Emily Perez now owns the Fenton-area studio where she used to dance and teach classes.
Perez, 44, of Des Peres said the Dynamic Edge Dance Center is in its 31st dance season. The studio, 400 Biltmore Drive, in the Jefferson County portion of Fenton offers “bread and butter” ballet, tap, jazz and hip-hop classes, along with acrobatics and musical theater dance classes.
Lisa Sabath, the founder of Dynamic Edge, sold the studio to Perez over the summer.
“Lisa has always been a very special person in my life,” Perez said. “We’ve remained strong friends. I knew she wanted to leave (the studio) to somebody she could trust. She’s given 30 years of her life to this business, and I wanted her to be able to go into her next chapter and know that she left the studio in good hands.”
Sabath, 54, who lives in the St. Louis County portion of Fenton, said she is studying to become a surgical technician and works in the medical field. She still teaches some private dance lessons at the studio and steps in as a substitute instructor when needed.
“Emily was a former student and instructor, so I felt very comfortable passing the legacy onto her,” Sabath said. “I know she’ll take great care of the students and their families. It’s an incredible weight lifted, as far as responsibility goes.”
First steps
Perez began taking classes at Dynamic Edge in 1996, when she was attending Ursuline Academy. She said she was a novice at dance, but her background in gymnastics helped her ease into the new art form.
“After being away from gymnastics for a while, I got sort of bored, so I walked into this new dance studio nearby and met Lisa, who I think was 23 or 24 at the time,” Perez said. “Because it was a new studio, you typically didn’t have older kids just walking in. I think the fact that the studio was small at the time and that the classes were even smaller is really what allowed me to transition so quickly – and of course, having an excellent instructor.”
Sabath said she was fortunate that word of mouth spread quickly about her new studio.
“At the start of the first month, I had three students, and by the end of that season, I had a couple hundred in the final recital,” she said. “Thousands and thousands of kids have come in and out of our doors through the years.”
Perez said she soon transitioned to helping instructors during some classes and then teaching her own classes at the studio. She still taught some classes while attending college, but had to step away when she began law school at St. Louis University. Perez is now an in-house lawyer for a private client.
“I finally hung up the dance shoes when it was time to go learn how to be a lawyer,” Perez said. “Because I have a full-time job, I’ve hired an amazing young woman named Destiny Adams to be my director of operations. She has really hit the ground running, and we make a good team together.”
‘Growing pains’
Perez said there were some “bumps and growing pains” when she took ownership of the studio, but overall, the transition has been fairly smooth. The studio was fortunate to retain all its staff during the ownership transition, she said, and even added two new staff members.
Over the summer, Perez said she “jazzed up the place” by adding new flooring in the lobby area and repainting the walls. This summer, she plans to install new floors in the five dance rooms.
Perez said she’s also discussing with staff what additional classes the studio should try to offer next season. The dance season usually starts in the fall and ends with competitions in late spring, but Perez said new dancers can register at any time.
Sabath said her focus for 30 years was to provide quality dance instruction for her students, and she’s confident that Perez will be able to do the same.
“You’re going to get quality instruction, instructors who go above and beyond what is expected as far as the job description goes,” Sabath said. “They’re truly passionate and care about the kids.”
Perez added that the dance studio has a family-like atmosphere, with many former dancers returning to teach part-time or provide choreography.
“There’s something about this place,” she said. “It’s almost like, once you get in, you keep one toe in the water, or you find your way back to it.”
For more information about the dance studio, visit dynamicedgedancecenter.com or call 636-678-7021.
Perez said the studio’s first 30 seasons were a “testament to Lisa and her love of dance.” She wants to make the next 30 seasons just as successful.
“It’s a privilege and an honor to be in a position to try to continue it, but it’s also a responsibility that I take very seriously,” Perez said. “I hope to continue the tradition.”