Meet Kimberly Lewis Dance Studio and Performing Arts Studio Owner | Dance Instruction and performing arts

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kimberly Lewis Dance Studio and Performing Arts Studio Owner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberly Lewis, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I grew up as a dancer. I trained in all forms of dance all over the world so I knew my passion was in dance. When I moved to Arizona in 1990 there was not a lot of work for choreographers/dancers. First, before I decided on my future business, I knew I would need to make a name for myself in Arizona in the field of dance. At the time, there were very little business opportunities in Arizona for a dancer. I was watching the Phoenix Suns vs the Lakers in the playoffs that year. I immediately noticed the Phoenix Suns did not have a professional dance team like the Lakers did (The Laker Girls). So my though process was “I am going to start a professional Dance Team for the NBA Phoenix Suns”. I knew at the time the Phoenix Suns had a very famous Gorilla Mascot. I knew if I was going to make an impact, I would need to incorporate the Phoenix Suns Gorilla Mascot. Now, this was before cell phones and asking Siri to call the Phoenix Suns Office was not possible. I actually picked up the yellow pages phone book, found the Phoenix Suns phone number and called them directly. Of course I was immediately told they were not interested. After the first rejection phone call, second and third, I finally was put through to the game operations director. I pitched my idea to the game ops director Kenny Glen who loved my idea of putting dancers around the Phoenix Suns Gorilla – now this was the early 90’s when MC Hammer was big – so my idea was to dress the gorilla as MC Hammer and have dancers perform around him to the song “Can’t Touch This”. My next step was to find professional dancers. Because I was unknown as a choreographer in Arizona just moving to the state – I once again picked up the same yellow pages and started contacting all the dance studios around the valley. I was not able to tell them exactly what they would be auditioning for, all I could tell them was I was wanting to start a professional Dance Team that I would hope could one day perform at a professional sporting event. I had sixty girls show up at the audition. After the audition I took the next three months to train the girls. I would work with the gorilla separately teaching him his choreography. It was not until the last two weeks before the opening game that I was able to bring in the gorilla to meet the girls and have them practice together. I will never forget how excited the girls were when they found out they would be performing with the Phoenix Suns Gorilla at the opening season game. Again, this was in 1990. So…as they say the rest is history. The opening game of NBA season 1990 the Phoenix Suns played the Lakers and when half time game we surprised over 25,000 fans with the Phoenix Suns Gorillas as MC Hammer with his dancers all dancing together to Can’t Touch This. The very next morning the owner Mr. Jerry Colangelo called me to congratulate me and told me I was the director of the Newly formed Phoenix Suns Dance Team.

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?
I started my current business twenty eight years ago – Dance Studio 111. I hired my Phoenix Suns Dancers as my dance teachers back in 1994 and today in the year 2022 I still have three of my original Phoenix Suns Dancers working for me. I have an amazing team that has been with me for over thirty years. We have gone through many challenges, the most recent due to Covid-19. But we have stuck together and worked through every challenge and are still in business. I also have a strong family who have also helped me. I am proud to say that dancers who grew up in my studio, from the time they were two years old, through high school, now have their own children taking dance at my studio. I am proud to say we have the second generation growing up at the same studio their mother or father grew up dancing at. I am also proud that I started the Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet that has become one of the top Nutcrackers and was voted one of the top ten events to attend during the holiday. And another thing that makes me proud is that I currently have two teachers who work for me, that also grew up dancing at my studio, who are currently on the Phoenix Suns Dance Team….

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love my community – The Ahwatukee Foothills. I have many favorite restaurants I enjoy. I also enjoy going downtown. I love comedy shows, and all theater performances. When family comes to visit I take them to Sedona, and have also taken the train ride to the Grand Canyon. I love doing StayCations at all the lovely resorts in Arizona.

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?
A big shout out to Kenny Glen (who at the time was the Game Ops Director of The Phoenix Suns) and also to the Phoenix Suns Organization for allowing me to make a name for myself in Arizona and who took a big chance on me.

Website: www.dancestudio111.com or www.afnutcracker.com

Instagram: @dancestudio111 @afnutcracker @studio111theatercompany

Facebook: Dance Studio 111 Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet & Studio 111 Theater Company

Youtube: Dance Studio 111