How a Mom Turned Dance Into a Lasting Legacy

Summary

Podcast Summary: Living Your Legacy

Host: Jay Slangan
Guest: Jamie Adams, Founder & CEO of Gotta Dance Performing Arts Studio
Episode: How a Mom Turned Dance Into a Lasting Legacy
Date: July 23, 2026

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Overview

In this inspiring episode of Living Your Legacy, host Jay Slangan interviews Jamie Adams, a performing arts educator, entrepreneur, and the founder of Gotta Dance Performing Arts Studio in Eagle Mountain, Utah. Jamie shares her transformative journey from childhood dancer to founder of a thriving dance studio, discussing how dance helped her overcome postpartum depression and reclaim her sense of identity. The conversation highlights the challenges and rewards of building a business from humble beginnings, the importance of inclusivity in the arts, and the ways dance can enrich lives across all ages.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jamie’s Early Connection to Dance

• Origin Story:

  • Jamie began dancing as a child after a friend invited her to join classes in fourth grade.
    • “I liked dancing as a little kid, but I officially started taking dance classes when a friend invited me … in about fourth grade.” [03:25]
  • Dancing was a central part of her life through school and into college.

• Hiatus and Return:

  • After college and starting her family, Jamie stepped away from dance but felt something was missing.
  • Dance became the key to overcoming her postpartum depression:
    • “I was feeling more and more of a sense of a loss of my own identity … I just was kind of just a caregiver for my children … But I kept feeling like I wanted something more.” [06:03]
    • “My body had changed after having babies … but just that joy of movement, that feeling of freedom through dance … started to change things.” [07:03]

The Basement Studio Origin & Growth

• Starting Small:

  • Jamie began teaching a few dance classes in her basement, which quickly attracted more students.
  • She leveraged her training in various styles to meet growing demands, eventually hiring additional teachers.
    • “We started with just thinking we’d teach a few little classes … people kept asking for more … I was employing other teachers to work for me and with me.” [09:57]

• Community Support & DIY Spirit:

  • Jamie and her family converted rooms in their basement for classes, adding specialized spaces with help from friends and family—sometimes in exchange for dance lessons.
    • “My husband and each of my father-in-law's helped build the original dance room … we would work in trade with other people in the community.” [11:17]

• Making the Leap:

  • As business boomed, the home became overrun by students and families, leading Jamie to invest in a professional studio space.
    • "It was basically like the whole house was being taken over by dance studio. So the home was actually a dance studio from 9am to 9pm and it became very intrusive…” [12:02]
  • With community-backed investment, Jamie built a new, state-of-the-art facility designed for the local climate.

Building a Lasting Legacy

• Values Over Competition:

  • Jamie designed Gotta Dance as a non-competitive, inclusive environment:
    • “We don’t actually do competitions. I wanted to keep it an environment that doesn’t lend to that competitive, that comparing ... negativity that can be drawn out by competitions.” [16:12]

• Multi-Generational Impact:

  • Classes are available for all ages—from toddlers (18 months) to adults and seniors.
  • Her own children participated and now help teach, potentially continuing the family business.

• Community Engagement:

  • The studio adapts programs for seniors (e.g., “Silver Sneakers” classes) and hosts popular events like ballroom date nights and a Valentine’s dinner dance.
    • “We have like, adult ballroom date night, and … a country line dance night … a Valentine’s dinner dance.” [18:32]

• Adapting to Trends:

  • While traditional dance remains central, classes sometimes incorporate TikTok trends as a fun reward for students.
    • “Sometimes they’ll do a TikTok trend dance as a reward for their class… but we all are making sure that they’re learning choreography.” [19:17]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On recovery through dance:
  • “My body remembered how to move. I wasn’t quite as flexible or strong as I’d once been, but it was coming back to me. And then just that joy of movement, that feeling of freedom through dance … it started to change things.” — Jamie Adams [07:03]
• On overcoming postpartum depression:
  • “I was feeling more and more of a sense of a loss of my own identity … but I kept feeling like I wanted something more and more.” — Jamie Adams [06:03]
• On the early days:
  • “We had mirrors on the walls, but it was a small room so it limited how many people we could have … continued to grow and then got to the point where I was employing other teachers.” — Jamie Adams [10:33]
• On Gotta Dance’s philosophy:
  • “We don’t actually do competitions. I wanted to keep it an environment that doesn’t lend to that competitive, that comparing.” — Jamie Adams [16:12]
• On passing the legacy:
  • “My two girls still continue dancing, and now they teach for me, and that’s great. As of right now they say they want to help take over the business, but, you know, I don’t want to push them…” — Jamie Adams [15:28]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Jamie’s Introduction & Biography: [01:53]
• Early Dance Years: [03:25]
• Hiatus & Return to Dance (Postpartum Journey): [05:22–07:59]
• Basement Studio Story: [09:48–12:46]
• Growth to Professional Studio: [12:47–14:46]
• Family Involvement: [15:12–15:43]
• Studio Values & Approach: [16:12–17:14]
• Adult & Senior Classes: [17:40–20:56]
• Dance & Social Media Influence: [19:03–20:24]
• Legacy & Succession Insights: [15:28]
• How to Find Jamie and Gotta Dance: [21:16]
• Closing Thoughts & Reflections: [21:54–22:15]

