In The Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts

Robin talks with Maryland native Ricky Huff, a rec studio kid turned breaker turned entrepreneur, whose production company, Huff Productions, still keeps dance at its core even as the work has expanded into weddings, motocross, and commercial projects. Ricky graduated Atholton High School in 2012, spent a decade teaching and performing across DMV studios and companies, picked up a camera in 2016, and launched Huff Productions officially in 2023.

They talk about why boys who start dance later, once they can focus on technique, often take off faster than the ones pushed into structured training too young, and Ricky opens...

Robin's latest DSO Collective Instagram video, "dance is not a sport," went further than expected and pulled in some pushback along with it.

In this episode, she and Santina unpack the actual argument: dance carries the same physical demands as athletics, then layers storytelling and artistry on top, which is why measuring it against sport sells it short rather than elevates it. They also get into why a headline can get misread even when the point underneath it isn't controversial.

From there the conversation moves to competition dance, where Santina shares what she's heard from...

Why does the teacher a dancer clicks with the least sometimes turn into the one who pushes their training the furthest? And what does it actually take to build a teenager who can speak up for herself in a room full of adults?

This week, Robin sits down with Molly Beichler, a teacher and choreographer at EMC Performing Arts Studio, for a conversation that goes well past technique, the kind you'd expect from two people who've spent years thinking hard about what a good dance teacher actually owes a kid.

Molly trained at Ballet Chesapeake...

Robin and Santina follow up on their earlier conversation about parents and studio owners being on the same team, this time with two stories fresh from the week at EMC.

A group of students wrote and delivered a respectful, well thought out email to their teachers about a combined class situation, exactly the kind of self advocacy the show has encouraged all along.

Robin walks through how the studio is responding, including a planned listening session and the search for a third teacher.

Then a parent who held back from reaching out reconsiders...

Robin sits down with Tamara Howe, owner of Tamara Howe School of Dance and founder of Ballet Salina in Salina, Kansas, for a conversation that covers her full path into studio ownership.

Tamara talks about growing up a self-described klutzy dancer who quit twice and came back both times, double-majoring in dance and kinesiology at the University of Wyoming, competing in the Miss America program for scholarship money, and an internship near the White House before landing in Kansas and opening her studio from two empty rooms.

She and Robin get into raising five kids...

Robin and Santina break down the Fall Tour, EMC's two-stop community performance series at the New Freedom Fest and the Shrewsbury Fireman’s Fall Fest.

Robin covers the logistics: rain policy and why a wet dance floor is a real safety risk, what Discovery Gym families and dance families should each expect on drop-off and pickup, and the guideline that came out of last year's chair situation, where dance families set up early and left, leaving Discovery Gym parents with nowhere to sit.

She also talks about why performing in uncontrolled outdoor conditions, heat, gravel, no...

Robin talks with Angela Hartley-Drube, who has run Live 2 Dance in a small Wyoming town for 20 seasons, built a multi-purpose venue during the pandemic, earned the More Than Just Great Dancing Perseverance Award, and recently won Wyoming Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.

Angela is open about living with ADD/ADHD, and she and Robin get honest about what that actually looks like day to day: no early morning routine, no five year plan, a figure it out as you go energy that turns out to be an asset in running a studio.

They talk about...

Robin and Santina tackle a topic that's been landing in Robin's DSO Collective Instagram DMs all season: dance parents venting about how they or their kids have been treated at their studios.

Instead of picking a side, they make the case that studio owners, teachers, and parents are on the same team, and walk through where communication tends to break down, usually when a hard car ride home turns into an 11pm email.

Robin lays out how a parent's role in advocating for their dancer should shift by age, from speaking for a preschooler entirely...

Robin sits down with fellow studio owner and friend Marty, who gave up an engineering acceptance at the University of Washington for a community college business degree and a life running the basement studio she once trained in as a kid.

Forty plus years later, she's still building on that legacy.

The conversation covers what that early pivot cost her and what it gave back, how Marty stepped back from day to day ownership without losing what made the studio hers, and how she stays visible to families even when she isn't in the building...

