Rising Stars: Meet Ciara Glass

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ciara Glass. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hello, I’m grateful to get to share a bit of my story with your readers.

I discovered the dance world later than most professionals. My training began with Nancy Baum in Grand Haven, Michigan at the age of 12. (Most professionals begin when they are 3 years old!) Even starting late in dance, I knew immediately that this was God’s gifting and calling for my life and career. 

Less than a year after I began my dance journey my family relocated to Reno, Nevada where I continued to take classes at In Motion School of Dance. This is where I met my first dance mentor and the woman who inspired my professional career, Jennifer August. Very soon after moving, I went from taking 1 ballet class weekly to joining the studio’s competition team, increasing my training to 23+ hours a week and began to participate in many classical and urban competitions across the West Coast and received national recognition, awards, scholarships and invitations to join professional dance groups. 

Toward the end of high school, I was hired as an apprentice for two dance companies. My first company experience was with the modern dance troupe, Black Rock Dance Company, founded by Jennifer August. During this time, I was hired into Sierra Nevada Ballet Company, founded and directed by Rosine Bena and I was invited to perform as a soloist and guest performer for the local contemporary dance company, Dysrhythmia Contemporary Dance, directed by Jenny Buck. After graduation, my dance studies continued at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During this season, it was an honor to be able to dance with many accomplished instructors and distinguished choreographers such as; Sidra Bell, Donald Lunsford, Kim Bears-Bailey, Wayne David, Roni Koresh, Brian Sanders, Christine Cox, Denis Gronostayskiy, The Forsythe Company, and more. 

Through my early twenties, I continued my dance exploration in world-renowned studios including; Peridance, Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, The Ailey Studios, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, ODC Dance Commons, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Lou Conte Dance Studio…and the list goes on and on. Since then, I’ve traveled, trained, performed, choreographed, and taught dance all over the country; in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Reno, and San Jose, and was blessed to be invited to perform and choreograph with The Barcelona Dance Center in Barcelona, Spain before landing and settling down back here in Michigan. 

It is important to me that I continually build upon my personal dance education and artistic discoveries and am passionate about continually growing and learning new techniques, philosophies and exploring the bounds of my creative ability. There is no doubt that all of my travels, collaborations, and diverse career experiences have built a unique and well-rounded arsenal of knowledge that has influenced my decisions in entrepreneurship. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, it hasn’t always been a smooth road! Learning what my career was going to look like or end up as has been one of the hardest challenges I’ve had to overcome. “Dance” is not always seen as a viable career option and I have had to be extremely creative in order to build a sustainable living throughout my profession. 

When I was building my dance resume, I had to work the typical day-to-day jobs like retail work, waitressing, nannying, even maid and cleaning gigs during the day. I would then continue into 12, sometimes 14+ hour workdays by going to rehearsals or teaching dance in the evenings. Rarely were there days off and often I was bouncing from city to city, moving back home when dance jobs ended and having to save up enough to move on to the next “big thing.” 

There was also a period of time in my life when I had a heavy party streak and to be quite honest, during this time, I allowed my substance abuse to consume me and to impose on several performance obligations. I thank the Lord that He pulled me out of this dark period in my life and led me to meeting my husband, Walker because he was majorly influential in helping guide me into sobriety. On November 13, 2017, I put drinking and partying behind me and shortly after that, decided to go back to college to finish my degree. While I was continuing my education at Grand Valley State University, I was given an assignment to write about my five and ten-year goals. My five-year goal was to open a dance studio and my ten-year goal was to become the artistic director of a dance company. 

God works in mysterious ways because less than a year after that assignment I had successfully accomplished both goals! I had opened my own dance studio, Haus of Glass Dance, and I had recruited, auditioned, and hired dancers and formed C.Glass Dance Company. No longer do I allow my past to dictate what I am capable of accomplishing; I now know that anything is possible for my future. Every day is a new day and I try to seize every moment that I can. Waste not a second of this beautiful life! Carpe Diem; Seize the Day AND Carpe Noctem; Seize the Night. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve been blessed to be able to perform, teach and choreograph all around the country and across seas, and all of those jobs have molded and shaped my own personal philosophy within the arts and business world. It is not always easy to meld those two worlds together, but I have found my own unique path through the development of my small business, Haus of Glass Dance. My studio and my dance company, C.Glass Dance Co. are built on three core values: 

1. Empowering Others

I wanted to create a space for people to grow in a unique, supportive, inclusive & all-around FUN environment! Dance should not be about striving for perfection, but about experiencing continual growth. 

