In 2011, I started Fusia Dance Center and became a business owner for the first time in my life. There were so many things to learn and do, but I went for it at the young age of 24! I’ve always been a “do first, think later” kind of person, so I truly just went for it. We had 60 students our first year, and we are now about to finish our 13th season with over 450 students! No dream is too small, and if you really believe in it… you can achieve it. It truly is that simple. Whatever we put our minds to, we can achieve.
At the same time I opened the studio, I called one of my best friends and dance partners and asked him if he wanted to start a dance company. What do you know—we’re also on our 13th year! From the start, I knew that if I was going to run a business, I wanted to make sure I was creating and nurturing my own artists. Boy, has it been an amazing ride running the Drye/Marinaro Dance Company with one of my best friends and like a brother to me! Phew! Doing all of this at the same time was wild, but that was me—a lover of chaos and “busyness.”
I always loved teaching dance as I started when I was just 16 years old. I always felt like I wasn’t very good with words but movement was my language and I loved to teach young lives how to express through movement. Dance is joy, storytelling, strength and just so much more. Dance is absolutely the hidden language of the soul as the famous Martha Graham would say. I knew since I was a little girl that I wanted to dance and that has never changed, in fact, it is more clear now than ever.
In the spring of 2013, after marrying the love of my life, I became a mom to the sweetest little boy, and wow did that put a spin on things. I remember having so many big feelings of self doubt and worry about how I would juggle the #momlife, #businesslife and still be an artist too! It was such a big moment of change but I was ready. I always have this faith in me that God puts us right into the places we are supposed to be and I was ready to be a MOM. This was the greatest gift I have ever received land everything just gelled together in a very sticky but beautiful way. A beautiful disaster that continued to grow as I became a mommy to three beautiful girls over the past few years as well. What a crazy wonderful ride!
After all the experiences the past 13 years in both business and family life , I learned (and am still learning ) to live in the moment more fully. To just be where we are in that moment and at that time. To be present truly is the greatest present one can give to themselves because if we don’t, well then time just flies by and our memories do too. I know there are so many moments I wish I could go back and relive even for a few seconds, like when my babies said “I love you” for the first time. It just all goes so fast. So here on the blog I want to share stories and ideas that can hopefully help to look at life with a different perspective. To stop living in the survivor mode and to take ownership of our JOY and our whole BEING.
Fran Beau Life 