Midwest Movement Collective

Almost a year ago, Hannah and Paige were sitting on the front porch of Hannah's home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, considering what life would be like without a dance studio to call home and with the COVID-19 pandemic threatening studios, fitness centers, and dance companies across the country. "Let's just open our own dance studio," became a running joke between the two dancers...until it wasn't. In January 2021, "Let's just open our own studio," transformed from an inside joke into a registered LLC, a business plan, and meetings with commercial real estate agents.

Fast forward to May 2021, and we're ready to make serious moves. We've put in the work over the last five months to hone our vision, connect with friends and potential supporters, survey our user base, and write up an amazing business plan for a dance studio that not only serves dancers but the community as a whole.

FEATURES
Grand Rapids Business Journal

Midwest Movement Collective will be West Michigan’s first collaborative dance space for aerial and non-aerial artists and athletes. We will be offering the following types of classes:

• Pole Dance & Fitness

• Yoga

• Strength & Conditioning/Guided Fitness

• Flexibility

• Contemporary & Modern Dance

• Liquid Motion

• Dance Fusion

• Culturally Specific Dance

USE OF FUNDS

$25,000 will help Midwest Movement Collective secure a brick & mortar space in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This expense includes a lease deposit and initial rent, insurance, build plans/blueprints, deposits for contractors, and city inspection fees.

If you are interested in contributing more than $1,000 please reach out to us at [email protected] for information about private investment and profit-sharing opportunities. 

OUR MISSION

To build a dance studio that is financially profitable in order to serve a diverse community of people, and to develop a reputation within the greater dance industry/community as a valuable resource and partner in preserving and further cultivating inclusive culture within [pole] dance.

OUR VISION

A welcoming and inclusive space where the community can be built around dance and movement, and which nurtures the creative, physical, and emotional growth of students and staff alike.

OUR VALUES

1. Economic empowerment for employees via fair compensation and respect for contributions of time, expertise, and creativity. 

2. Recognition that employees are people with legal rights, real lives, and complex identities that need diverse support; therefore, commitment to training for management and accountability to all paid staff.

3. Inclusion and deep respect for all gender identities, sexual identities, races, ideologies, abilities, and other identity intersections that walk through our doors.

4. Zero-tolerance for hate speech, prejudice, and threatening behavior or language.

5. Operating in a way that is sustainable and low-impact on our Earth.

6. Respecting the cultures that creative movement comes from, and abstaining from appropriating dance and movement from other cultures. 

7. Maintaining a space where all bodies feel welcome, safe, and able to access healthy and comfortable movement.

8. Supporting students’ growth by offering diverse classes taught by diverse instructors, inviting talent and expertise from other studios and dance styles to teach in our space, and providing performance opportunities for showcasing growth and creativity.

OUR PURPOSE

We recognize that Grand Rapids has experienced economic fallout as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as heightened rates of violent crime. Providing a space that emphasizes the importance of physical and mental well-being, especially following a time when Grand Rapids experienced its most violent year in history in addition to a global pandemic cutting off vulnerable communities from critical resources, this space could not be more important. As a community-oriented business, our purpose not only includes profitability and employment opportunities, but offering skill-building opportunities and resource access to the community in partnership with nonprofit organizations and other relevant agencies over the course of our journey.

OUR TEAM

Hannah Mico has been involved in movement her entire life, from time spent as a competitive gymnast and figure skater to her love of outdoor recreation. She found dance as an adult, and has immersed herself in pole dancing, ballet, and explored contemporary dance in addition to rediscovering gymnastics and tumbling. Dance is a complement to her love for the arts and creative writing, as well as her involvement in the outdoor recreation community via hiking, kayaking, backpacking, and snowboarding. Hannah has called Michigan home her entire life, and put down roots in the Grand Rapids Garfield Park neighborhood where she serves as a Grand Rapids Park Ambassador, State of Michigan Drinking Water Ambassador, and a member of the Mayor's Next Generation Advisory Board.

Paige Gabert developed a love for movement and performance in gymnastics and dance classes at an early age. Introduced to pole fitness in 2016, Paige began taking weekly classes that evolved to an interest in competitions. Challenging herself to create intricate routines and performing on stage in front of a live audience has become a highlight in her journey as a pole dancer. Paige is a full-time photographer and has owned and operated her business for over ten years. Also a lifelong Michigan native, Paige raises her daughter here in Grand Rapids.