We had the good fortune of connecting with Kati Arikoski-Johnson and Jessica Kim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kati and Jess, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
As a pandemic completely alters our normal routines, as the news cycles and social media introduce constant new crises, and as our own dance studio suspends the fun programming we had planned, we are still happy. How? We have built a community of friends and dancers who have adapted to online connections – people we can laugh and be silly around without fear of judgment. We’ve maintained closeness to those we care about, even when we can’t physically touch; this is an active group of people. With distance restrictions, we can dance on cameras, make videos to be edited together, and use the special language of dancers – talking to each other without needing words, having fun and raising our synced heartbeats at the same time. While we can’t do our favorite partnered lindy hop move, the iconic swingout, we can practice with doors and scarves and still get a bit of the high that comes from fast motion, perfectly on beat, matching the chaotic energy and rounding out the constrained motions in balboa or other footwork. Turning on music at home and feeling the melody, the beats, the movement of the notes with your body without self-consciousness because…it’s a pandemic, and no one else is in the room! Travelling with music is perfection, and when we can, travelling outside amplifies this feeling. To go to isolated areas in Nature, alternately jumping from a steamy wood sauna into a frigid lake and feeling the chills and warmth and mind awakening, burrowing feet into rough warm sand and feeling grounded connection, floating on water and occasionally letting yourself fall into its cold rush. Morning walks with a canine companion, oblivious to the world’s issues and alert only to chipmunks and smells. Pausing to listen to the sound of birds trilling overhead, water lapping along a bank, and the smell of sun-warmed soil. We look forward to travelling to new places again for dance workshops, meeting and finding new friends in strangers, and expanding the dance family. At home, achieving a balance of activities that give or receive energy – giving through teaching dance and music online, baking food for drop-off’s, filling out paperwork, and receiving through listening to music creations, talking to loved ones (and loved dogs), and absorbing the sounds of the natural world around us. Knowing that you have done your best for today, accomplished things, however small…and if you did not get done all that you planned, that tomorrow is a fresh day to continue to improve our world in whatever ways we can.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Dancing at Triple Step Studios is a fun experience – you never know what silly games or jokes we’ll be putting out every night! We offer free social dances with live music bands. Just show up and hangout with friends! We throw creative parties, workshops, and events that circulate on social media for days. Our tricks and dips workshop, featuring beginner upside down and jumping moves, is guaranteed profile picture-worthy material. Most importantly, every single person is welcome. We have short, free beginner lessons before every dance to help everyone feel at home and connect with people, even before the social starts. Our pride comes from our nonprofit status – we’re here for the community! We hold two community forums per year to hear what fun projects you would like to see, and then we make them happen. Our Atlanta iCharleston video on YouTube demonstrates our partnerships across the film, puppetry, writing, and artist communities to create works that showcase our city spirit. But the thing we are most excited about? Going back to teaching and dancing with your lovely selves when we can! Does it take a crazy elite education to make a lindy hop teacher? No. But together, we’ve learned from the best dance professionals at workshops around the world, from historic YouTube videos, and from dance teachers just passing through our city. For us, it’s a no-brainer to take our years of experience and focus our classes on just loving on dance, having fun, and connecting to other human beings without that social pressure of talking! We definitely faced our challenges in Atlanta when Triple Step Studios was founded. Despite reaching out to other studios to offer cross-promotion and discounts, a few studios mistook this measure as a competitive gesture. As we quickly attained our nonprofit status and continue to focus on the joy and freedom of dance, rather than the few unwelcoming voices, we have found a strong and diverse community of dancers who are like family. Since opening our doors, we’ve found our biggest lesson to be finding our voice and when to raise it. All are welcome at our studio, except any student or donor who objects to someone’s gender identity, race, or religion – they can triple step right out the door. We’ve found strength in focusing on the positives, and we know that as a community, we have power together. Our brand…is your brand. Triple Step Studios is only as strong and as diverse as its community. Our board is multi-generational, made up of immigrants, a grab-bag of ethnicities, open hearts, and female-led. As we expand our dance programming into schools, we want the narrative set straight: we accept you as you are. Come celebrate yourself and dance with us!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Out-of-town people? We’re ready for them! First, food. Buford Highway for dumplings and the wide array of Asian cuisines, Sweet Hut to drown in buns, Madras Matra and Chai Pani for the incredible flavors, Petit Chou and Amano to feel classy, Jeni’s ice cream just to make sure we didn’t miss any calories, and Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party/Tap Room/Radio Roasters/Dancing Goats for when we need caffeine hits. Then, the great outdoors! Sweetwater Creek State Park, the Doll’s Head Trail, checking out the local paths, and getting on the Beltline for stop-offs at Ponce City Market, Krog and Krog Tunnel, and endless beer at the breweries on the West Side. Then, our guests could experience the “thrill” of MARTA to Oakland Cemetery, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, and the Carter Center. They have to experience Atlanta rush hour, so we would drive up to the Atlanta History Center and the CDC museum right before traffic hits. As for the evening, we could start with free games and beer at the Painted Duck before hitting Loca Luna/Taverna Plaka for salsa/bachata, Blind Willies and Northside Tavern for blues, Kat’s Cafe for slam poetry and live music, and of course, Triple Step Studios, for non-stop dance. Before they leave, we could catch a matinee at the Fox Theater or the incredible Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, take them for a paddle board ride on one of our lakes, and then send them on their travelling way.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Yes! First, we want to thank the original dancers – Norma Miller, Frankie Manning and the rest of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, Dawn Hampton, and some of our favorite dance instructors that we have learned from and danced with, like Chester Widmore and Per “Rock” Morgensen. Locally, we want to thank Evin Galang who hired both of us as instructors at Down South Swing and connected us with incredibly useful advice for getting this studio off the ground. Finally, our wonderful board members, who have believed in this idea from the beginning: Andrew Petillo, Grant Nunn, Kishore Devisetti, Leisa Hart, and Hank Adkison! We appreciate you!

Website: https://triplestepstudios.com/
Instagram: @triplestepstudios
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/triplestepstudios/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm1Qo3DRs28nYTJGvcdfz1w

Image Credits
For photos named: TSS Girl Group, iCharleston Newsletter, TSS Garden Hills – Credit Thien Vuong For all other photos: Credit Kati Arikoski-Johnson