Building Community, One Dance Step at a Time

When Sara Bremer moved to Roanoke, Virginia, she found herself in a new city with no outlet for her passion—dance fitness. At the time when she moved, Sara was one of five licensed instructors in a 25-mile radius and few facilities offered dance-based fitness in the area.

Sara started her journey as a business owner by teaching her own classes in the area, thinking that dance fitness “begged to be tried.” Soon, her classes grew, and she was running out of space. When the local rec center turned her down for a space, Sara decided to open her own 4,000 square foot studio in nearby Salem.

Just Dance Roanoke opened in September 2012 and has grown to include 25 daily classes, including at 5:30 in the morning. All of this growth would be difficult for Sara to manage, but she’s been using Mindbody since the beginning of Just Dance Roanoke.

“I used to use paper for a studio I worked at in Charlotte. I could not do anything I needed,” Sara said. “I needed something for my clients. I don’t know how my business would run without it.”

With help from Mindbody, Sara is able to pay her instructors based on the attendance in their classes and the time of day they teach. “I get to control my business when I’m not there.”

For Sara, controlling her business includes running it from her phone using Mindbody’s app. “I love the app. It’s awesome. When we have events, I can have someone run the register and have two girls at the door checking people in on their phones.”

It’s a good thing that Sara can run her business in so many ways. With over 25 members in attendance at each class, Sara has expanded her teaching roster to include 18 instructors.

“It’s a lot of work. A lot of people are loyal to JDR. We’re not a gym. We’re a community.”