Starter Company Plus Spotlight: Alyssa and Deanne Service

Energetic, passionate and full of heart – three words to describe Alyssa and Deanne of Active Arts. Sisters and business partners, these two help people of all ages to be curious, carefree and have fun through the art of dance and movement. Located in Wasaga Beach, they have two spacious dance rooms that allow them to host programs, group classes and more. We are fortunate to have Alyssa and Deanne join us for our 2021 Summer Company Plus cohort and it has been a pleasure. As an organization, we love to see budding entrepreneurs chase after their goals and the SC+ program provides a bit of gas in the tank to allow them to do so.

Read on for a short Q+A with Alyssa and Deanne and make sure to give them a visit, follow or virtual hi!

A black and white photo of a group of dancers in a studio.

COMPANY BIO: At Active Arts we strive to create a safe, comfortable learning environment for people of all ages to explore and create movement. Through our variety of programs we wish to bring an affordable and accessible approach to discovering self-expression. We aim to promote self-growth within the mind, body and soul by creating a space for an artistic community to come together. We hope to get you moving in your own unique way.

What is your favourite part about being an entrepreneur?

Creating and maintaining our own artistic, accessible and affordable space for our community by doing what we love.

What inspired you to start your business?

The desire to dance and encourage others to dance in their own unique way.

A woman in a black tank top standing in a gym. — DEANNE SERVICE

A woman standing in front of a mirror in a dance studio. — DEANNE SERVICE

What takeaways are you looking to get out of the Starter Company Plus program?

Lasting connections with fellow entrepreneurs and mentors.

What services or products do you offer?

Recreational dance classes, Competitive dance classes, Day camps, Birthday parties, Youth and Adult events, Wedding choreography, Private instruction, Drama and Musical Theatre programming, Expressive Arts facilitation and rental space.

Who do you look up to for ideas and inspiration?

Mom. RuPaul. Friends and Colleagues.

What is your favourite type of dance to teach?

Depends on the day, the kids, and our own emotional state ?

A woman practicing ballet in a dance studio.

What is your favourite song to warm up to?

Dee: anything by our lord and saviour Lady Gaga

Alyssa: Hold my Hand, Jess Glynne

How did you come up with the name for your business?

We came up with the name of our business based on our belief as dance is both a sport and an art so we combined the active with the artistic. We also wanted to leave room for all of the arts instead of just referring to the form of dance as we enjoy creating in different artistic modalities and forms of self-expression.

Why South Georgian Bay?

We love it here! This is our home, we grew up here and while we both love to travel and explore this is a beautiful place to call home. With the rapidly expanding community around South Georgian Bay we also knew there was going to be more demand for dance and the arts, especially for more flexible and accessible programming that allows families to do all of the fun activities in the surrounding area.

What is one important skill every person should have?

Self-awareness and embodiment