You have to go out and Social Dance — Silvia Alexiev

Terence Grier:So I am here with the famous Sylvia, how do I say your last name ?

Silvia Alexiev: Alexiav

Grier:alright so let me just start with Ms Sylvia they see.

I didn’t realize how impressive, your resume was. You have done, you’ve done a lot of things in the sauce community.

Silvia Alexiev : Thank you. Yes.

Grier:So, so let me ask you this that you’re from the DC area is that correct.

Silvia Alexiev : So I’m originally from Bulgaria, okay, which is a small country in Eastern Europe right and I have been in DC for the last 20 years, give or take, I spent two years in Chicago, between 2007 and 2009. Okay.

Grier:So did you grow up, dancing, or just that when she moved to the States.

Silvia Alexiev : No actually grew up dancing I started dancing when I was six years old so I’ve been, you know, doing different style.

Silvia Alexiev : You know I did bone. For many years I competed and I switched to sell so when I moved to the DC area so us, so you know who or what introduce you to also will guide you into this originally. Yeah, so I was a ballroom girl and I was trying to make it into the ballrom world. But one day, a friend of mine took me to a salsa dance club. And I went in there with the typical standoffish format.

But as soon as I, you know, got asked to dance and the guy that I was dancing with the first question was are you ballroom so I was like yeah yeah so he you know he basically suggested that I have to loosen up my hips and everything to kind of fit it. So and I loved it because number one the people were much more down to earth and very open. They kind of accepted.

I know right away and they kind of, you know, welcome to the community and I loved it.

Ever since I joined a performance team, probably within a month of that.

Grier:So how old were you then when you first started in.

Silvia Alexiev : I mean that was 2004 so I was 20 by Okay, wow, that’s crazy. He started kind of leaving a big city. Well yeah, with the South. But I mean, wasn’t that hard for me to feel right. Yeah.

And so, I say she started 25 So how long have you been dancing 20 plus years for salsa yeah i mean i’m 41 now.

Grier:I’m just I’m so impressed with that so long that you have so much experience, if I could ask you this. What is One piece of advice you would you give 25 year old Sylvia.

Silvia Alexiev : I honestly I, if I had to go back and give advice is, you know, to someone who’s that age and just starting.

Just, you know, work hard and don’t underestimate it because it’s a lot of work you have to, to be to be good. You have to put a lot of work into it, it’s something that you have to drill, drill, drill it’s not. It depends on what level you want to be at if you even if you want to be just a social dancer, you have to do the work, you know it doesn’t work with just taking classes you have to go out social dancing. I used to go out every single day, every single day and even though I stay late in, you know, in the south of clubs then I went to my work the next day, but I was younger, so I could do that.

Grier:I say I’m a little about myself I started dancing when I was around 20–21 years old, and I saw the greatest, I guess leap in my skills when I joined a performance team, so I definitely understand what you’re saying on that.

Silvia Alexiev : Because I mean, the Performance Team is great. It’s a great. A technic technical technically speaking you you get a better dancer. You know, because you work, you work on the technical side of it, but you if you, you could be a great performer, and you could be really bad at social dance, because I had that right in front of my eyes the people, my teammates in the performance team that I was, I was the only person who was a good social denser because I literally went out and social dance every, every day because it’s one thing to memorize a choreography. Truly, the same person so Trina you you you know each other you know exactly what’s going to be happening every second. But when you go out social dancing you dance with different level partners you dance with people that have studied for learn Tulsa, who knows where. And you have to adjust to whatever, you know, you get presented to and, you know, you have to be able to to handle that. That’s so true. Yeah, I mean, I always say, because if you only want to be a performer. Yeah, absolutely, like, you know, it’s a lot of hard work and it’s a totally different thing that going on stage, you have to go through an entirely different experience. But a lot of people actually refuse to be a part of performance teams and and to perform because they just want to. They don’t want to be tied to a choreography because it doesn’t really have a practical application, performing is great I was very competitive. I know, growing up I that’s all I wanted to do. Okay, and compete. But, you know, the reality is you you don’t, you know you’re not going to make a ton of money, you know, being self support for far less you were like, I don’t know, Jr. and Emily or a famous, but you know it’s it’s the social aspect of it, that actually led me into, you know, starting this business and and having a successful business because what we do is mainly we teach people how to social dance and we take people that say oh I have two left feet.

But you know our program is very structured and we take them from zero to, you know, until they are very comfortable social dancing wise, and they go on to different places they social dance. They take other classes and so on and so forth.

Grier: I understand that completely, I definitely want to. I didn’t want to talk about your dance studio, I did my research on it but I want to ask you about this.

At one point, you were a TV producer for NASA is that correct. Yes, that’s correct and 10 years okay to which you never give up your love of dancing. so to the individuals who to people out there who are. I guess hesitant to, I guess, to quit their day job and pursue like their dreams, what would you say to them.

Silvia Alexiev : I would advise if you have any, what I would say is I don’t I is actually a very scary. Yes, yes. And I completely understand why people are hesitant because the only thing you have to be realistic about it is, people always say follow your dream dreams, no matter what just throw out everything and follow your dreams. Yes, I mean, in the movies it.

Grier:Right.

This is real life.

Silvia Alexiev : But you know, you also have to be realistic about it because let’s face it, if you do quit your daytime job you gotta know what’s going to pay you read what’s going to pay your bills, we know, whatever else you’re doing in life so I didn’t, I mean, trust me. If it was up to me I would be a dancer, my entire life set starting at six years. I wanted to do, but then of course, my parents were like, you know, that’s not going to get you anywhere. You know what kind of money you’re going to end, you know, they, they, I proved them wrong, because you can actually have a very successful business with your passion, but but to get to that, before you make that leap, you have to make sure that you have something that will support you while you’re making that jump, so it was a very scary move, not to mention I actually liked my job. It was you know it’s a creative job that’s what my education is a now. I have a master’s degree in film and video. Okay. And it’s a hard job to get and I accomplish that it was an effort, especially for a foreigner. So, it was, it was, I had to go through a few extra steps. And I was really good at it I was the lead producer, I worked with missions like really big missions at NASA and I travel to rocket launch sites and interviews and things like that it was very exciting, but it was also the bureaucracy and the political side of a, kind of, you know, kill the creativity a little bit, you know, although NASA is a great place to work at it’s more creative than a lot of other government institutions. But, you know, it was at a point where I was ready in that I had been working on developing my business and clientele. And I also have web design background so I was, you know, I created my own website I optimize it I had the clients that were coming into my first to you which was in the basement of my house.

So it wasn’t like I, you know, jump into this, you know, with with nothing. I literally just you know transferred my business from the basement to this large studio that we have now. And it was, it was a very scary move because you’re left without the benefits you left without insurance will be left in all sudden, you’re on your own, is when you go to the store and you’re like I want to buy something, but I know I’m not going to get that steady paycheck and it’s all on you. Yeah, so absolutely follow your dreams. But just be, have a good head on your shoulders and, you know, make sure that you can make it because it’s the worst thing like you can have the best dream and can be very passionate about something, but it’s especially in this in the dance world. It’s hard. It’s very hard because people don’t take you seriously, unless you are some amazing talent Yeah, someone will see you and cast you hire you right on the spot but it’s it’s very hard. So, It’s just that the nature of, you know the nature of what we do. I mean even now, my former colleagues at NASA they don’t understand what I’m doing, dancing all day.

What do you really do like do you have a second job to support yourself I’m like no like running a business you are this is your business owner, definitely. Yeah, it’s more than a full time job and a lot of people don’t understand my decision because I had a you know a great job I worked at NASA like my relatives were like you’re crazy you’re not going to be able to say that you work at NASA anymore and like, say that you work at NASA doesn’t make you happy. So true.

Grier:What, what lessons have you learned from dancing, that you can translate your everyday life.

Silvia Alexiev : Well, I always tell people that dancing has literally changed my life, and it has been there for me in the hardest moments of my life. So, not only, it is a positive experience when you’re going through some something card in your life, when I was and I went to my dance class or to my rehearsal, everything just seemed less scary and as impossible. So, it has, I’m not exaggerating it’s like, it’s a very positive experiences positive energy it’s you surround yourself with great people, you, you have something to look forward to, even if you’re having a bad day.

So, and the other thing is that we try to tell parents you know when when they’re not sure you know their kids should be dancing. It’s a very important life skill because when you go to a dance class, even with our adult students when they walk in here they’re very intimidated and they’re worried Oh my God, I was going to be laughing at me, and they walk out and they have a huge smile on their faces and they’ve met new friends, they socialize and they go out.

And so overall, it’s a very very positive environment. Just because that’s what dance is using.

You know connection between people.

But you know what we try to tell parents is like it teaches you to be more outgoing and it definitely helps your with your self confidence, I, I grew up with a very low self esteem and dancing is the one thing that helped me go out there you know so it’s not easy to go out on stage but when you go out on stage and next thing you know, you’re not so shy speaking in front of public right you know and and that’s crucial for a lot of people, you know, even if it’s not, if you even if you’re not a dancer for life. You could definitely benefit from, you’re just you’re just less intimidated in front of people. You’re more outgoing, you’re more social you know how to, you know, have a conversation.

And so it’s a very important life skill.

Grier: I guess I haven’t looked at myself and it does make you more social I just want to add to that I definitely agree with that 100% with me being lead on when I go to social media knows it’s normally the lead that goes out and ask for the dance first so it’s the whole experience you know it helps with it.

Silvia Alexiev : Oh yeah I mean especially for for guys i mean i also I mean for the ladies that we also tell them, always tell them, there’s nothing wrong with a lady going and asking a guided Course not. Of course not.

I mean, like, especially in this country. I have never. It’s really like the guys are going to look at you like, Oh, yeah, but you know in my country is different. If you go back, you know, when I go back home. I just sit there on the side and wait for people to ask me because it’s just not accepted and when you go and ask someone is cuz taken the wrong way. So there’s an actual source sustainable Gary.

Grier:What is your mentality. When it comes to challenging and overcoming obstacles that because you have a business and I know that has that has been very difficult for you so what has your mentality been throughout this whole endeavor of yours.

Silvia Alexiev : Always On to the next thing you know it’s like if you stop the cycle and you you know you just stop and drill and one thing exit especially for me I get bored and I always look for the next challenge.

So even though I know it’s going to be hard like right now for example we’re working on opening a second location Wow, okay. So, I know it’s going to be more stress in addition to this two plus two kids and so on and so forth. But, you know, you never know until you try it I have a good support system so again like I’m not going into it. And the hand, like, you know, I have the model that I would just apply to another location.

But yeah, I mean always kind of look into what’s next because you have to challenge yourself if you if you don’t challenge yourself, then you’re just going to be get depressed and not happy.

Grier:This I want to talk about the dance. Because, if I’m not mistaken, you have the largest Dance Studio in the DMV or is that is that correct.

Silvia Alexiev : That is correct, although some people may not like it when I say it but we are actually the largest so you that focuses primarily on Latin dance, there are there are a lot of other studios like joy emotion and other, you know, big chains nationwide change but they you know they they have a different focus. We are the only the only studio that focuses on Latin dance, primarily for adults is specifically salsa bachata that sometimes people were surprised that they asked, well what other styles Do you offer we we literally just teach salsa bachata in a little bit of marrying. Okay, okay.

Grier:And you originally started, everything was started in your basement your house basement is that correct.

Silvia Alexiev : Yeah, my first ever my very own first studio was in the basement of my house the prior. Prior to that I taught it other studios, but that was the first studio that I owned was in the basement of my house. Yes.

Grier:And so, so you go from the basement in your house to this beautiful building you are now but, and all that started in 2014 quick when you had a crowdfunding campaign. Is that what you did.

Silvia Alexiev : Yes, so we had a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for to build out this new space because this was an empty shell. And we had to literally build it from having nothing in the space to even building the walls.

Yeah, so we, the crowdfunding campaign was a very small fraction of, you know, the funds that were needed to build the space but we also want a grand government yeah so we wrote the story the application, and we got approved for an $85,000 grant. So, let me see about that crowdfunding.

I felt as we raised over 70,000 for that crowdfunding out question is, why do you think you will was even raised that much money so I really have of what made you successful in that crowdfunding i’m glad i get i gave a lot of free classes, understand that. I literally offered 100 classes for $100.

Okay, I understand that you gave value to us what you did. Yeah, I definitely do value because.

Silvia Alexiev : Sadly, especially in this area and other areas but it’s it’s kind of, you know, there are people there. There are some people, few people that will actually come forward and say, I have more money that I need. Here’s a check for We’ve had a few times you know people donate, like, you know, 1500 dollars just like that, because they believe in what we do but you know people, people, you know, they’re not always so generous so you have to offer value to get, but like I said I mean, no the crowdfunding campaign was honestly more of a publicity to Okay, then actual fund raiser.

So we, so we got the help from the government and the rest of it was just below that was to pay.

Grier:You gotta start somewhere. I’m curious, um, what is, what is the hardest part about owning a dance studio.

Silvia Alexiev : The hardest part is finding the right people, the right people that will run the place because I can’t be everywhere at all times. And knowing that you have people that you can rely on. And it takes a while it’s a process. It’s something that I learned, you know I am not a business major, I haven’t, you know I had not have a big team like I do now. And so I had to learn myself you know how to work with people how to manage people and so that’s the hardest thing, you know the rest of it. You know I don’t, I don’t have a hard time coming up with ideas so in doing that and I have plenty of ideas, and I also have my staff that is great in supporting me and coming up with ideas and it’s, it’s not easy to get here but we definitely still have room for improvement but we’re constantly working on it so but that’s the hardest part is just finding the right team. Definitely. How big is your team currently about 20 people okay that is that is a team.

Grier:What is your favorite part about owning a dance studio.

Silvia Alexiev : Seeing how much difference, the favorite. My favorite part is seeing how much difference we make in people’s life seeing both kids and adults because people really enjoy it, and they come out of the classes, smiling, a lot of them.

A lot of them, meet new friends here.

And that’s, that’s great because especially in a city like DC social life is not, you know, it’s hard because everybody so career oriented.

So this is this is a great thing that I know that people meet new friends here and the kids are having fun and, hopefully, a few of them at least will be dancers.

Grier:Yeah, I think I told you I’m actually from Virginia, so I’ve definitely been DC plenty of times.

Okay.

Silvia Alexiev : I remember you said your biggest inspiration I believe is the children’s program.

What makes that so special see their children’s program is a big inspiration because I actually my original inspiration for the children’s program was my older daughter. I, when she was three I started looking for a dance studio for to go to and I really couldn’t find anything that I liked for her and I then I thought, well, why am I looking elsewhere, we can, I can create my own program that I can design the way I want, and it’s been the inspiration, but it’s also been very challenging because it’s completely different working with children and parents. Okay.

And a lot of times you know we find ourselves educating and disciplining the parents not the kids. Okay, okay.

But it’s also rewarding you know because we see kids that started with us when they were three years old or even younger and then they grow up and they keep coming here and you see how they’re progressing and so it’s very I mean it’s it’s inspirational in that sense and I also like to see how my daughters, you know, started and how they’re, you know, my little one is just starting now. So it’s an inspiration, but also like even the, the adult program. It’s, it’s sometimes when you’re so involved with the, with the day to day items you know, and tasks of the business you don’t have the time to look back or look at where you are, where you started and where you are now but like sometimes we, for, for example, to, to get the second location or get alone or something like that we have to pull some numbers. And then when you see that you have 2500 people walking through the door every month. It’s, you know, in the background. Yeah, so you know you. This is an accomplishment. You know that.

That’s why we say the largest to you because not only, you know, the look, the the actual space is big but in terms of how much traffic we get. It’s more than any studio in the area so it’s it’s a product of a lot of many hours of course, hard, hard work, of course.

Grier:I was going to your YouTube page and you have so many social videos, which is amazing.

How has How has your YouTube channel, helped your dance to do and your business.

Silvia Alexiev : Yeah, so the that idea was thrown at me by a friend of mine, he is a kite boarder, and he said you know there’s a there’s a channel where they do this thing called trick of the week, so every week, they show a new trick, a new kite boarding trick so he was like, why don’t you do that it’s you know it’s good exposure.

And I was like I don’t know because you know I don’t like to be the person on camera, like, I’m usually behind the camera. And I was because for my job at NASA I’ve done some on camera work and you know I think people have different comments about it so i was i was very kind of uncertain about it but as I started I did a few videos and I was super surprised because I started getting comments from literally all over the world how much they liked my style of teaching how I’ve made a difference in their community that they have like groups that are taking my lessons on online. And it just, I mean, right now we have what I haven’t been on internally, but we have a lot of subscribers.

Grier:When I check it was like 9.6K subscribers. I want to say was like that.

Silvia Alexiev : Yeah.

So, I mean, we, we started like, you know, I started producing one video every week for the trick of the weekend we did that for years and, you know, it just kind of created its own following from all over the world those to me that was a surprise it was, it was kind of a shot in the dark.

And I wasn’t sure what’s going to happen, because you know there’s so many amazing salsa dancers out there. Yeah, I was like people gonna laugh at me like, but what people like and you know when you read the comments is what people like is that my teaching style is very kind of down to earth and the day like that explain things in detail as opposed to like other websites, other YouTube channels, they’re like oh here’s the fuels and if you want more go pay on the website, you know, I agree. I offer all this content for free and I’m glad to do so and I’m happy that people were benefiting from or you know you give them value so people, people are going to definitely just naturally gravitate towards you. So that’s amazing. Yeah, I mean, I like to, you know, sort of know that I’m helping the community in one way or another. We this past year we started a scholarship program for kids so we have a team of kids that we sponsor that we pay for their training.

They perform and they represent the studio but yeah we’re trying to help out kids that would normally not be able to, you know, afford taking dance classes and just trying to, you know, help them and make that dream a reality for them. That’s amazing. Can we home. I want to I want to change topics and I want to talk about your your dance team is called Erica, is that correct.

Grier: Yeah so amiKa.

Dance Company, how no problem.

Silvia Alexiev : Yeah, I started that in 2008 in Chicago actually that’s where the original AmiKa was.

And then when I moved back to DC.

Actually I didn’t want to do it that much just because it’s, it’s a lot of work.

So, I, but then a few of my students that were actually later became the first social to be instructors that I trained.

They were like all my case why don’t you for my group and I finally did and I called it that.

And, you know, I’m honestly I don’t know why quoted that I have a multimedia business that was more active in the back in the day, it’s called Amicus to do so I just opened.

But yeah, so I don’t I’m not the director anymore.

Yeah, so I mean it’s two in which they train in the studio, but one of my instructors is their director. She’s also one of my very first students that I had here in DC.

And so she is running. She is running the green she’s running the team right now.

So, when you were the director of the team, what, what was your favorite part about having a dentist he

will see seeing the product, you know, coming from, you know, starting from just an idea in your head and then choreographing and then seeing the final product on stage with costume and makeup and, and the reaction of the audience because you know, I’ve always been a performer and, you know, I even tried to perform with them but then I quickly realized that it’s kind of impossible to be the director and to be.

So, yeah, I mean it i mean they’re still there they’re great they this to train here in the studio they represent us.

But it takes a lot of time and it takes a lot of work so or something that I can afford this time.

I want to kind of change us, for real quick. you may be the last video, he is doing something.

Yeah, no, I actually my batteries kind of full but I yeah that’s why I turned it off.

Grier:So I want change this up, we’re going to ask you some real quick rapid fire questions. Okay.

Sure. So check this out. I want to I want you to answer these questions in , 10 seconds or less

Silvia Alexiev : Alright.

Grier:Alright so, as a child, what did you want to be growing up,

Silvia Alexiev : I wanted to be a dancer okay

Grier: okay how good of a dancer is your husband.

Silvia Alexiev : He is not good at all.

Grier:Okay. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received.

Silvia Alexiev : The best piece of advice is that everything will work out.

Grier: What is the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received.

Silvia Alexiev : That dancing is not going to get me anywhere.

Grier:It might be obvious what is your favorite dance style.

Silvia Alexiev : My favorite dance style, Believe it or not, nowadays is bachata.

Grier:You are stuck on an island for five days you can only bring three items, what are they.

Silvia Alexiev : Well it’s gonna be funny, but I can’t live without my computer.

If it’s an island I’ll bring my kite boarding gear because I’ll find someone to come on board.

And I have to bring my kids, even though they’re not an item.

Grier:What is your favorite dance, Congress to go to

Silvia Alexiev : the LA sales Congress, okay
Grier:okay and what is one tip that you can give to someone that will instantly make them a better dancer.

Silvia Alexiev : Go out social dancing. As much as you can.

Grier:Okay, you, you did a perfect job on this questions. Yeah. Alright. So I want to end it with just honestly a couple more questions. Anyway, um, what advice can you give to people who are stuck in that beginners rut, and you know trying to get to the intermediate level.

Silvia Alexiev : Okay, yeah. So we deal with that all the time because people nowadays they will they want to advance very quickly, and they don’t have the patience or mostly they have like a false sense of self esteem. So they they think they’re better than they are. And I would say, you should not be afraid to call yourself a beginner salsa dancer for a while because you.

It’s, it’s all about you know how we say like you are what you eat. So with with salsa dancing is like you are as good of a salsa dancer, as. How many absolute beginner classes you’ve taken Okay, or how many hours you’ve spent drilling the absolute basic moves and steps because if you don’t have that foundation.

And I’m not talking just about memorizing the steps and where your foot is on a recount, I’m talking about actually being comfortable, or being able to find the own one or two or whatever style you’re doing without a problem like hearing a song and knowing, would be to step on, you know, not only knowing the steps but also look good doing it because you if you are, if you’re even, like a beginner student. But if you throw out a basic step with some styling and some flair. I mean, I would much rather I would much rather dance with someone like that then someone who knows 150 moves, but is executing them like a robot like there’s no you know there’s no kind of feel, you know, you got to develop not only, you don’t have to like you don’t only have to memorize but you have to develop the feel for it you have to, you know, hear the music and music has to like make you want to dance and it has to look good.

So, basically, don’t be afraid to drill, drill, drill the beginner levels for, for as long as possible for as long as your instructor tells you to. And in, in along the way, you have to go out and social events I mean that’s you learn more social dancing then you ever learning classes, probably that definitely view that.

Grier: When I say the word musicality.

Silvia Alexiev : What does that mean to you is the hardest thing that we have to teach

people either have it or they absolutely don’t have it.

So, it’s like, it’s the hardest thing because they’re like, I can you know i can’t i don’t know what the on one like I don’t know where on one is and and we’re like, Well, nobody has written books about it because you can’t, it’s it’s it’s more of a feel.

