Daily Inspiration: Meet Brianna Downey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Downey

Hi Brianna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I began dancing when I was 5 years old at a studio in Binghamton, NY. By the time I was in 6th grade, I knew that dance was the only thing that I was going to pursue.

I began teaching at 15 years old at the studio I danced at, and broadened my teaching experience by also teaching at a studio 20 minutes away from my home studio. After graduating, I auditioned for a professional NFL cheer team and cheered for 5 football seasons. I kept teaching in the studio whenever I could during these days, although the demand of the professional life was persistent. Cheering gave me a great deal of experience in a variety of areas, but primarily in the commercial dance & modeling world. I was lucky enough to have an incredible relationship with my coach, and she would often submit me for opportunities outside of cheer, which is how I was able to appear on the numerous television shows I’ve done (SNL, Last Week Tonight w/ John Oliver, The Steve Harvey Show, etc.) My exposure with cheer is also what landed me the opportunity to perform in India on a live TV show for just over 2 months, as well as teaching an NFL workshop in Tokyo, Japan. After cheer, I joined a professional modern dance company as a principal dancer and traveled the country performing with them. Those memories are held so close to my heart. It was a huge shift leaving the commercial world and entering the company world. I had to step outside my comfort zone in massive ways and will forever be grateful for that experience.

Then things took a shift. While operating an organization that I had started in my hometown, “The Broome County Clean-Up Crew”, a directive to clean up trash throughout the downtown area, I met Tyler. Tyler had received a degree in English and theatre from Binghamton University and had been performing in the area. He went on to take on a few roles in NYC and later worked in LA, but it just was not as fulfilling as he had wanted and so he decided to join the Army on a whim.

When you know, you know, ya know? He had been doing his thing acting in LA before he decided to join the army. Shortly after he got out of basic training, we got married and were stationed in Kansas. We did the “army thing” for 4 years and then he got out and we decided we would plant our roots here in Junction City, KS. It really is a wonderful place to raise a family and we have found our people here. We currently have 3 children, with another on the way, and we finally made our dream of owning our own studio a reality.

I do all things dance at the studio, and Tyler is focused on the theatre side of things. As of now, we are *mostly* a dance studio, but our long-term vision includes a thriving theatre program. We both see a future in economically impacting our community through our unique devised showcases that will occur at the end of each year, putting dance, acting and singing all together for a show never before seen.

We opened this past August and have been blessed beyond anything we could imagine! We have roughly 120 students in our first season, with only 30 of them being students that I have known previously. When we opened, I worried that I might have maybe 20-30 students that I had worked with previously, but over 90 new faces walked through our doors at registration and the only thing I could feel was confirmation that we were on the right path! We have made it a priority to hire a staff of highly qualified dance educators (something that I think gets overlooked in small towns, for various reasons) and we have made it our mission to “restore the truth, beauty & goodness in the performing arts.” We are focused on cultivating a deep love for the arts, whether a person wants to take the professional route (which we are equipped to help foster) or just dance because it’s fun! We also take much pride in our Adapted program which offers classes specifically for students with exceptional needs or disabilities. It’s a diverse culture at our studio, and it’s only the beginning!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s nothing stable or secure about entrepreneurship. However, we are risk takers. We always have been. I have traveled the world and made a living in the hardest city in America, NYC.. and Tyler traveled the country and lived broke out of his car by choice. We’ve come a long way, but on that journey there were numerous tough choices. Getting out of the financial/job security of the Army was one choice that took us a long while to come to terms with.

Our ability to take these risks comes from our faith in Christ. When we act and work out of the belief that the true, eternal work has already been done, we are able to see clearly through big decisions and we have been blessed greatly along the way. This interview with VoyageKC is one of those blessings.

However there are challenges to a family business. We are on-the-go very often with young kids. And it can be difficult for a married couple to also be business partners. However we believe that this will only strengthen our relationship as time goes on.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Tyler always says that my ability to build a relationship and positively impact students is riveled by none. I wouldn’t necessarily say “riveled by none” about myself, but I am aware of my giftings, I know my strengths, and appreciate the sentiment because the way I impact them is something I’m proud of & grateful for. The primary focus is dance education, and creating an environment where our students feel safe & loved, but challenged & pushed to be their best. I’m most proud of the way that I interact with children. I’ve always been good with kids, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that it just doesn’t come as easy to many adults. I’m very blessed for that. I can connect with kids on a personal/relational level very naturally, which helps bring to life the art that we create on the dance floor together. I genuinely believe that every single student I work with has something incredible to offer, and I think that’s why so many are drawn to me. One of my mentors always told me growing up that “you can never count a kid out and if you have, you have failed as an educator.” I have held that close to me always. You never know when all of a sudden everything will just “click” for a kid. I’ve worked with students for years, who by all worldly standards just seemed like they weren’t going to ever progress and then all of a sudden one day it all makes sense. That’s the best feeling in the world. And even with the kids who may not make dance their “thing”, you have no idea how the discipline taught on that dance floor, or the life you’ve spoken into them is going to impact the rest of their lives. So you treat every single child who walks through those doors as though they are a piece of gold to be treasured.. Because they are.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
We look to steward our business alongside our neighboring businesses, partnering with them and lifting them up as we rise. There’s not many community events which we aren’t involved in, in some way. We also don’t want to only lift up other businesses and organizations, but more importantly the people around as well. We are building opportunities and classes in which almost any community member can see themselves fitting into, even if for just one class. We are not just looking to have more students and more classes, financially minded, but because we are deeply passionate about the positive work that dance and performing arts has on peoples lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.activatejc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/activatedarts
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562096814079