Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Warren. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Odyssey Dance Co. (ODC) is an elite-training youth dance company in Maitland, FL. ODC was founded in the Summer of 2018. Owner, Nicole Warren was teaching recreational dance locally when multiple studios in the Orlando area were transitioning, closing, or not being managed properly. A group of loyal dance parents of Nicole’s reached out to her when she left a poorly managed studio, asking if she would start a company for their children and thus, Odyssey Dance Co. was founded. Owner, Nicole grew up with a basic foundation of ballet, jazz, and tap dance but never felt that she was being challenged or pushed to her full potential. It was a long-time dream of hers to have a dance company that focused on the quality of dance vs. the quantity of dancers enrolled, so the focus for ODC became the overlying motto of the company: ‘Creating Artists, One Dance at a Time,’ in an effort to maintain the integrity of dancers being artists of storytelling, athletics, quality of technical movement and connected emotions. Prior to COVID-19, Odyssey operated like any traditional recreational dance studio with a beginner competitive dance team; when COVID hit, all of that changed. Nicole found herself completely changing the business model when 65 out of 80 enrolled studio dancers dropped out due to the pandemic. At that point, Nicole realized an opportunity; instead of focusing on the lost enrollment, she focused on the dancers and families who ‘stuck it out’ and decided solely to remodel the company and focus on the ‘dedicated and committed’ daners. This meant, the dance enrollment numbers and income ratio may be smaller, but the output and energy on the dancers’ individual and group growth became the main forefront focus effort: growing a small novice group of dancers to an intermediate level in just two years. The overarching goal of the company is to first focus on team building, something our youth so desperately needs, especially with the evolution of technology pulling away from interpersonal relationships. Focusing on the art of dance and the relationships it builds creates an environment of strength and support that comes from having a close-knitted dance company: friends/teammates first, competitors second. There’s so much competition in life, Nicole wanted to focus on the most important things first with her dancers: relationship building which fosters respect, humility, love and acceptance.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Aside from the obvious answer: Maneuvering and Managing the highs and lows of COVID-19 negatively affecting all arts organization’s across the country; Odyssey is a young (only 4 years old) dance company and all the dancers are 15 years old or younger. How is this an obstacle or challenge? Orlando is a hot spot for the arts, in particular dance studios of all levels; these youth dancers can literally go anywhere to train. So, why Odyssey? It’s a daily challenge to keep our dancers training to the highest level the dancers can manage in their novice/early years to be able to continue to compete against studios and competitive teams who are more established and have been in the dance studio/ competition industry for many years. The dancers see social media postings of elite level dancers and want to be that… But, dance is a commitment, it takes years and years of training to become an elite dancer. We motivate our dancers not with awards from competitions (which of course everyone still loves), but by uniting and connecting as a team- a unit of individuals working together for a common goal that eventually through fostering relationships turns into a family… Nicole is proud that regardless of their years as a dance company, the future is bright and their efforts are not in vain; Odyssey already is home to multiple State of Florida ‘title’ dance winners and the company has received specialized studio and choreography awards to recognize that though the company is tiny, the team is mighty.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Nicole Warren identifies first as an artist, then a dancer, teacher/mentor, choreographer, philanthropist, business owner, and author and advocate. She has been in the dance arts her entire life and has taught, choreographed, and performed all over the state and country. In 2016, Nicole founded Central Florida’s first inclusive non-profit dance organization; Chance 2 Dance, Inc. The relationship between her nonprofit organization and ODC has helped Nicole evolve into an active community leader who has fundraised hundreds of thousands of dollars for inclusive arts for the special needs and underserved community as well as learning the true meaning of inclusion and acceptance through the relationship ODC and Chance 2 Dance have as ‘sister’ dance companies; fostering traditional, typical dancers to learn to work and collaborate with individuals of unique abilities. Nicole is also an inclusive advocate and has written 2 children’s books regarding breaking down traditional stereotypes in the children’s literature world and is a multi-community Orlando business award winner. Nicole is passionate about equal arts outlets for all and believes dance is for everyBODY and wants to help create a community of love and acceptance through her arts efforts in the non-profit and for-profit dance worlds.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Favorite Books: ‘What Happened to You?’ By: Oprah Winfrey & Dr. Perry | ‘Education of a CEO’ by: Bill Yeargin | ‘The 7 Habits of High Effective People’ by: Stephen R. Covey
Favorite Apps: ‘Water Sort,’ ‘Shuteye,’ ‘Spotify’
Favorite TV Series? (I don’t listen to podcasts very often) ‘Bachelor,’ anything solving crimes, documentaries on all types of athletes and entrepreneurs and ‘How I Met your Mother’
Pricing:
- Bronze Training Package: $275/ Mo
- Silver Training Package: $360/ Mo
- Gold Training Package: $495/Mo
- Platinum Training Package: $1,050/ Mo
Contact Info:
- Email: odysseydanceco@gmail.com
- Website: www.odysseydanceco.com
- Instagram: @odysseydanceco
- Facebook: @odysseydanceco
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC08Ip8Nv9gbCP8l9je8z1AA
Image Credits
TBG Tom Photography