And it’s something that I can like give you in theory and a lot of people care, especially in this area there so technical there it or accountants or lawyers, they look for you like literally like implanted in their brain, and you give them some kind of magic formula that will always, you know, but what I will we tell them is basically Close your eyes and feel the music and try to, you know, move with it like if you were in a nightclub and you hear a song. What is your body tell you to do. So this is, you know, this is like one of the other approach the more technical one of course is, you know, learning to listen to the different instruments in the music but guess what like not every song has the Clavell want you know not every song. You know, so it’s it’s more of a few and it’s the hardest thing to teach but you know people make progress so it’s it’s doable not nothing is impossible. If you can, if you can walk you can then. How often have you seen any TV, we can walk you can dance.

Grier:Yeah, so, so the last couple of questions on what I want you I want you to really just plug yourself you know play what you have going on in your life so what is, what are some of your upcoming events that you have going on in your life or your studio. The studio. Like literally events or like major steps or.

How are both events and like major, the major stuff to come and go.

Silvia Alexiev : Yeah, so I mean generally we, we have our monthly social that we do every third Saturday of the month and we do that, mainly because we want to offer a platform for our students to come and you know mingle and practice what they’ve learned, because it’s a great like a lot of people like you said are intimidated first go out there but this is a great space because they know each other they know, you know, our DJ is one of our will actually our top instructor and.

And so, it’s a more familiar place space for them, and it’s a great way for them to start social Desi. So, we do that every month and in addition to that of course we spend months and months preparing and working on logistics and all that for our kids recitals.

So we kind of outgrew our, you know studio so now we’re renting 300 seat auditorium for our recitals and sometimes we even have more people than that we run out of. Okay, wow you’re doing a major audience matrix is amazing. Yeah. So and yeah so that’s pretty much it and then like I said, you know, the next step is hopefully opening that second location and hopefully everything will will go well with that and we’ll be able to transfer, how successful we are here to that to the new location and even more. Okay. Um, you know this one but do you know where your dance team is performing next.

They are actually performing here at our social dance party on March 16 through that they’re performing at the Baltimore Sun for Congress, and they pretty much hit all the major South Congress in the area and they started going out of town, like Houston Florida.

They haven’t been on the west coast. But yeah, that’s the next year, I mean I I’m pretty much aware of what’s going on.

People would say that I need to let go a little bit more but I’d like to, you know, be kept in the loop in the course so baby.

Grier:I guess last question ms Sylvia, how can people reach out to you how to get in contact with you.

Silvia Alexiev : Well, The easiest way is the websites also with sylvia.com and then if you click on Contact then the email desert southwest sylvia.com comes directly to me and nobody else okay and you can always call the studio and pretty much always here

During the day, so yeah but we also as far as performance teams we also have a student performance team that I didn’t mention so in addition to a week. We also have a student performance team led by one another one of our instructors.

So, we have a few teams that are representing the studio and in addition to that, a few so the directors of these teams are also dancing with their partners and performing at Congress’s, just as a couple, in addition to teams. Okay, I will.

Grier:As I have to say I really, I really really appreciate you taking the time much it is this is a great interview. You have so much knowledge and experience so serious I really want to just thank you for this.

Silvia Alexiev : You’re very welcome. I’m happy to help and let me know where we find this podcast

Grier:so yeah I’m definitely uploaded to YouTube and everything.

And I’m actually. Also, my podcast is on iTunes and Spotify as well so I’m going to put it up there as well.

Silvia Alexiev : So, and also the I would love you, you’re reaching out to me and that’s. It’s been a pleasure talking to you, of course, from every new the DC I will make you yeah you should common dance with no shoes I would love to love to have a dancer so sauces when I started with originally myself so it’s what I am most confident in so I would, I would love to dance you Sylvia I would love that. Yes, yes, absolutely, I promise you, if you can please give me a call and we’ll hook you up with a few free entries for the social. Okay, awesome

about that.

Grier:I don’t want I’m not gonna hold up ya know how completely busy you are so that I can say thank you so much for Sylvia please enjoy the rest of your day. You too. Good luck with everything and stay in touch this man, take it easy.