Meet Janine Simpson | Dancer and Studio Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Janine Simpson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janine, what makes you happy? Why?
What makes me happy? A beautiful sunny day, spending time with my family, helping people, making connections, my dance community, and dance.

And my job! I’m blessed to be able to help others and to dance almost every single day!
People come into the studio, nervous and timid about either starting dance for the first time, or like I was, 10 years ago, coming back to dance after many, many years away, and terrified to try it again.
I find joy in welcoming people into our space, helping them feel comfortable and safe to explore, learn, and grow.
I’ve met so many incredible people from all walks of life, that I would never have met anywhere else.
One of my favorite parts of the studio is our studio community, or as we lovingly call it, our “dance family.”
Walking into any new situation can be intimidating and overwhelming, but we have tried so hard to create an encouraging and supportive community. I absolutely love hearing people encourage and cheer each other on in classes.
I hope that the studio brings others the happiness that it brings me. That’s what keeps me going.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Like many people in the world, life was going along just fine before Covid. I had the best job, basically my dream job, managing a dance studio for adults. I got paid to take care of the studio and members, and take dance classes. I would leave my house grateful, excited, and happy to go to work every single day. Covid hit the dance studio hard, and the owner decided to close the Alpharetta location. Our cherished dance community had nowhere to go. We found space at a local kids studio temporarily, until the landlord of our old space offered us the opportunity to build a new dance studio in our beautiful space.
That was when Motus was born. And during this time, we saw too many inexplicable instances that showed us that we were undeniably supposed to be here in this space at this time – continuing to build our dance community for adults in Alpharetta.
I wouldn’t say that everything has gone smoothly, we’re still growing slowly, and have seen a few setbacks in the past 2 and a half years, but we’re still pressing forward with faith and determination! And still seeing small miracles along the way.
Not having a background in business, marketing, social media, or anything close, has been the biggest challenge for me as a business owner. I was a special education teacher with a minor in dance, and spent most of my life as a stay at home mother to 4 wonderful children. But with the support from my loving and patient husband and our amazing dance family, I am able to keep pushing forward, despite my weaknesses and mistakes. Never has any experience challenged me on every level. And yet, I can attest that putting yourself outside of your comfort zone – whether in a job, or in the dance studio – if you keep trying and don’t give up, you will see growth and your weaknesses will become strengths.
I am most proud of every person who steps foot into our studio and takes class. I remember being in their shoes and taking that first step, and I get excited every time they find joy.
Most days, I don’t feel like a studio owner, but a caretaker of an incredible, special place for building people up and helping them find joy and happiness.
One of our students left the studio and shared a thought with me – she had looked around during class and thought what a wonderful place we have here – where people of all ages, occupations, sizes, shapes, backgrounds, etc. can come together and dance! And how once you step into the studio, you truly become a dancer! You leave everything – stress, job, life, etc. outside – and just dance!
I thought she summed that up perfectly!
Motus Dance Studio is a dance studio for adults of all ages and levels. We provide a safe, encouraging, and supportive environment where all levels of dancers can learn and grow. We have talented and experienced teachers. We offer classes in many of the dance genres – ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, heels, dance fitness, hip hop, and yoga. We also have occasional pop-up classes like salsa, line dancing, swing, musical theater, etc.
And twice a year we have a Motus Dance Showcase to allow our students, teachers, and guest artists to perform in our studio black box theatre.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This question has seriously been the hardest to answer! I guess we’re super boring! After raising 4 very busy and active kids, we tend to be more chill when it comes to entertaining and going out with friends. But if my best friend came to town, we’d probably start the day with a morning walk down Wood road – a part of the City of Milton Trail system – a beautiful gravel road of pastures, horse farms and homes. Then catch a dance class at the studio. After class, we’d head to lunch at either Avalon, Downtown Alpharetta, or the charming Canton Street in Historic Roswell. We’d definitely window shop too. Then possibly a visit to Gibbs Garden if the weather was nice. And if it was summertime, we’d have to head up to Lake Lanier to do some paddle boarding or boating, and then catch a dinner out at either one of our favorite restaurants – M Street Thai in Alpharetta, Rickshaw Thai in Roswell/Alpharetta, District III (Vietnamese – Pho), Antico Pizza at Avalon, or Cue Barbeque in Alpharetta/Milton.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Lisa Weltsch of Street Studio was the person who brought dance back into my life as an adult. She owned a dance studio (Street Studio) for adults in Roswell. It was a gorgeous, safe, and encouraging studio that allowed me to reignite my passion for dance! She was such an inspiration to me, especially as a dancer, friend, and business owner. If I hadn’t met her, I would definitely not be where I am today.

Website: www.motusdancestudio.com

Instagram: @motusonmain

Facebook: Motus Dance Studio