Member Dashboard

Be Inspired

2020 Vision Scholarships for Dance Educators

January 17, 2020

2020!

Not just a new YEAR, a new DECADE!

As most of you know I’ve dedicated my entire career to dance, first as a dance teacher, then as a dance studio owner, and now as a teacher to teachers and owners.  🙂

My journey in this industry hasn’t always been easy, but one thing has always kept me fueled and fired up about the future: Education.

Education for my mind.  I’ve never hesitated to invest in my professional development as a dance educator and business owner because I love learning, and I love creating a positive impact on others through what I’ve learned.  Education, to me, isn’t just about school or college or even dance lessons; it’s about being transformed by knowledge so that you can live your best life.

Education for my body.  I truly believe in the old adage “once a dancer, always a dancer.”  My knees may be crankier now than they were 25 years ago, but I’m still as passionate as ever about dance!  My heart for the classroom continues to grow even as I teach from different types of stages and hone my coaching skills.  I’m fortunate that I still get to dance when I’m on tour with Dance Revolution, and those moments are reminders that yes, at my core I’m still a dancer at heart.

Education for my soul.  Everyone has something that feeds their soul.  My soul has always been hungry to learn and grow, and to create.  I want to become a stronger version of myself so that I can have a positive influence on our industry and its future.  And although my focus on work has shifted slightly over the years, my soul still needs the satisfaction of learning on a deep level.  It is a privilege to be educated, and my soul is grateful for it.

And so last week, I could think of no better way to kick off the new year and new decade than to make education and training for dance studio owners and teachers more ACCESSIBLE.

I was thinking about how not everyone has the same access or opportunities to educate themselves to the degree they desire.  I wanted to do my part to help other positive influencers in the dance industry get the education they want for themselves, their students, and their studio.

With that in mind, I introduced the 2020 Vision Scholarships for Dance Educators, scholarships in continuing education and personal development for those who have not previously had access to, or do not currently have access to, our More Than Just Great Dancing® programs, such as Youth Protection Advocates in Dance Certification, More Than Just Great Dancing® Kickstart Membership, and registration for Studio Owner University®.

What I didn’t expect was such a HUGE response!  And I didn’t expect that reading through all of the scholarship applications would be so emotional.  The depth to which dance teachers and studio owners go for their kids will never cease to encourage and inspire me.

I had originally pledged $20,000 but because of the amazing response, I wanted to do more.  So I doubled my commitment to $40,000 and then reached out to some of my good friends in the industry to see if they would step up with some scholarships as well and they DID!  So we were able to add another $20,000 in combined cash and program scholarships … for a total of $60,000 in 2020 Vision Scholarships for Dance Educators! I can’t even believe it.

A BIG THANK YOU to these companies for their contributions:

These scholarships are going to enable MORE studio owners and teachers to go from DREAMING to DOING!  If education is all about impact, then through this extra motivation and support, I know that our collective impact on the industry will be huge.  

Emails have already started going out to recipients, and I couldn’t be more proud or inspired!  Thank you, dance educators, for all you do for your kids each day. Keep going!

Love, Misty

Be inspired
Get inspiration straight to your inbox.
Sign up