Robin sits down with Santina to break down the Dream Team Training Retreat, EMC's annual four-day team event held at a rented Airbnb outside the studio.

She walks through how each day serves a different purpose: Thursday's Holiday Celebration planning meeting, led start to finish by artistic director Elisabeth Simmons.

Friday's Director's Dinner, where Robin hands out awards and rethinks what a gift-giver she wants to be.

Saturday's full training day, including a live pivot after realizing the group needed more interaction; and Sunday's Rising Leaders Brunch, restructured into breakout groups so student...

What happens when a professional ballet career ends before you're ready and how do you turn that heartbreak into your greatest strength as a teacher and studio owner?

This week, Robin sits down with Jess Keller, owner and artistic director of Palm Beach Academy of Dance Arts in South Florida, for a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like coffee with a friend who just happens to have lived one of the most fascinating journeys in dance.

Jess opens up about training at the School of American Ballet, moving to Miami at 16...

This week, Miss Robin walks you through every Specialty Class EMC is offering for the upcoming season, the extras that go beyond your regular package and give your dancer more ways to grow.

From Contemporary and AcroDance to The Musical Experience, Supplemental Ballet and Pointe, Precision Tap, Leaps and Turns, and our beloved Daddy-Daughter and Adagio Partnering classes, she covers what each one is, who it's for, and when it meets.

You'll hear how we've built a clean Thursday-night pathway from 5:00 to 9:00 for technique dancers who want more, with no conflicting choices to wrestle over.<...

This is the episode Robin has been building toward for years.

For a long time, the name Tara Gladden has appeared quietly at EMC Performing Arts Studio, on scholarship awards, in essays, in the hearts of students who've wondered about the girl behind the honor. Today, we finally tell her story.

Robin is joined by her cousin Shawn Gladden, Tara's brother, for a conversation that is raw, honest, and long overdue.

Tara Allison Gladden was a shy, gentle fifteen-year-old from Columbia, Maryland: a soccer player, an animal lover, a girl just beginning to...

This week, the conversation between Robin and Santina, touches on all things understanding the Rungs of the Ladder within EMC. 

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In this episode, Ian Howe shares his dynamic journey through the dance industry, from competitive dancer to cruise ship performer, and ultimately to studio owner and educator. He offers valuable insight into the wide range of career paths available to dancers beyond high school, emphasizing the importance of resilience, adaptability, and long-term vision.

Ian opens up about the realities of performing on cruise ships, the transition from artist to entrepreneur, and the ongoing challenge of balancing creative passion with business responsibilities. He also reflects on the impact of COVID-19 on performing arts professionals and the growing need...

Robin and Santina go head-to-head with dance's most polarizing topic!

They chat about why EMC has spent 35 years intentionally staying out of the competition circuit and how that choice hasn't cost their dancers a thing.

Robin traces it back to her own training at the Baltimore School for the Arts and a marketing decision in early-2000s Pennsylvania, then dives into the real cost of "teaching to the tricks" like lopsided technique, inconsistent judging panels with no governing body, and studios chasing trophies instead of artistry.

Santina adds her own competition-world experience from...

Will Tijerina had no dance background when he became co-owner of Dance 360 Orlando. What he did have: military discipline, corporate logistics experience, and a belief that performing arts build leaders.

Robin met Will at a certified coaches training through More Than Just Great Dancing and this conversation picks up right where that left off.

On this show, we talk a lot about how performing arts training prepares students for the world. This time, we flip the script and explore how the world prepared Will for the performing arts.

They dig into what it...

In Part 2, Robin picks up the story in Pennsylvania; the historic hardware store she knew was hers the second she walked in, the nail-biting negotiation her dad told her not to get emotionally invested in (spoiler: she did), and the husband who renovated 20,000 square feet room by room. Two decades later, she's running EMC from Florida and somehow more inspired than ever. This one's for every family who's ever wondered what this place is actually made of.

