Today we’d like to introduce you to AK And Rick Coffey.
Hi AK and Rick, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our story with Dance Fitness Tempe begins with how we met. We met in 2021 at the dance studio where Rick was volunteering. AK was attending a class that Rick was doing videography for, and neither of us could have known that we were meeting the person we would eventually marry. In 2022, AK started attending Rick’s dance fitness class, our relationship grew, and we were married by 2024.
By then, dance fitness had become a huge part of our lives. Rick had built a strong community around his classes, and AK had seen firsthand how much those classes meant to the people who attended them.
When we started talking about the future, it was AK’s idea that we open a studio together.
We didn’t want to simply create another dance studio. We wanted to build a place where instructors could be creative, be themselves, and build their own communities—and where participants could walk through the doors feeling welcomed, regardless of their age, body type, or dance experience.
In 2025, we opened Dance Fitness Tempe in Tempe, Arizona.
For us, the studio is about much more than dance fitness. It’s about community, creativity, confidence, and creating a space where people can genuinely have fun moving their bodies.
There’s something incredibly meaningful about building this together. We met because of a dance class, fell in love through that community, and ultimately built a business around the thing that brought us together.
Dance Fitness Tempe is both our business and a reflection of our story; our hope is that everyone who walks through the doors finds something that moves them.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Opening Dance Fitness Tempe wasn’t as simple as finding an empty room and putting up a sign. One of our biggest challenges was finding the right space
.
We needed something large enough to accommodate growing classes, but not so large that it felt empty or impersonal. The shape of the room mattered, too. Dance fitness requires open sightlines, enough space to move safely, and a layout where everyone can see the instructor. We also wanted a location that was convenient for our community, with the right neighboring businesses and enough parking to make coming to class easy.
And then there were the less glamorous, but very important, details: air conditioning. In Arizona, a dance studio full of people moving for an hour needs serious A/C. We looked at spaces that seemed perfect on paper but quickly ruled them out because the HVAC couldn’t handle what we needed.
Beyond all of those practical considerations, we were looking for a feeling. We wanted the studio to have energy and personality—to feel welcoming, fun, and inspiring the moment someone walked through the door.
We weren’t just looking for a commercial space; we were trying to find a place that could become a home for our community. When we found it, we knew pretty quickly that we had something special. The space checked the practical boxes, but more importantly, it felt like Dance Fitness Tempe.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Our work at Dance Fitness Tempe is centered around one simple idea: movement should make you feel good.
We’re a dance studio in Tempe, Arizona, offering high-energy dance fitness classes alongside dance classes that aren’t fitness-focused. Our goal is to create a welcoming space where people can dance, learn, connect, and have fun, regardless of their experience level.
Rick brings a background in musical theater, performance, choreography, videography, and social media. He’s the creative force behind @bigkidrick and brings the artistic vision and energy to the studio.
AK brings her expertise as both an attorney and business consultant, providing legal knowledge alongside experience in business strategy, operations, and planning. She helps turn Rick’s creative ideas into a sustainable, well-run business while making sure we’re thinking strategically about the future. Together, we balance creativity and business expertise.
We’re most proud of creating a space where people feel comfortable being themselves and discovering new ways to move.
Our motto, “Find What Moves You,” isn’t just a slogan. It’s what we hope everyone who walks through our doors does, whether that means taking a dance fitness class, learning a new style, performing, or simply finding a community where they belong.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson we’ve learned is that you can’t always plan your way into the right life. Sometimes you have to be willing to follow an opportunity, even when it doesn’t look anything like the path you originally imagined.
Rick spent years pursuing musical theater because he believed being a professional artist was his dream. When that career ultimately left him feeling unfulfilled, he walked away from the arts and built a career in banking. At the time, it felt like he was leaving his creative identity behind. Years later, dance fitness brought him back to the arts in a completely unexpected way.
For us, that experience has shaped how we approach Dance Fitness Tempe. We’ve learned to stay open to possibilities, take calculated risks, and not be afraid to change direction when something isn’t working.
We’ve also learned that community is more powerful than trying to build something alone. Rick’s classes grew because people connected with the experience, not because we had some perfectly executed business plan. When we opened Dance Fitness Tempe, we wanted to create that same sense of belonging for both participants and instructors.
Most importantly, we’ve learned that success isn’t always about reaching the goal you originally set. Sometimes the goal changes as you grow.
Rick once wanted to change the world through musical theater. Today, we get to impact people through dance, creativity, social media, and community.
Our biggest lesson is to find what moves you, be willing to evolve, and don’t be afraid to follow where it leads.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dancefitnesstempe.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancefitnesstempe