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Tone & Style

The conversation is warm, candid, and filled with relatable humor. Jamie is open about vulnerability, challenges, and growth, while Jay’s inquisitive, light-hearted style keeps the atmosphere friendly and conversational.

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Takeaways and Inspiration

• Resilience in Entrepreneurship:
  Jamie’s story illustrates the value of persistence and adapting to challenges, from balancing family life to outgrowing her basement.

• Healing Power of Passion:
  Finding time for personal passion—even after a hiatus—can restore identity and wellbeing.

• Inclusive Legacy:
  By focusing on community and inclusivity over competition, Jamie’s studio fosters confidence and joy in dancers of every age.

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Connect with Gotta Dance

• Visit: www.gottadanceut.com [21:16]

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If you’re in Utah (or craving inspiration!), this episode shows how rediscovering your passion can build a legacy—for your family and community.

Transcript

[A]

My body had changed after having babies and I wasn't sure what I was capable of anymore. My body remembered how to move. I wasn't quite as flexible or strong as I'd once been, but it was coming back to me. And then just that, that joy of movement, that feeling of freedom through dance, it started to change things. And then the more my.

[B]

Jamie Adams is a performing arts educator, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Gotta Dance Performing Arts Studio. She is dedicated to making the arts accessible to every child by fostering creativity, confidence and belonging through dance.

[A]

We started with just thinking we'd teach a few little classes, but as we got going, people kept asking for more and more. And now we have a huge, beautiful building. When we took it out of the basement, we'd reached 300 kids.

[B]

Do you teach people that are, you know, wow, I see something in you I need to prepare you for, you know, to go to this school or for competitions.

[A]

We don't actually do competitions. I wanted to keep it an environment that doesn't lend to that competitive, that comparing

[B]

it spans the globe like a super high cold Internet. Elvis ready for free. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the fun. It's not over until I win. The Living youg Legacy podcast.

[A]

For those who live to leave a legacy that's extraordinary. The impossible. Oh, that is sensational.

[B]

Jordan Open Chicago.

[A]

With the lead, Usain Paul is the fastest man on the planet. You can live your dream.

[B]

Hello. So I'm Jay Slangan. I'll be your host today for the Living youg Legacy podcast. And I'm here with. Please introduce yourself. And what do you do?

[A]

Oh, my name is Jamie Adams and I'm the owner of Gotta Dance Performing Arts Studio in Eagle Mountain, Utah.

[B]

All right, so I gotta give you some background info. I'm not a great dancer. Yeah, I'm more of the kind of dancer that you see spinning at like a fish concert or, you know, any. Lots of concerts. And I'm dancing a lot, but when it comes to like actual dancing and rhythm, I don't have it. I can't relate that concert dancing to a dance number or anything like that. If someone wanted to do a TikTok reel with me, I'd be like, I am not your guy. You know, I got two left feet when it comes to that. So do you get a lot of that experience? You know, like, what am I supposed to do to take my dance experience into, I guess, the dance floor with no concert?

[A]

Yeah, we'll take. Take you from wherever you start and help you get to wherever you hope to be.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

With your dance career.

[B]

Now, where are you from?

[A]

I grew up in Highland, Utah, but right now we live in Eagle Mountain, Utah, which is just across the valley.

[B]

Okay. Just across the valley from.

[A]

From Highland.

[B]

From Highland. Oh, okay.

[A]

Which is south of Salt Lake.

[B]

South of Salt Lake. Okay. Now I'm getting kind of my orientation going.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And so give us some background. How did. How did you get into dance? Was it something that you were born a dancer? Was it a movie in the 80s? I know we had a lot dance movies going on. Tell us a little bit about your background, and how did you get into dance?

