Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy Raffel.
Hi Cindy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My dance journey began—just like it does for so many dancers—because my sister did it! At age two I would watch her class in the doorway and copy the steps. The dance teacher thought I was cute and decided to add me to their recital dance. I got to stay still on a stool until the end of the dance where my sister, Lisa, came to get me, and we did some tap moves together before leaving the stage. After that I was hooked!
In middle and high school I became more serious. I traveled to summer dance intensives, took classes at professional schools, choreographed for my church, was on my school dance team, was the dance captain for my school’s show choirs, and danced with Ballet Petit. I attended Radford University on a dance scholarship where I received my B.S. in Dance Education and took advantage of every performance and choreographic opportunity that came may way. I was lucky enough to be able to audit classes and was often taking 2-3 ballet classes per day on top of my required education classes and show rehearsals to make sure I was keeping up with my skills to fulfill my goal of dancing professionally. My choreography was chosen to represent Radford at the American College Dance Festival and the Big South Research Symposium as well as performed in numerous showcases including my first full evening length work, “Subordination to the Almighty Thinking Machine.”
After college I auditioned for numerous companies and decided on the Tampa Bay Ballet. I later danced for Florida Dance Theater. While in Florida, I taught at both company’s affiliated schools as well as Academy Da Vinci and as adjunct faculty at Southeastern University. With moving to a new state I was looking for friends, so I decided to take up Lindy Hop and swing dancing. This is where I met my husband Tom! His job in academia moved us to Pennsylvania where I was adjunct faculty at Dickinson College and taught at the Carlisle Ballet. He got a professorship at Oakland University which moved us again, this time to Rochester Hills, Michigan.
Since Tom received a tenure track position, we decided to finally put down roots, and I decided that this would be where I would fulfill my childhood dream of owning a dance studio! I opened 2nd Street Studio of Dance in 2013. In 2016 I decided we also needed a local dance supply store that really cared about fitting dancers in shoes and dancewear properly and opened Tutus and Tendus Dancewear and Accessories. By 2019 we had outgrown our studio space, and we moved into and constructed a 10,000 square foot facility with 6 dance rooms (huge shout out to Tom for building the floors!). In 2021, I started Diversiform Dance Project, an adult professional company, as I saw a need for more dance performance opportunities for local talent beyond their school years. I also started 2nd Street Swing which hosts a free swing lesson and social dance every Sunday at the studio to keep vintage swing styles alive and provide the community with affordable and accessible dance for everyone!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth road!
Owning a small business is very difficult, and owning multiple is even more so. I am truly at heart a dancer and dance educator and have had to learn the business side of things along the way. I’m still continually learning and making adjustments to continue providing the best services that I can.
When we started 2nd Street Swing we often would have only a couple people show up. Sometimes no one at all! While this was discouraging, slowly through lots of persistence and consistency we have now grown to have 30-50+ dancers each Sunday, are now offering other more advanced swing classes during the week, and host multiple special swing dance events each year.
Navigating the Covid shutdowns was hard on everyone, but for a business that is solely designed to bring people together often times in close proximity or even touching, it was really devasting to have to shut down especially since we had just moved into our brand new 10,000 square foot facility. We were as creative as possible holding outdoor classes socially distanced, choreographing dances where you stayed in one spot, pivoting to offer online class options, and even put on a drive-in dance performance outside in the Michigan winter weather. At the time I was also adjunct faculty at Rochester University and trying to figure out how to teach ballet and give examinations to brand new dancers all through Zoom. Although these times were difficult both financially and mentally, we survived and came out even stronger!
We’ve been impressed with 2nd Street Studio of Dance, Tutus and Tendus Dancewear and Accessories, Diversiform Dance Project, and 2nd Street Swing, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
2nd Street Studio of Dance
1613 Star Batt Dr.
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
www.2ndstreetdance.com
2ndstreetdance@gmail.com
248-266-6026
Our studio focuses on technique, performance, and fun in a family friendly environment! We provide high quality dance training and performance opportunities for toddlers through adults of all experience levels! 2nd Street Studio is completely non-competitive, which means that we do not participate in any dance competitions. We have multiple programs so that we are equipping dancers with the skills and knowledge they need for a professional career or college dance program, but also have options for someone who is a beginner and just wants to dance for fun. We pride ourselves on giving everyone the same treatment and opportunities no matter what their dance goals are! At 2nd Street Studio we believe dance can be for everyone whether you want to be a professional, just want to have fun, or simply enjoy watching the show!
Tutus and Tendus Dancewear & Accessories
2234 Crooks Rd.
Rochester Hills, Mi
www.tutusandtendus.com
info@tutusandtendus.com
248-710-9009
Our store has everything you need for your dance classes and performances! We provide professional shoe fittings to ensure you are dancing at your best and pride ourselves on friendly service.
Diversiform Dance Project
Housed at 2nd Street Studio of Dance
https://www.instagram.com/diversiform_dance_project
diversiformdanceproject@gmail.com
DDP is a professional dance company that welcomes professional dancers of all body types, ages, and dance backgrounds to perform new work for the greater Detroit community. The company explores and fuses a wide range of dance styles including modern, jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop, and social dance which provides an eclectic repertoire and an exciting amount of variation within just one company. The company performs its own showcase of new work each season as well as at multiple community events and dance festivals. Past performances have been at the Detroit City Dance Festival at the DIA, Detroit Dance Race, Oakland Dance Festival, The Roxy in Downtown Rochester, National Dance Education Organization Conference, Flair on the Square in Ohio, Dancing in the Summer the Festival, the OPC, Arts and Apples Festival, and Heritage Days Festival. We are also available for hire for events and parties. Email us to inquire!
2nd Street Swing
Housed at 2nd Street Studio of Dance
https://www.instagram.com/2ndstreetswing
We provide swing dance lessons and social dances to the local community! Our free lesson is Sundays at 7-8pm followed by a social dance from 8-10pm. We specialize in East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues, and Balboa, and sometimes throw in some West Coast Swing. We host multiple special events and parties during the year, and have begun to offer weekly classes for dancers to have more opportunities to hone their skills.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.2ndstreetdance.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2ndstreetdance/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2ndStreetStudioofDance
