Meet Trailblazer Rendee Combs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rendee Combs.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started teaching in 1998 because I loved to dance and I believe dance is such a good thing for kids and teens. I was passionate about what dance did for me and wanted to share that with others. I wanted to be a positive female role model and to help kids learn that dance can teach you about life as well. I am an entrepreneur at heart and thought it would be good to own my own studio so I could make sure what is being taught to our youth was what I would want my own kids to have.

I worked very hard for 20 years and built a very successful studio (Desert West Dance) which I sold in August 2018. We moved as a family to North Central Phoenix in 2017 and the drive was just more than I wanted to do to my family.

I met Pam Cannedy who was the owner of Cannedy Performing Arts Center in Central Phoenix and I knew that was the next phase of my dance journey. I have always wanted to provide dance to more than just kids who can afford it or had the natural facility to dance. It has been my dream and goal to teach kids with disabilities or kids in foster care whose parents don’t always have the resources and finances to support it. I am currently working to get these programs off the ground including free workshops to eligible students.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road to owning a successful dance studio has not always been a smooth one. Being a woman in business is hard enough and juggling a family with a growing business takes patience and faith. I always believed in what I did and felt by giving back to the thing that helped me the most in my life was how I wanted to spend my time. And although there were times I left my family (most of the time from the dinner table or when one was sick), I knew I wanted them to see me give back to my community and others. I always tried to put my family first but when the emergencies happened (and they did) I was the one to come to the rescue. I wanted the people in my life all around to know they were important to me. And I wouldn’t give up on them. I was always fairly lucky to have people who worked with me on my side and looking out for me. There came a time when that wasn’t the case. You make adjustments and work it out. Although that is never easy. The dance world can be extremely competitive so you have to be careful to stay true to your values as a person and as a business. You can easily get caught up in what others are doing but it is important to stay true to who you are and let the younger generations see what staying true to who you are, makes a difference. You have to show up and be there. I love the quote by Theodore Roosevelt titled “Man In The Arena”. It is the best quote that sums up my time building my business. It was hard. But it is something I am super proud of.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about AZ Dance District – what should we know?
I think I am most known for making the kids feel important and that there is something special about everyone. I like to remind my students to love the thing that is unique to them and explore all the good qualities about them before setting goals in their dance journey. It is so easy to want to do what other kids can do and hard to remember that we are all made so differently but that is what makes us special and unique. I like to let everyone know that dance is for everyone and everybody. No matter what you look like or where you come from, dance can unite us.

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Right now, I love author Brene Brown who has several books out. That is where I discovered Teddy Roosevelt’s famous Man In The Arena quote which I love.

Contact Info:

• Address: 6222 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014
• Website: www.azdancedistrict.com
• Phone: 602-218-6175
• Email: studio@azdancedistrict.com
• Instagram: azdancedistrict
• Facebook: @azdancedistrict

Image Credit:
Jobrina Hofleit Photography and Phoenix Nest Photography

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