‘I’ve dreamed about this since I was 5.’ Penn State student to open dance studio in Happy Valley
A Penn State student from New Jersey who is set to graduate Friday is keeping her feet in Happy Valley so she can teach people what to do with theirs.
Bri Clemente announced Monday her plans to open Lucky Star Dance Company, just days before the 22-year-old is set to receive her diploma. Opening her own dance studio, the first-time business owner said in a statement, was a “lifelong dream.”
”Staying in the area was a big factor in my decision,” Clemente said. “Coming here for school, I fell in love with Happy Valley and so did my family. I knew I wanted to stay if I could. While there are wonderful studios here, I saw an opportunity to bring a unique approach and new offerings to the area.”
Dancing has been a constant in Clemente’s life since she was 3 years old. That continued when she arrived to University Park, leaving her searching for an opportunity to teach at a local studio.
She worked for more than two years at Hot Styles Dance Company in Bellefonte, where she taught a range of classes and coached the studio’s competition teams.
That job, Clemente said, helped her realize her “true calling.”
“Working with my academic advisor, I was able to customize a major and focus the rest of my coursework on things that will help me to succeed as a business owner and teacher,” Clemente said. “At the same time, I took advantage of the huge growth in online courses during the pandemic to further my own education in dance and choreography. I developed my business plan and began looking for space, and things began to fall into place.”
Her about 2,700-square-foot dance studio is at 1510 Martin St. in Ferguson Township. Minor renovations are ongoing.
Classes are expected to be available for children, college students and adults. Styles include ballet, tap dance, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop and improv.
The business’ grand opening is scheduled for June 13.
“When I signed my rent papers, I was like, ‘OK, I owe this money for the next few years. I better make it.’ There’s that determination, that passion and the willpower to even take that leap of faith,” Clemente said in an interview with the Centre Daily Times. “... I’m going to have highs and have lows, but I’m so proud that I’m even going for it and excited for what the future has in store. That’s the biggest feeling. I’m absolutely terrified and absolutely excited because I know that I’m going to put everything I’ve got into this to make it happen. I’ve dreamed about this since I was 5. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”