Meagan Barabash has always loved to dance and her passion has taken her to new heights. She said she never dreamed that in creating her own business, The Bravo Dance Company, that she would be noticed “in the best way.”
She was recently nominated as a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2018, SABEX (Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards).
Since the conception of the dance company in 2015, she said she has exceeded all her expectations.
"We started out with a few dancers and now we have reached 300 dancers," said Barabash. “We are close to the maximum students we can register and are currently looking at the possibility of another location to accommodate our dancers.”
Bravo Dance has been nominated for and has won numerous awards. In 2018 she has been finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 - SABEX (Saskatoon chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards);finalist for New Business of the Year 2018, WMBEXA (Prairie Sky Chamber of Commerce - Warman and Martensville Business Excellence Awards); recipient of Young Entrepreneur Award with WESK (Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan); Best of the Best 2018 in the Refined Lifestyles Magazine and finalist for Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2018, ABEX (Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, Business Excellence Awards).
Barabash continues to grow her business and offer new programs.
“The Ukrainian department is growing and surprising even us,” she stated.
She attributes the success of the dance company to her dedication, perseverance and outlook of being different.
"We provide so much more than just dance lessons. We work with each student on a one-one basis and get to known that student’s needs. We firmly believe in giving back to the community and the community has supported the company. The personal level that we connect on with each student is showcased in our passion, morals and values. That is passed down to our students," said Barabash.
Some of the students have even attained personal goals when they danced during the intermission for the Saskatoon Blades as well as the halftime show for the Harlem Globetrotters.
The dance club is getting ready for its trip to Disney World, departing on November 30. There will be 84 members, including 30 dancers traveling to Walt Disney World in Florida to participate in workshops and to perform.
Barabash is the daughter of Lawrence and Shelly Barabash of Preeceville and grand-daughter of Phyllis Kozan of Canora.
Barabash has been dancing since she was five years old and has never looked back. She said her passion for dancing grew as she learned from multiple instructors who all helped make her into the dancer and entrepreneur she has become. She graduated from Preeceville High School in 2012 and continued her education with attaining a bachelor of commerce degree with a major in human resources. She taught dance at Dancer's Edge in Saskatoon for three years while attaining her education. She also taught at Inspired School of Dance and at the Verabank for a short time prior to establishing her own business.
Barabash and her fiancé moved to Martensville from Saskatoon and soon realized that there was no dance club in that community and no opportunity for the young in the community to be involved in dance. The couple were married on July 14.
"At Bravo Dance Company, we not only aim to provide an elite dance experience, but also to produce great people along the way, a supportive and encouraging environment, and limitless opportunities for our dancers," she said. "We are proud to offer fantastic instructors, fulfilling classes, and excellent customer service.
“On top of this, we are proud of our community impact,” Barabash said. “We hold various initiatives designed to specifically impact the community, such as our food drives.
“The company outgrew its previous location and has found a new space that is five times the size. It offers classes to children and adults, ages 18 months to 18 years and even some adult dance classes,” she said.
Various genres of dance are taught including tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop, musical theatre, lyrical, contemporary, fitness classes, and now Ukrainian. The company offers recreational and competitive classes.
Barabash has future plans of expanding her business with the possibility of opening another location and she plans on traveling to the United Stated next summer to look into certification in a new venture.