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What happens when a little girl who fell in love with the stage grows up to become one of your most beloved teachers?

In this episode, Robin sits down with Meghann Potter, EMC alumna, solidcore coach, and current Team member at EMC Performing Arts Studio, for a candid, laugh-filled conversation about what it really means to grow up in the dance world.

Meghann takes us from her earliest days at a competitive studio in Glen Burnie, MD to training at EMC with Robin, to earning a BFA at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia...

Before there was EMC, there was a girl who didn't dream of performing… she dreamed of teaching. This week, Robin tells us everything: the training that changed her, the rainy morning that stuck with her, the poor choices she made, and the vision that kept her going all the way to opening her own studio at 22. The EMC Way didn't come from a brochure. It came from this. Part 2 coming next!

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In this episode of In the Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts, Robin Snyder-Wiencek down with dance educator Anna Rose, founder of Dreamer's Dance Company in Dunedin, Florida, to talk about what it really looks like to build a studio where every student can belong.

Anna shares her journey from early training (including seasons where finances were tight) to teaching in public schools, and ultimately growing Dreamer's Dance Company from an after-school program into a thriving studio serving around 380 students.

A major focus of the conversation is Dreamer's scholarship model, including the Susan Rose...

This week, the conversation between Robin and Santina, touches on the things that are happening at EMC.

Join us as we chat all things Production Rehearsals, from what they are to how they differ from regular rehearsals, the types of rehearsals that happen during these two weeks and why each matters, why this is where real growth happens for performers, physical prep for performers and their families, mental prep and what to expect emotionally during this stretch, how parents can coach without fixing, how performers should receive notes and corrections, recognizing the difference between normal exhaustion and...

What does it look like when a kid who grew up dancing, doing gymnastics, and playing guitar in a performing arts studio ends up playing professionally on Broadway in Nashville? Robin sits down with her son, Brendan Wiencek, known on stage as Gatlen Gunn, for an honest, warm, and funny conversation about the winding road from studio brat to full-time musician.

They dig into what Brendan actually learned growing up inside a performing arts environment, not just technique, but the interpersonal skills, ego management, and communication that now make him a better bandmate and professional. Plus: how...

This week, we're doing something a little different — Robin got to be the guest! She was recently featured on Living the Red Life, and the conversation was so good she had to bring it here for you.

In this episode, Robin Snyder-Wiencek, dedicated dance educator and studio owner, opens up about the transformative power of dance and its role in shaping disciplined, creative individuals.

The conversation traces Robin's journey from high school dancer to passionate educator and studio owner — including her candid realization that while she loves dance, her true calling lies in nurturing others with...

Dancer, director, choreographer, and dance educator Carrie Milliken-Euker, joins todays episode for a wide-ranging conversation about building dancers, not just performances.

Carrie shares her journey from a kid who knew she wanted to dance professionally to a leader shaping training environments where dancers of all abilities can thrive.

We talk about what great ballet education really requires: intellectual engagement, clear communication, and helping students (and even parents) understand the “why” behind the work.

Carrie also takes us behind the scenes of her inclusive, education-forward approach, from leading Susquehanna Youth Ballet to creating innovative perf...

In this candid “Open Marley Festival” debrief, Miss Robin sits down with Miss Elisabeth, Miss Meghann, and Miss Maria to unpack all the highlights from EMC Performing Arts Studio’s beloved March performance tradition.

From student-created choreography and guest-artist feedback to the raw emotion that fills the room when dancers speak about their work, the team reflects on why Open Marley Festival is such a special, intimate celebration of artistry, without trophies, scores, or competition pressure.

They share standout moments from the night (including the unforgettable “Arsonist’s Lullaby / Tied Up” piece), shout out dancers who took big...

In this episode, Robin sits down with Holly Brucker, owner and director of Saucon Valley Dance Conservatory, to explore what it really takes to build a sustainable, profitable dance studio without sacrificing your life in the process.

