Dance studio at Morelands achieves strong growth

Dance Studio steps it up at Morelands

A dance studio at our Morelands Trading Estate in Gloucester has completed its move into a unit five times larger, thanks to sustained business growth.

Streethouse Studios is run by Sam Shears, who first started the business aged 21, after studying dance and choreography at university.  The 28-year-old began by teaching classes in community centres and schools before taking on professional studio space at Morelands in 2014.

Two years on, the school had reached the point where it could not grow any further in its existing unit.  The dance school’s expansion has allowed it to offer additional classes and cater for more students, as well as giving it a base to grow into the future.

“We worked hard for about six weeks to get the new unit ready,” Sam says.  “There was building and electrical work to be done, and a lot of painting, to get it how we wanted it.

“Being five times the size of our previous unit, we’ve been able to make the studios larger so that more people can attend classes, and we now have a café, shop, and an extra rehearsal room too.”

Improving access

The expanded facilities have allowed Streethouse Studios to explore new opportunities and work with more people.

“Our new unit is on the ground floor and is on the main road, which helps with advertising,” Sam explains.

“Because it’s more accessible we can now offer classes during the day for young children and people with disabilities, which is something we’ve wanted to do for a while.  It also means we can offer space to be used by external groups.”

Streethouse Studios has around 200 students, aged from two to 65, and caters for all levels of experience in a range of different dance styles.

Sam says she chose Morelands Trading Estate as the dance school’s base because of the flexibility offered by Bizspace, as well as the value of the space itself.  Because no fixed term contract is required, Sam had the confidence to follow her business dream and grow the company.

“Starting a dance school had been something that had always been on my agenda,” she says.

“It has been a challenge and I’ve had to learn a lot very quickly.  There have been lots of tears along the way, but the process has been fun, challenging and exciting.”

Sam has plenty of plans for the future as far as Streethouse Studios is concerned.  Soon the school will launch competitions that will take place across the UK in different regions.  And within the next five years, Sam plans to develop the studio into a training academy, working in affiliation with a college to allow people to gain qualifications.

Business space to rent in Gloucester

Our Morelands Trading Estate is a converted match factory which retains many of its charm and original features.    The business centre offers offices, workshops, industrial units and studio space, as well as a large meeting room available to hire by the hour or day.  Mailboxes are also available.

For more information contact Business Centre Manager Jackie Houslop on 01452 311421 or email mail.gloucester@bizspace.co.uk.