not only dance but lessons about life in the dance studio. If I’ve helped them through a hard time, inspired them to work hard, helped them reach a goal, or just made it known to them that they are loved, then I have succeeded at my job. My dancers are my #1 priority in life, above everything else in my business, so their happiness and well-being is how I define my success.
Pricing:
- Studio rental – $15 per hour
- Dance class tuition – starting at $62 per month
Contact Info:
- Email: info@enpointeschoolofdance.com
- Website: enpointeschoolofdance.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/en_pointe_school_of_dance/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FollowEnPointe
Image Credits:
Photos by Cody Jacques
