Dancer Takes Center Stage By Opening New Company

She started dancing when she was 5, eventually learning every style from ballet to jazz.

In November, Rashonda Powe's dream of opening her own studio became a reality when she opened RoShow Dance Company at 4007 W. Kennedy Boulevard inside the Dan Wall Fitness Studio.

Powe, a married mother of two, is teaching 45-minute classes at $10 per person and planning a date night for married couples to learn a routine or two.

We talked to her about how she became a dancer and what she hopes for her studio in south Tampa.

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On her start as a dancer: "I started at the age of 5. I used to visit my aunt every summer in Rochester Hills, Mich. I took a class, and she was amazed. She called my mom and said I had to take (another) class, so my mom found a studio called Dance Exchange in Miami. I moved to Michigan and studied at Deborah Stage Door, a studio in Michigan for my seventh grade year.

(Eventually) I decided to come back, and started dancing with different groups in Miami. I still had that passion of wanting to open my own dance studio."

On her motivation to start her own studio: "I was on maternity leave this year. I've always had a dream of having a business plan, but never did pursue it until now. A family friend who attends Dan Wall Fitness Studio asked Dan Wall the owner if I could use the space to teach dance classes.

We started in November of this year. I also did volunteer teaching at a church. I did a showcase in October to get people familiar with what it's about."

Her vision for RoShow Dance Company: "Putting your passion into action. If you sow a seed in a child, they’ll want to dance. Someone gave me a chance., and they can know at a younger age, 'Mommy, I really want to do this.'"

What her life as a dancer says about her: "For me, it's an instrument, but an instrument without sound. Your body is your instrument. It’s a visual thing that people can either like or dislike. I believe in the quality of it. I enjoy it."

To contact RoShow Dance Company, call 813-703-1393.