Mary Lynne Normann Stephens, Mary Blaire Stephens, Colbie Normann Stephens, and Lexie Anne Stephens Brown (pictured from left to right).
Teaching Dance is a Family Affair
By Emily Parker
Teaching Dance is a Family Affair
By Emily Parker
The three Stephens sisters’ dream of owning their own dance studio in their hometown of Sanford, N.C., finally happened in 2021. Their mother, Mary Lynne Normann Stephens, ’90, said, ”When they were little, they would pretend they had a dance studio and put on a recital at any family get-together. As they grew older, they would always talk about starting their own studio. The stars finally aligned!”
Walking into their bright and beautiful space located off US-1, you see the welcoming environment they have created. Their studio logo features three dancers showing different dance genres and their goal is for everyone to have a sense of belonging. The studio is in the former YMCA and large enough to give them room to grow their business. Since opening their doors in August 2021, they have almost doubled their enrollment from the first year. Their initial goal was to have 50 students in the May 2022 recital. They had 250 and as of September 2022, have 430 enrolled students ranging in age from 18 months old to adults.
How have these three sisters created this space teaching dance? Their drive, passion for dance, and desire to give their community many of the wonderful life lessons they received growing up are key. Add in their mother, who helps them run day-to-day operations, and it truly is a business run by strong Meredith women.
Lexie Anne Stephens Brown, ’15, Mary Blaire Stephens, ’17, and Colbie Normann Stephens, ’20, either majored or minored in dance at Meredith and all began their formal dance lessons at age two. Lexie Anne was a dance major and received her K-12 licensure to teach dance in public schools. She interned at Leesville Middle School and after graduation, she taught at Jordan High School in Durham and then started a dance program for Lee County Schools in 2016. Mary Blaire majored in business administration with a concentration in human resources and minored in dance. After graduation, she worked in inside sales and coached the Cardinal Gibbons High School Dance Team until moving back to Sanford in 2019. She continues to work in human resources for The Select Group in Raleigh. Colbie Normann majored in business administration as well and minored in finance and dance. After graduating from Meredith, she worked at The Normann Financial Group until making the studio her full-time position. Her love of teaching young children has led her to volunteer in public school classrooms when time allows.
Strong Meredith Connections
The sisters’ varying majors and minors give them the skills to run their business. Colbie Normann’s finance background allows her to handle all finance and accounting operations at the studio. Mary Blaire’s human resources experience has aided in writing the handbook, employee contracts, and managing staff, and Lexie Anne’s varied teaching experiences provide the capabilities to handle every aspect of any classroom.
And when they have questions, they call Meredith professors who have mentored them. Eleanor Smith, an adjunct professor in dance, has been a mentor to all three of them and came to their first recital in May. Mary Blaire said, “I was having K-1 class issues and I called her for advice. I really appreciated her help.”
All three sisters credit both Smith and Carol Finley, professor of dance, with helping and encouraging them while at Meredith and in their business endeavors.
Family Matters
The Stephens sisters have learned that working with your sisters has a lot of dynamics and advantages. “We can talk to each other like sisters and not co-workers,” said Colbie Normann. “So many decisions we have to make and just move on. We may not all agree with a decision but we have to move forward,” said Lexie Anne.
Other teachers at the studio are like family too, according to Mary Lynne. Their teaching staff also consists of Meredith angels: Kayla Jane Smith, ’19, Kirby Forbes, ’19, and Kensey Covert Taylor, ’17. Lakyn McGlamery Holder attended Meredith in 2015-16 and graduated from Appalachian State in 2019.
“They are all like my daughters and it is nice to share the bond with them that Meredith instilled in us,” said Mary Lynne. Colbie Normann says the Sanford community is very supportive and Lexie Anne said they heard after their open house, “We saw you graduated from Meredith College and we wanted our children to attend classes here.”
Mary Lynne’s grandfather, Oscar A. Keller, Jr., knew how important Meredith and dance were to her and her daughters. In 2016, Keller made a six-figure gift to support renovations to the Fitness Center in the Weatherspoon Complex. In gratitude for the gift, the dance studio was named the Oscar A. Keller, Jr. and Elderlene R. Keller Dance Studio.
“He loved Meredith College. It is such an honor to see the plaque outside the dance studio. It means so much to our family for his name and my grandmother’s name to be on campus. A part of them is always there,” said Mary Lynne.
Every month they hold a service project that all students are encouraged to participate in.
“Their great-grandfather was a shining example of what it means to give back to the community, and the girls have made it one of their main priorities at the studio to teach their students how important it is to get involved with giving back as much as possible,” said Mary Lynne.
The Stephens sisters cherish their time at Meredith, appreciate the professors who have supported them in opening their studio, and look forward to continuing to grow their business. Their goal is to always teach students that dance is not only good for their bodies and mental health, but will also build their self-confidence and teach them perseverance, creativity, and determination. They strive to build a strong foundation for dance that will inspire many generations to come.