Dance studio owner revamps classes to keep business going
Emily Uzzetta, owner of U Dance Studio in High Ridge, said COVID-19 has thrown her some “curveballs,” but she’s learned to keep on her toes and keep her business in the game.
Uzzetta, who first opened the studio in May 2019, said she closed the business, 4523 Gravois Village Plaza, for a while in March, but then started offering online classes through the Zoom video meeting app.
“It wasn’t 100 percent ideal, but all the students were amazing and positive, and the instructors were ready to jump in and learn the technology, and they worked to make it as professional as possible,” she said.
Uzzetta said the studio has 12 employees, including seven instructors.
At the end of May, in-person classes resumed with students split into groups to keep class sizes down, she said.
Typically, the studio has about 150 students, Uzzetta said.
Dance seasons end with a recital, but staging one last season required some maneuvering, after indoor venues were unavailable because of the pandemic. Eventually, Uzzetta settled on an outdoor recital on June 28 at Brookdale Farms in Eureka.
“It was hot, but parents were incredible, and the kids were so excited to get to dance together and wear their costumes,” she said.
Uzzetta said parents pitched in to pull off the event.
She said the next dance season begins Sept. 8, with in-person and Zoom classes in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and poms for boys and girls from 2 1/2 years to 18 years old. The studio also has teams that compete three times a year.
Uzzetta, who grew up in Cedar Hill and now lives in Eureka, is a Northwest High School graduate.
She bought the studio, formerly called Dance Elite, where she grew up learning dance and later taught classes for the previous owner.
