Step Up Your Studio

About Step Up Your Studio

🎙️ Welcome to Step Up Your Studio – the essential podcast for passionate dance studio owners and dance teachers ready to grow, thrive, and make a lasting impact. Hosted by industry veterans Steve Sirico and Angela D'Valda Sirico, this show delivers practical strategies, inspirational insights, and expert interviews to help elevate every aspect of your studio—from reputation and profitability to leadership and community outreach. Whether you're looking for marketing tips, studio management solutions, teaching inspiration, or wellness practices for both you and your students, each episode is packed with actionable advice tailored specifically for the dance world. 💬 Join our community of dance professionals and get the tools, clarity, and motivation you need to take your studio to the next level. Subscribe, engage with us on social, and let's step up your studio—together. 👉 New episodes drop regularly, starting with a powerful dive into the marketing techniques every studio needs.

Publisher

Steve Sirico and Angela D'Valda Sirico

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 May 2025

Latest episode

21 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

36 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Jul 2026

   50 Years of Dance and Circus Magic with Robin Dawn Ryan - Ep 036

   50 Years of Dance and Circus Magic with Robin Dawn Ryan In this episode of Step Up Your Studio, Steve Sirico sits down with Robin Dawn Ryan, owner of Robin Dawn's Dance Academy in Cape Coral, Florida, and a true industry legend celebrating over 50 years in business. Robin shares her incredible journey, from gymnastics in Indiana to the Sarasota Sailor Circus (where she discovered her great-grandfather was a high-wire walker and her grandparents were clowns!), to trick bareback riding, aerial work, and eventually opening her studio at just 18 years old with $200 and two students. She trained in NYC with greats like Charles Kelly, Phil Black, Henry LeTang, and Gregory Hines, and she's poured all of that knowledge into building a thriving studio now serving over 500 students. You'll hear Robin's golden nuggets on staying true to yourself as a teacher, building a lasting studio culture, setting boundaries with parents, and why real acrobatics technique is more important than ever. Plus, get a sneak peek at her upcoming acro curriculum featuring over 300 tricks organized into "families," launching at the Dance Teacher Web Conference this summer. Whether you're a new studio owner or a seasoned pro, Robin's story and wisdom will inspire you to keep pushing forward. Register for the 2026 Conference & Expo! - https://danceteacherweb.regfox.com/2026-dtw-conference-expo 👉 Follow Dance Teacher Web: Instagram: @danceteacherweb Website: https://www.danceteachersummerexpo.com/ #DanceStudioSuccess #StudioOwnership #DanceTeaching #DanceCommunity #StudioGrowth #DanceTeacherLife #DanceStudioTips #AcroDance #CircusArts #DanceEducation

2. 

   8 Jul 2026

   Connecting Dance Teachers Worldwide with Sue Whybrow - Ep 035

   Connecting Dance Teachers Worldwide with Sue Whybrow In this episode of Step Up Your Studio, Steve Sirico chats with Sue Whybrow, founder of PopDance and the Dance Teacher Directory, live from St. Albans, England. Sue shares how a desire to dance to cheesy 80s pop music after having her second child turned into a global dance brand spanning the UK, US, Spain, Cyprus, and beyond. What started as one fun class in 2009 has grown into programs for adults, kids, toddlers, seniors, special needs, corporate team building, and more. Now Sue is tackling a new challenge: helping dance teachers get paid what they're worth and connecting them directly with customers, studios, and each other through the Dance Teacher Directory. You'll learn how the platform works on three levels, helping consumers find classes, teachers find work and fair pay, and studio owners find cover teachers or expand their faculty. Whether you're looking to grow your network, find subs, or discover new opportunities across the globe, this episode shows how collaboration and community can open doors. Register for the 2026 Conference & Expo! - https://danceteacherconference.com/ 👉 Follow Dance Teacher Web: Instagram: @danceteacherweb Website: https://www.danceteachersummerexpo.com/ 👉 Connect with Sue Whybrow: Website: https://www.danceteacherdirectory.com/ Website: https://www.popdanceworld.com/ #DanceStudioSuccess #StudioOwnership #DanceTeaching #DanceCommunity #StudioGrowth #DanceTeacherLife #DanceStudioTips #DanceTeacherDirectory #PopDance #DanceNetworking

3. 

   4 Mar 2026

   Episode 34: Building a Hip Hop Foundation with Geo Hubela

   In this episode of Step Up Your Studio, Steve Sirico sits down with Geo Hubela, studio owner of Icon Dance Complex in New Jersey, convention veteran, and choreographer who has worked with Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, NSYNC, and more. Geo shares his journey from breaking in the streets of Brooklyn to performing at Disney and on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew, and why he eventually came back east to open a studio with his family. He dives deep into why hip hop needs real curriculum and foundations, just like ballet and jazz, and how he's building resources to help teachers bring authentic hip hop into their classrooms. You'll also hear Geo's take on judging UDA Nationals, the importance of first, second, and third place competition culture, and his best tip for getting students to open up and freestyle. Plus, learn about his free Facebook community, Hip Hop Pro with Geo, where he drops weekly content to support dance educators. Whether you're intimidated by teaching hip hop or looking to level up your program, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical tools. Register for the expo today! - https://danceteacherweb.regfox.com/2025-dtw-conference-expo 👉 Follow Dance Teacher Web: Instagram: @danceteacherweb Website: https://www.danceteachersummerexpo.com/ 👉 Follow Geo Hubela: Instagram: @geohubela Website: https://www.icondancecomplex.com/ Facebook Group: Hip Hop Pro with Geo #DanceStudioSuccess #StudioOwnership #DanceTeaching #DanceCommunity #StudioGrowth #DanceTeacherLife #DanceStudioTips #HipHopDance #HipHopCurriculum #DanceEducation

Who has been a guest on Step Up Your Studio

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jason New
• JJ
• Emilee
• Noah Lands
• Linda Bluestein

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

2,474,347

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 57 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

77

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

0

Contact Step Up Your Studio

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.