[A]

I liked dancing as a little kid, but I officially started taking dance classes when a friend invited me to start taking classes with her in about fourth grade.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

A lot of the little neighbor girls were doing dance classes back then, and that's when I really found that I couldn't stay away from it. I loved it.

[B]

Yeah. I remember the first time when I was about that age that I went into gymnastics, and it's just so fun to enter that first. Kind of like you're jumping around. And I'm sure it's very similar because dancing and jumping and all that stuff, it makes such an impact. Now, I didn't open up a gymnastics studio, but I did love jumping around and being in that setting, and I'm sure it kind of felt the same way when you're a little girl in that dance studio.

[A]

Yes. I just love to move. It felt good. It's good for you. So, yeah, fun times.

[B]

And so how long did you do that? You're with your friends. Did you continue to dance during your younger years, or did you drop it like me and go into something else?

[A]

I did continue it through all of elementary, middle school, high school, and into college. And then when I got married and started having babies, I dropped it for a bit, but found that I couldn't live without it and got back into it again, started teaching some classes, and eventually decided that we wanted to do things our way and started teaching some classes in the basement.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

Which continued to grow until we're here today.

[B]

Nice. So what was that moment where you thought, hey, I want to get back into dancing? You know, like, you dropped it for a while. You got your kids a complete busy lifestyle. You're juggling a lot of stuff. Why? How'd you get back into dance? Like, was there a moment that clicked for you?

[A]

I'd been dealing with a little bit of, like, postpartum depression after my second child was born, and you know, family that loved me were trying to help me find ways to kind of break out of that.

[B]

And how. How. How intense is that?

[A]

Yeah, that's rough. Yeah, it's really hard. And kind of don't always recognize that that's what you're going through, you know? So now, of course, in hindsight, I'm like, oh, this is what it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

But it's hard, but. And what's it kind of stem from? Like, it just comes from a piece of you that was inside of you kind of leaving and you feel empty or what. What is the depression or the feelings

[A]

with postpartum depression, for myself, I know, like, scientifically, it's the changes of your hormones and things like that can kind of throw your brain chemicals off balance and lead into that. I was feeling more and more of a sense of a loss of my own identity. I just was kind of just a caregiver for my children, which I loved doing and knew that it was a good thing to do with my life. But I kept feeling like I wanted something more and more. I think with those, you know, chemical imbalances, that. That can be pretty hard.

[B]

So, yeah, with the music, with the movement, exercise, it helps to release serotonin, which got your energy levels back up.

[A]

Yes, for sure.

[B]

I'm sure it was a joy from your husband to watch you get back into dance and talk about how that was with the family of, you know, getting back into dance. And did they see the changes?

[A]

It was scary at first. I was nervous because my body had changed after having babies, and I wasn't sure what I was capable of anymore. And I wasn't sure if I would be welcome back into the world of dance after so many changes in my own life. And I found that I was welcomed back. I ended up taking a class from a teacher that I'd taken from when I was younger, and she recognized me and welcomed me back. And the other classmates were very welcoming and kind of. And I was. My body remembered how to move. I wasn't quite as flexible or strong as I'd once been, but it was coming back to me. And then just that. That joy of movement, that feeling of freedom through dance was. It started to change things. And then the more my body and mind healed, the more I was dancing, and it started to just really click back into place for me.

[B]

And what kind of dance were we talking about when you were younger and when you got back into it, you know, you look like you're crunking and doing all kinds of Crazy stuff. No, but seriously, is it jazz dance? Is it like self expressionism? What were you in ballet?

[A]

I really enjoyed trying anything that people were willing to teach me. So I took a lot of jazz. I loved hip hop. I was horrible at tap when I was younger, but I did like to try. I'm actually trying tap again. I'm taking tap classes again to try. And it's clicking a little better now. Let's see, I did ballroom, ballet, lyrical and contemporary, like just about anything. But as I jumped back into it, I was taking contemporary and hip hop were the fun classes that they had available for adults at the time. And so that's.

[B]

So you heard of dancing? Cranking, remember? Yeah.

[A]

So.

[B]

And what, what level did you get to like, you've done dance classes for so long. Were you doing competitions? Were you doing shows?

[A]

The places I danced at didn't do competitions, mainly performances back then when I was in high school and did the ballroom dance company, we did compete then and we placed pretty high. We did fairly well. It was really fun.

[B]

I'm sure it looks fun.

