Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Lozano.
Sarah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m a Chicago native and have been dancing for what feels like all of my life. When I was about 3, my mother enrolled me in gymnastics at the Chicago Park District where my mother soon realized that it just wasn’t for me. She then registered me at Kathleen’s Dance Assylm, a local dance studio in my neighborhood, West Lawn. It was there that I fell in love with dance and all that came with it! I loved the discipline, the freedom of expression, the sense of belonging, and the second home and family that dance gave me. Dance became so much more than a hobby or extracurricular activity. I became hungry for dance!
By age 9, I was at the studio every day, whether I was taking class, volunteering as a teacher assistant, or training for competition, I just couldn’t get enough! With the support of my saint of a mother who made so many sacrifices for me to be able to take just about every class offered to me at Kathleen’s.
By the time I entered High School, I began to feel the separation between myself and my non-dance friends. They had time to do normal teen stuff and I always had dance. I convinced my parents to let me take a break from dance to transition into High School. This is when I met my now Husband Eric. Due to my extensive free time away from dance, my grades dropped and I got into trouble at school. I remember the car ride home from parent-teacher conference where all my mom said to me was, “I think it’s time to go back to dance.” My break from dance lasted maybe 6 months, if that long.
I continued dancing at Kathleen’s Dance Asylum until Kathleen retired and the manager took over. She changed the name to Visual Rhythm Dance Academy which was located in Garfield Ridge. Unfortunately just a few short years later it shut down.
I was now in college debating if I should pursue dance or get a “real” job that would “pay the bills.” I attended Richard J Daley College to kill time until I figured it out that if you do what you love and are passionate about, then you will succeed. I then transferred to Columbia College Chicago into their dance program where I trained under many esteemed working artists such as Dardi Mcginley-Gallivan, Liz Burrit, Zineb Charaibi, Colleen Halloran, Joanna Rosenthal, Carrie Hanson, Jeff Hancock, and so many more. Columbia’s Dance Center was over flowing with amazing teaching artists that showered their students with gems of knowledge. I was consistently inspired and challenged while there and hold that period of my life so dear!
Shortly after graduating with my BA in Dance, I got married and had my son who is now 2. All through college I taught dance at a number of CPS schools and Matli Dance Academy that was also located in Chicago. Unfortunately Matli Dance Academy shut down, which left a number of local youth without a place to dance. Sadly most of these families could not afford to send their children to a formal dance studio as Matli was a non-for profit and kept costs very low. This is when a group of mom’s got together and contacted myself and Jessica Romero to teach their children on the side because they wanted their daughters to stay together since they had been dancing on the same team for so many years. We began teaching class to these students that grew to about 30 dancers 4 days a week in a space the size of a small living room above a non-for profit community center located just off of 63rd and Pulaski.
The group of moms came to me saying that I should make it official and take over the team by opening my own dance studio. This was not where I saw myself. I thought that I would be the Artistic Director of a Modern dance company where I could remain behind the scenes as a choreographer. Turns out God had other plans for me. After much persistence, I finally agreed to getting my license and making it official. The reason I chose to do it, was because these dancers had caught the bug, that same bug I had caught as a young girl. They become hungry for dance. I knew I had to make it happen and hustle to find my students a place to dance.
Steadfast Dance Center was born September 2016 and we began renting a room from New Life Community Church, which is the church I attend, we outgrew the availability there and needed a second location so, Archer Park took us on. They have both been so supportive in our growth and am forever grateful to them for giving us a place to grow. Along with my amazing staff, including Jessica Romero, Sergio “Beest” Rodriguez, and Lourdes Espinosa, I run Steadfast Dance Center out of both spaces. Beginning May 2017, we will be running out of Archer Park full time, until we raise enough money to find a permanent home.
Shortly after I made steadfast official, I met Jasper C. Reed, the Artistic Director of The Diamond Dancers. We quickly realized that we are somewhat of a Ying Yang and decided that we should come together and open a powerhouse dance/art center.
Currently we are running a Kickstarter, The Steadfast Diamond Movement, which ends May 11th; to help us raise the funds to get Steadfast and the Diamond dancers into a permanent space and give our dancers what they deserve, a dance home. We have come so far in such a short time that I know in my heart that this is not it for us. Something big is coming and I have to keep pushing forth, not for myself, for our students, our rock star staff, and my family. I want to leave an art legacy.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. I remember feeling lowest when again I took a break from dance a couple of years after I graduated from college. I initially took the break because all I was doing was teaching dance and felt artistically drained. During that break is when I got married and had my son. It wasn’t until shortly after my son was born that I looked at my life and realized all my blessing, but felt something missing. I didn’t recognize myself anymore. Who was I without dance? For as long as I could remember dance was so much a part of me that I couldn’t separate the 2. It was who I was, what I knew best, what I loved and missed!
Having a family of my own also made me desperately want them to be proud of me. I didn’t want to be a parent who talked about how I used to be or my husband to remember who I once was. I wanted them to see me as someone who will continue to fight. I became hungry for dance again.
Dance taught me to be not only a dreamer, but most importantly a doer. I also pray daily, my faith in that God has a plan for me and will make a way if it is in His will for my life, but God helps those who help themselves. All I can do is do what I know and keep striving for more and pray that God will continue to guide my determination in the right direction.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Steadfast Dance Center is a local Chicago dance studio that provides a place for youth, ages 2-teen, to come and not only take dance classes in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, Modern, Breakdance, and Creative Movement; but become part of a dance family. It is a place where the staff knows your name, not just the students’ names but also the parents’. It is important to me that our growing dance family feels a sense of belonging and acceptance when they walk in the door. As the owner and their children’s dance instructor, I want to be approachable and transparent with my dancers and their families. I take the time to talk to them one on one to build a relationship. I want them to know that each one of our students plays a key role in making Steadfast Dance Center what is it today.
When we officially merge with The Diamond Co. and obtain our own facility we will be able to offer so much more to the Chicago community. We continue to remain thankful for our growth and look forward to our future!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Absolutely! I cannot do what I do alone! My strength comes from God, my supportive husband and my young son. I’m blessed with so many in my corner rooting for my success, my in-laws who support me almost as much as my parents do. I cannot put into words how much my mother has and still sacrifices so that I can pursue my passion. I cannot name all of the people whose words and actions inspired and encouraged me along the way. Just to name a few, Kathleen Katsoudas, if she did not pursue her dream and open a dance studio, who knows what I’d be doing. Jill Kostelnik-McNichols, who encouraged me to open this studio with words of affirmation, Maribel Vilchis, Lourdes Espinosa, Rocio Macias, and Elvia Soto who took a chance on me and inspired the opening of Steadfast Dance Center. Jessica Romero, for being my right hand in growing Steadfast artistically to what it is today. Jasper C. Reed, for seeing something more in me and believing in this vision and the future of our 2 companies coming together. Lastly my husband Eric, his artistic passion of his own is a constant reminder that I need to always be pushing for more and to never settle because when you love something you should want nothing but the best for it!
Contact Info:
- Address: Archer Park
4901 S. Kilbourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60632 - Website: Www.steadfastdancecenter.com
- Phone: (773)340-3524
- Email: steadfastdance@gmail.com
- Instagram: Steadfastdancecenter
- Facebook: Steadfast Dance Center
- Twitter: Steadfastdance
- Yelp: Steadfast Dance Center
Image Credit:
Eric Randall Lozano, William Frederking, Katie Graves, and Juan Mojica Jame-One
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