A Confetti Conversation with Dana Adames of Talent Factory Performing Arts Centre

by on Sep 24 '19

Dana and her amazing hubby and business partner, Hugo

We are super excited to bring this Confetti Customer Conversation to you from our good friend, Dana Adames! We knew about her amazing studio––Talent Factory Performing Arts Centre in Rhode Island––long before we ever met Dana. We started out as just social media friends even before she became a Confetti customer, and luckily we met her in person in Aruba during a Break the Floor trip. Last year, on another Break the Floor trip in Mexico, we had the great pleasure of spending time with her and Hugo, her husband and business partner. We had so much fun and were completely wowed by both their business acumen and the level of FUN they bring to their studio! Plus they are just super fun to hang out with, too!

Dani, Hugo, Dana and Becca in Mexico!

Now we think everyone should know Dana and all about her fun studio, so she kindly agreed to have a Confetti Conversation with us. We know you’ll be as inspired by her as we are!

As a studio owner, what keeps you motivated and inspired in your role?
My tribe! My family, staff, students, and dance friends. Everyone I surround myself with, are truly what keeps me going. They motivate me to be the best version of ME, so in turn I can be the best version of ME for all of them.

One quote I live by in business is, “always deliver more than expected.” It truly is the Talent Factory way.

“Always deliver more than expected!”

YESSS! We love that philosophy and try to follow it ourselves, too! What aspect of your studio are you most proud?
I would have to say innovation. We always try to think outside the box, new ways to make our program and systems better. Growing up in my mom’s studio, I was able to see the way the studio business worked. Fast forward years later, when we decided to open The Talent Factory, I quickly realized, we wanted to do things differently with so much right at our fingertips. The business has become so multidimensional, it makes us proud to offer new innovative ways of teaching and inspiring young artists to discover their fullest potential.

Fun Fact: The Twirl teacher in the film pictured above is Dana’s mom, who came out of retirement (sold her studio back in 1994) to teach the Twirl program at Dana’s studio. You can check out the amazing outcome of this video session in her innovative, original video promoting Twirl at her studio! We love how she takes our Twirl program and makes it her own to fit into her own studio’s brand! #allthegoldstars

You are clearly an inspiration to so many, in your studio community and the dance industry. Who’s someone in the dance world who inspires you?
This is a tough one. I can’t really pick just one. So many people in the industry inspire me on a daily basis. There are many people we have been fortunate enough to rub elbows with, through the conventions we attend year after year. This industry has become more than just a business, these people are now our family and we could not be more grateful for all of them! The relationships we have built are priceless, like the one we have made with our friends at Confetti on the Dance Floor!

We agree! We’ve had so much fun getting to know you better and continuing to be inspired by you! We’re grateful that you becoming a Confetti customer and Twirl studio brought us together! And, since you are a Twirl studio, tell us how it’s going and how Twirl has impacted your studio?
When we first heard about Twirl, we were extremely excited to add it to our curriculum, since marketing to that age can be really hard at times. The Twirl program seemed like a no brainer! As we all know, the young students are the future of our industry, so to get them through our doors, keep them coming back each week with a fun curriculum, has made a world of difference to our enrollment.

“As we all know, the young students are the future of our industry, so to get them through our doors, keep them coming back each week with a fun curriculum, has made a world of difference
to our enrollment.”

What types of things do you do in your studio to add fun?
TWIRL!!! Adding Twirl to our 2-6 year old program added a ton of fun to our weekly classes! We also like to do fun “themed” weeks such as Bring-A-Friend Week, Summer Week to kick-off summer registration (thanks for that idea!), Spirit Week, and Color Week. The kids love our no dress code weeks!

We also do a Company Kick-off right before the season starts for all our company students and staff. We love doing films and photo shoots too! Oh, and can’t forget about the ice cream trucks we get for special events! Those are the best! Who doesn’t love ice cream?!?

