Meet Leonardo Caudillo | Dance Instructor & Choreographer

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

Hi Leonardo, how do you think about risk?
I believe you should always take risks. You’ll never know what can happen- it goes with that saying ‘tomorrow is never promised’. Whether it’s big or small, you are still getting out there and that personal growth within ourselves is amazing. The role that taking risks has played in my life or career is that it gets me out of my comfort zone. It has built me up to have more confidence in myself and not be afraid! You should not be afraid to try. The studio would not be open if the risk was not taken.

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?
We are a new up-and-coming dance studio in the valley. It is hard to say if we are different but I can tell you what we strive for- We strive to have a positive energy in the studio where everybody is welcomed into the beautiful family we are creating. I know you’re thinking ‘shouldn’t all places?’ but you hear some stories from the dancers, you experience different environments at other studios or you even talk to adults who already grew out of a studio and tell you stories. These are the studios we are different from, these are the studios we do not want to be. It was a challenge to get to where we are today, yes we are only 7 months into our journey, but the whole process was so hard but it went by so fast. Some challenges we faced was finding a space. with everything skyrocketing and being so expensive it was hard to catch the attention of the people leasing out their space. Some lessons that I have learned (or even just reiterated to myself) along the way are to keep trying even when you think you’re failing and that hard work really does pay off.

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 would definitely take a day trip. I love the outdoors and the wilderness and just being one with the earth so exploring & going on adventures would be the ideal thing to do! Possibly Sedona or flagstaff would be our stop. I would also take them to go eat Pho ( two of my favorite spots are UK Pho & Pho 602).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It may be cliche but I dedicate this shoutout to my family. I see the hard work that my parents and my sisters do & it inspires me to work just as hard. They always push me to be a better version of myself. Also, all the students I have ever had. They inspired this vision.

I do want to also shout out everybody that has actively supported the studio. It is not easy taking these big risks but when you have great supporters you feel like you can do anything!

Website: https://www.invictusdanceproject.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invictusdanceproject/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/invictusdanceproject

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2MCk1f7_ZUVESQP0vXzp7A

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@invictusdanceproject

Image Credits
Katie Hopp Photgraphy