Ballet as a Business

Pam Rossi's studio is tucked away in the back of an industrial complex about a block from the police station. Not your typical dance studio location, but for owner Pam Rossi, it’s worked very well.

She bought Dance Ten 20 years ago. Judging by all the young dancers floating in and out of her various studios, her business location is no problem.

“I moved to Moorpark 24 years ago,” she explained. “At that time I was doing choreography for James Brown.”

But when Rossi had her first child, she took a year off from work. But she couldn’t stay away.

“I missed it, so I went to work for Dance Ten,” Rossi said. “A few years later, the owner I worked for wanted to sell her business and she approached me.”

Rossi was raised in San Luis Obispo and grew up around dance. She received her first dance lessons when she was 12.

“My mom was my teacher and she had this little studio. She taught me to dance because she wanted me to be near her,” she said.

Her big inspirations were the major entertainment shows on television in the early 1970s that featured dance revues.

“I thought to myself, ‘If I could do that, it would be so much fun,’ ” she said.

When she was 18, Rossi got her first professional job as a dancer working for Barry Manilow at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles. From there, she danced for TV, commercials and movies. She also did live performances in cities like Las Vegas, New York, Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe and San Francisco.

Rossi believes it’s important for students to have access to a variety of dance programs. Not only does it create more interest in dance, it also prepares students to be well rounded. And if a student aspires to be a professional, that range of experience can be very important.

“If push comes to shove and you’re auditioning for a part,” she said, “the more you know, the more opportunities you will have.”

For that reason, she offers classes in areas like song and dance, singing, tap, jazz, hip hop and ballet. Her students also keep busy performing in various dance competitions and at community events like the Moorpark Civic Ballet, Conejo Valley Days and Moorpark Country Days.

As part of her teaching philosophy, Rossi encourages both staff and parents to let children learn at their own pace.

“Every child has a learning curve,” she noted. “The teachers will instruct and encourage them to keep challenging their level according to their maturity and ability”

Rossi is seriously considering putting up a sign in her studio that reads:  We give the student the freedom to grow, as they need to grow at their own pace.

This is something she talks about on a daily basis with the parents of her students.

“I communicate as much as I can and try to help them raise their child in a positive environment,” she said.

Rossi continues to be inspired by the children she teaches. Some of them have grown up as dancers in her studio. Others just brighten up her day by giving her a smile and greeting as they pass through.

“When I walk in and a 3-year-old says ‘Ms. Pam, I love you,’ or at a performance, if there’s a parent interacting and enjoying what their child is doing, that’s what keeps me going,” she said.

Most of all, Rossi would like to create a series of joyful moments for her students, moments they can keep and cherish into their adulthood.

“When it’s all done and they go on to their next venture,” she said, “I hope they will have great memories of the fun times they had with all their dance friends.”