What other Confetti products do you use at your studio? Any favorites? And if so, what makes them your fave?
We LOVE Camp Confetti! They are really easy to use and so much information, start to finish. My favorite part is the marketing material. Since I handle all of our studio’s social media, having everything already done, right at your fingertips, is amazing. All we have to do is copy and paste. Incredibly helpful! We also love the Flashie Cards! They are a huge hit! Next on our list… the WOW Cards. Can’t wait to order them with our big Twirl order for this season.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you are not at your studio?
Drink great wine… just kidding?!? I would have to say spending time with my favorite people: my hubby Hugo (who is also my business partner), my two kids Sofia and Preston, and my dog Cooper. We love hanging out and enjoying each other’s company. Since we all work together, the kids are at the studio a lot, it’s nice to hang out at home. We are also big foodies! We like to find really great restaurants and enjoy yummy dinners together.

What else do you want to share with our readers?
I love what I do. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Our staff are our friends, our studio is our home, and we love it! When you realize the memories you create for others, it makes what you do THAT much better. Although this is a business, it is our passion. I get to work with my husband every day, and actually enjoy it, lol! We love the feeling of being surrounded by family in everything we do.

Confetti on the Dance Floor is all about celebrating fun, positive and inspirational moments that we call Confetti Moments! Tell us about your most confetti-worthy moment to date! 
Oh wow, there are so many I can think of. I would have to say, the day we were asked to create a film for our friends at Curtain Call. Growing up in my mom’s studio, I had known about Curtain Call my entire life. Calling her and my dad to tell them this news was one of the best moments ever!

While serving as members of their advisory board, we had the opportunity to share a film our studio had recently created. After seeing the film, they asked if we would be interested in producing a film to help launch their 2015 costume line. Not only were we able to feature our students and staff in the film and catalog, we were able to do what we love while being surrounded by our Talent Factory family. It was an opportunity we will never forget.

Another moment which stands out most recently was when my husband and I were asked to host a teacher luncheon at NYCDA Nationals. We were beyond grateful for the opportunity to share our business ideas and how to make a living doing what we love. Choosing to discuss the business side of what we do was a great topic! Everyone loved it. My husband Hugo takes pride in business development and has found different ways to help generate business beyond tuition. The response we received from our peers was amazing. This meeting opened the door to sharing so much, among a group of industry leaders from all over the country. We met so many incredible people who we continue to keep in touch with today.

Now for a lightening round of just-for-fun questions for a peek into the lighter side of Dana!

Unicorns or Llamas? Both!
First day of dance or Last day of dance? Both!
Favorite Dance Decade? For dance, this decade. For music, 90s Hip Hop!
Hashtag: #tilttuesday or #tututuesday? #tututuesday
Coffee or Tea? Coffee
Queso or Guac? Guac
E-6000 or Hot Glue? Neither! (Dana, you have us wondering…how do you avoid these quintessential adhesives in your studio owner life! Or do you have a secret we need to know! Do tell! 😆)
Instagram or Facebook? Insta
Pizza or Tacos? Pizza
Go-To Emoji? I use a lot of emojis!
Morning Person or Night Owl? Night Owl
Take-Out or Dine-In? Dine In
Broadway or Hollywood? Broadway
Netflix or Big Screen? Both
Sequins or Sweats? Sweats

Dana, thank you so much for your time and thoughtful conversation. We absolutely loved having this Confetti Conversation with you! We know that you will continue to WOW us with all the fun + smart things you do at your studio! Best of luck for another successful year!

Want to connect with Dana? (Hint: yes, you do!) Follow her on Instagram at @talentfactoryri, we promise you’ll be inspired by her feed! You can also check out her website here!

For even more inspo, here’s a list of links to check out some of our past Confetti Conversations:

Sarah Brinson

Christy Curtis

Kim Delgrosso

Suzanne Blake-Gerety

Becca Moore & Dani Rosenberg


2 Comments

  • Great conversation with Dana, her passion and commitment go far beyond the norm! Alongside her husband Hugo, they have taken dance and theatre in Rhode Island to a whole new level!
    I’m beyond proud of my offspring
    And I absolutely LOVE Confetti and Twirl!
    I’ve been teaching over 50 years and I’m still having fun!
    Great interview Dana!!!!

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