2. Staying Unique

I’ve experienced my fair share of “down days” within my dance career, and I’ve also had some of my most memorable and enjoyable days in studios. Some days are hard, some are fun & sometimes life is just plain weird. I embrace that at Haus. That’s how I improve my dancing & why I love it so much! You can release so much tension and emotion within this beautiful art form. Dance training is not and should not be a one-size-fits-all. 

3. Passion Over Profit

No matter where you are in your dance/life journey I believe that training needs to be accessible for all humans regardless of their financial or cultural background. I did not start my business to “make money” …that is an added perk in my eyes. The whole premise of Haus came about because dance changed my life and I wanted others to experience that joy too! If I can accomplish one thing through this small business it would be to give anyone the opportunity to find a passion or a talent, they did not know they had, and possibly change their life for the better. 

Alongside these values, I also hold excellence in technique, discipline, and performance quality in the highest regard. My studio is a place for pre-professional and advanced professional dancers to increase their skill level and artistic development drastically. We push our dancers to perform at a very high standard and believe in providing MANY performance opportunities every year for our Company and Studio Members. By implementing styles and techniques that most dancers do not integrate into their training until college, we firmly believe that our members have a massive leg-up on the majority of others in our area. With unique classes focusing on modern technique, improv, choreography, strength/flexibility training, and dance history and terminology our students gain an arsenal of knowledge well beyond their years. Our dance company also gets opportunities to perform in a diverse array of shows, from traditional and classical ballets to hand-crafted, full-length, original contemporary productions that are 100% organically created by myself and my incredible production/creative team. When I was creating this brand, I did not want to fit into the mold of what was already available in the area. I wanted to build something new, unique and exciting that would give people who are interested in dance and performance more ways to share this beautiful art form with our community! We have unparalleled benefits that go way beyond the walls of our Haus and can skyrocket a young dancer’s career or help bring a stunning, retired professional back into the spotlight. 

I love Haus of Glass and I work to always improve the experience for each dancer that comes in. Since founding the studio and creating C.Glass Dance Company my main goals have been to teach and inspire the younger generation of dancers to work hard and reach for their dreams, as well as invite EVERY adult to discover their passion for dance! I believe in growth over perfection when it comes to dance training and the movement arts. I want everyone to feel beautiful in their bodies and to use the beauty of dance to let go of the insecurities that are holding them back! Whether someone has grown up dancing or has never stepped foot into a studio, I firmly believe that every human on this earth can gain confidence and grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually through the art of dance. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I wish I had known that I did not need to succeed all on my own. 

The best experiences that I have had in my career have been because of following advice from friends and family, looking up to and shadowing mentors and accomplished people in my field, and from realizing that I am nothing without loved ones supporting me and pushing me forward. 

Whenever I tried to do things on my own accord, I would burn out and start to lose the passion and fire that had developed over the years. Only by trusting God, remaining humble, seeking advice, and asking LOTS of questions have I grown to become knowledgeable and confident in my career choices. I thank everyone who has helped place the stones that have paved the professional path I have been blessed to walk in my life. 

Pricing:

• 7-Day Class Pass (New Students Only) – $14.99
• Single Class Drop-In – $25.00
• Monthly Class Tuition – (starting at) $88 per month
• 10-Class Punch Card – $180.00
• Monthly Private Coaching (1x weekly) – $280 per month

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.hausofglassdance.com
• Instagram: @hausofglass.dance & @c.glassdanceco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hausofglassdancegr/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC2YVsRuG95IK4ZNtpo4dI_Q

Image Credits
Jenna Pewarchie
@wildmagephotography