Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Prather.
Lindsay, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been singing, dancing and creating for as long as I can remember. While studying theatre and performance studies at KSU, I worked as a professional actor and performing arts teacher in the greater metro area. During those years, my absolute favorite moments were working with the tiniest performers, and getting to see their confidence grow during the process. Watching a child begin a class not wanting to leave their mommy, speaking or making eye contact, leave 12 weeks later singing, dancing onstage and comfortably speaking to new people gave me an excitement I can’t describe. I wanted to feel that every day and give that feeling of confidence to all children.
Seeing first hand how performing arts can help develop confidence and other life skills gave me a purpose. I wanted to develop a program that put building confidence and life skills first, while also taking the student to their next skill level in music, performance or dance. The next thing I knew, Jitterbug Performing Arts was born.
What first began as traveling programs in various preschools and schools, quickly grew into the busy studio it is today. Since 2011, Jitterbug classes have allowed students to express their creative side, learn something new, develop skills and their natural talents! With over 25 studio classes, private lessons and special events, there are over 1,200 students and families that walk through the teal Jitterbug door every year, growing in confidence and creativity every day!
Has it been a smooth road?
There are always challenges running a small business but the rewards have been overwhelming. The beginning was a struggle; I was 22 when I formed Jitterbug, so being taken seriously was sometimes a challenge. I had some really great people I looked up to and still do and a great support system which helped tremendously.
I was working two other jobs while starting the company; holding classes and camps in local preschools and community buildings trying to spread the word about the new performing arts program in town! Once the business had been on its feet for a while, my husband and I decided it was time for me to focus on building Jitterbug full-time and to search for a more permanent location; so, I stopped working elsewhere and threw myself in! Three months later we found out we were expecting a baby. While not at the rigorous pace I had imagined, Jitterbug still managed to grow during my pregnancy and I opened our home studio just 3 weeks after my sons birth. Opening a studio while learning how to be a mom and balancing the two was (and still is) one of my biggest challenges. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and have learned a lot. I’ve since had another baby and am so incredibly grateful to have had a wonderful staff both times who helped keep the studio up and running while I figured out mommy-hood with one and now two children.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Jitterbug Performing Arts – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We specialize in building confidence! Yes, we teach singing, dance, create costumes, build puppets and do full productions; but we use performing arts to transform children into more confident and creative kids, in all aspects of life. Public speaking, body control, cognitive & creative skills, critical thinking, problem solving, self-discipline, team-building, and imagination are needed in any profession. We use singing, dancing, music, improve, and even art to teach these skills in a nurturing, supportive and fun way. We are not trying to build the next Broadway star, we are building the next generation of confident people; engineers, teachers, inventors, business men and women, artists, entrepreneurs, chefs and world changers.
I am so proud when a parent tells us that we have made a difference in their child’s life; they’re performing better in school, no longer shy, behavior has improved, making friends, speech or body control has improved, putting down the iPad to create instead, or even something as small as they read in front of their classmates today. When we hear that our students are growing, our hearts grow. It’s why we do what we do! I am also incredibly proud of the staff, whose passion for children and the world match my own. It’s common for our meetings to run long because everyone can’t stop sharing stories about their students who have met goals, hilarious class moments or asking for advice on a particular situation.
Sometimes it’s easy to loose sight of what truly matters and why I started Jitterbug in the first place, especially in a small arts business setting where finances are always tight and every dollar counts. There are ups and downs but we have always put the children’s interest first, even when it was easier not to and I am most proud of that.
The studio offers classes in Music, Performance, and Dance for ages 0-15, in-school classes and workshops, private lessons, camps, events and even birthday parties!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Smyrna is the best! I moved here at 18 because I was working and performing in Atlanta but going to school at Kennesaw State University. I pulled out a big map (before maps were on our phones) and picked a spot directly between the two, Smyrna it was! I fell in love with the town; the small community feel and the close proximity to everything. After graduating, I married my husband and we never left. It was where we wanted to grow our family. So naturally, it was where I wanted to grow a business as well. The community has been so supportive and welcoming; and we definitely could not have done it without them, as most of our business comes from word of mouth!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1125 Concord Road Smyrna, GA 30080
- Website: www.jitterbugperformingarts.com
- Phone: 678-424-1256
- Email: info@jitterbugperformingarts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jitterbugpa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jitterbugperformingarts/
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.
