Check Out Christy Curtis’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy Curtis.

Hi Christy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I opened CC & Co. Dance Complex in the summer of 2005. It has been my life’s work to create a welcoming, positive, and open space for all children to enjoy dance from the youngest beginning dancer to the most experienced professional dancer. I started dancing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1974 and began teaching dance in 1985, and I have never stopped! Upon moving to North Carolina, I attended East Carolina University for dance and then transferred to NC State. Dance has been my passion and my joy.

I was an assistant at the very first Jazz World Congress in 1990, and I have assisted some of the top teachers in the country, as well. I have had students who have gone on to dance in college, dance with national tours and companies, open their own studios, perform on Broadway, and perform on TV shows, including two top 10 So You Think You Can Dance contestants. My students have earned numerous accolades and national titles every year!

Some of my students are the most sought after choreographers and teachers in the country, but I find the most pride in the fact that I have “grand students” and families who have been with me for over 20 years as well as numerous staff members who have been with me since they were children.

The “CC family” is not only students but also my mother, who moved to Raleigh seven years ago to work at the studio and run CC’s Danceshop, our dancewear store.

It is my hope that all dancers will find their dance family at CC and Co. and experience the love of dance in their hearts!

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?
The COVID-19 pandemic created and allowed for many firsts and challenges, but I have always believed that “struggles” are opportunities to grow with the right mindset. Leadership looked different during the pandemic, but it allowed me a chance to equip my team in a new way, to see their gifts and talents at work in a different way, and to lead them through a difficult time with grace. In any business, you are going to have to overcome challenges and obstacles, but if you have built a team around you who believes in your mission and who knows that you are standing behind them, you really can navigate even the toughest situations.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My life’s work hasn’t just been dance, and it hasn’t just been building my business. My life’s work has been to find the place where dance and business intersect, where I can use my talents and skills to develop the talents and skills of my team, to then bring out the best in our students, create a positive environment for them, and cultivate their bodies and minds to be strong, with dance as our medium. What started as a love of dance has turned into a love of my CC & Co. dancers and families and a passion for watching them come alive on stage and in the classroom. As I have stepped away from the classroom and more into the business side of things, I have been able to see CC & Co., our dancers, and our staff in a new light, as well.

My work is to support and develop my team and design and build programs that will cultivate a love of dance in another generation of dancers so that they can use dance in whatever way they need it in their lives — to seek out a community, to find their profession, to stay active, to find a role model, and so much more.

How do you define success?
Success is a tough one for me. It used to be running a good business, leading a great team, having quality time for my husband, family and friends, and all the while making time to find joy within myself. However, just when I thought that I was successful, I would realign and dangle the carrot further away (set my goals higher) and I’d never quite achieved it. In realizing this, I now find success in the beauty of my life from day to day. I am able to slow down and be present in all of the moments I create for myself. My work aligns with my life’s purpose, and I look at life with curiosity, joy, and gratitude for my husband, family, and friends that are forever loving and challenging me to be the best version of myself.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@cccodance.com
• Website: www.cccodance.com
• Instagram: ccco_dance_complex
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCCoDanceComplex
• Twitter: @ccco_dance
• Youtube: ccandcodance
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/c-c-and-company-dance-complex-raleigh?uid=iiHOeTUots4z3Ddc8hyUKA&utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Image Credits
MEphotography Marleen Melendez and Elissa Edwards Photography by Bob Stuart Jen Robertson Photography