At just 21 years old, Holly took over a small studio with 60 students and transformed it into a thriving business serving over 300 dancers weekly. Today, SVDC is known for its strong technical training, competitive excellence, and a culture that supports both recreational dancers and elite competitors. Her choreography has earned regional and national recognition, and her students have gone on to...

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where Robin and Meghan chat through everything you need to know about Next Stage Talent Management. Think what the program is, how it can benefit your performer, and what to expect.

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Join us for an inspiring conversation with Robyn Tedesco, founder of Move With Grace Dance Studio and a respected leader in the dance education industry for over two decades. As a CEO, author, speaker, and mentor, Robyn shares her wisdom on building sustainable, profitable dance businesses without sacrificing family or integrity.

In this episode, Robin & Robyn, explore the evolution of dance education, the role of competition in artistic development, and the critical importance of core values in studio culture. Robyn opens up about her multi-faceted business ventures including Inspire Dance Challenge (Canada's premier dance competition), Amplify Dance...

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where we chat all things Spring Concert and where to find the information you need, ticket sales and how they will work this year, plus everything that goes on for our Spring Concert.

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In this episode, host Robin Snyder-Wincek sits down with Lauren Carnese-Daniels, a contemporary choreographer, dance educator, and program director whose work centers on artistic agency, rigor, and intentional movement.

Lauren shares her journey from competition dancer to artistic director of Kinetic Canvas, a unique contemporary dance production series that transforms visual art into narrative movement.

For nearly a decade, she has created immersive performances inspired by artists ranging from Van Gogh to Frida Kahlo to Banksy, offering free community dance theater experiences that blend concert dance with theatrical storytelling.

What You'll Learn:

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where we chat all things Company Auditions, what to expect, why we do them, and how important they are to our dancers progress. Plus we chat about the Accelerated Programs available at EMC.

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In this episode, Robin sits down with arts entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Chasta Hamilton, founder and CEO of Stage Door Dance Productions, and founder of the nonprofit Girls Geared for Greatness.

Chasta shares how the performing arts became a stabilizing force after she lost both parents as a child, and how that experience shaped her mission to build dancers who are not only technically strong, but confident, resilient, and prepared to lead.

Robin and Chasta dig into big industry questions, including:

Why Chasta wrote Trash the Trophies and what competition culture can g...

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where we dive into part two of this two part Summer Guide:

What happens when a 10-year-old drummer gets invited on stage at a bustling Broadway bar in Nashville?

In this heartfelt episode, Robin sits down with Urzula Lazcano to talk about her son Lucca’s unforgettable moment playing drums at JBJ’s, and how that single experience sparked a family’s leap of faith toward Music City.

The conversation weaves together life in Nashville, Lucca’s musical journey from banging on drums as a baby to performing with professional bands, and the realities parents face when supporting young artists in adult spaces.

Robin and Urzula e...

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where we dive into part one of this two part Summer Guide:

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What if dance and performing arts studios could become a direct bridge to professional opportunities without losing sight of confidence, character, and care for young artists?

In this episode of In the Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts, Robin sits down with award-winning talent agent, studio owner, and founder of Studio Talent Collective, Josephine Lancuba, for a powerful conversation about talent management, access, and advocacy in the entertainment industry.

Josephine shares her journey from performer to studio owner to representing over 500 young talents worldwide, and why she believes studio owners are uniquely positioned to...

This week, the conversation between Robin and Santina, touches on all things understanding the Rungs of the Ladder within EMC. 

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In this episode Robin sits down with Britt Mergler, Kreative Kidz Director at EMC Performing Arts Studio, for an in-depth conversation about Showstoppers, EMC’s youngest performing company.

Together, they walk families through what Showstoppers really is: a carefully designed introduction to dance company life for young dancers, typically ages 7–10.

Miss Britt explains how dancers are invited into the program (and why auditions aren’t part of the process at this age), what teachers are truly looking for in the classroom and on stage, and how performance quality, focus, kindness, teamwork, and leadership all play a role...

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where we chat:

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EMC Perform...