[A]

Yeah, it was a good time for sure. So I, I was pretty good. I got scholarship for college because of my dance skills. And, you know, I never considered myself, like the best dancer.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But I held my own. I did okay.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Yeah. I made something to have an ego.

[B]

It's okay to brag, you know, I

[A]

was just like, growing up, I never really thought of myself as the best, but I did make the companies I tried for usually. And I don't know, maybe I just didn't recognize it in myself.

[B]

So you got, you got some, some original clients in your basement. And where are you today? What's the growth journey like?

[A]

Yeah, it's been an adventure for sure. We started with just thinking we'd teach a few little classes. Well, that I would teach a few little classes to, like, the neighbor kids. But as we got going, people kept asking for more and more. And luckily I'd had training in a lot of different styles. So at first I was able to offer a lot of just myself. But the more it took my time, the more I wasn't able to be a mama. And so I ended up hiring some other teachers to come teach in my basement. Bless their hearts for being willing to teach there. It was a tiny room and they

[B]

put us with a lot of it up with the, with the mirrors on the walls and everything.

[A]

We had mirrors on the walls.

[B]

We got to set the stage here because when you talk. Oh, yeah, I got dance lessons in my Basement. It's like I think of my basement and it's not the greatest.

[A]

Yeah, I know we had like the wood floor and the mirrors on the walls, but it was a small room so like it limited how many people we could have. Oh yes, yes. I could definitely see who was there the whole time. But yeah, it continued to grow and then got to the point where I was employing other teachers to work for me and with me ended up expanding another room in the basement to be like a tumbling area and we could do a couple forms of dance in there.

[B]

Now were you DIY and doing it yourself with setting up the basement?

[A]

Yeah, we, we would. So we would actually.

[B]

She's nodding at her husband. That's.

[A]

I'm sorry. Yes. So we would actually, we, my husband and each of my father in laws helped build the original dance room. And then we actually would work in trade with other people in the community. They would have dance classes for their kids in exchange for whatever work we needed done on the basement to help us finish out spaces. Now is that it worked out well,

[B]

the neighborhood community or. I heard you're a Mormon. So it was at the Mormon community.

[A]

Both. Both we had a, like, we had a mix. Some were, some were LDs and some were not. And everyone was welcome.

[B]

So you're expanding in the basement, you're hiring new staff, you're growing in your bookings. How are you out of your. Have you expanded out of the basement now? And what was that like?

[A]

Oh yes, we. We had to. We got to where we were running both dance rooms at the same time. And then parents would come and hang out in our living room. And our home floor plan was so crazy. You'd walk in the front door and through the living room kitchen down to the basement to find the dance room. So it was basically like the whole house was being taken over by dance studio. So the home was actually a dance studio from 9am to 9pm and it became very intrusive even though like we had a wonderful community and everybody was just great to support us. And it was getting to be kind of hard on our family to have so much of the home time.

[B]

Don't try not to bring your work home with you, but when you work and home, same thing.

[A]

It's a little rough.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so anyway, it kept. It was growing to the point that we got to.

[B]

Was it like, mom, where's the meatloaf?

[A]

Yep. And we would. Yeah. And we would have like, you know, occasionally the neighbor kids would just sit down to eat dinner with us. They Just thought it was a free for all, and that was fine. But it did become something where we were like, we need to either downscale or get this out of our home. And so we found a great realtor who helped us find the perfect location, helped us find the right resources to build our own building. And now we have a huge, beautiful building, custom floors, because we have a really interesting climate where we're at, and so the floors have to be able to adjust to that. And.

[B]

Okay. Is that adjust between the summer and winter?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And. Yeah, Summer, winter.

[B]

Now, did it take some learning about that? And the winter time came and your floors were all, you know, you had some injuries or, I don't know, you know, like you just knew and you did your research.

[A]

Well, yeah, and we worked with Harlequin floors, and I think they know what they're doing.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So they paid attention to a lot of those details to make sure that we got the best floor for what. What our area was.

[B]

Because you're making a big investment. Did you have investors or you're bootstrapping this company and. And this next level? What. What's going on?

[A]

Yeah, we. We did have a little bit of help with investors to help us make sure that we could get it off and rolling in this direction. And. And from there, it's just been us cranking it.

[B]

Was that community, people in the community that wanted to invest, like friends and family, or was that you had the whole pitch to business investors and what was.

[A]

No, it was just people who wanted to see our vision grow and show support that way.

[B]

Great.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And your investors are happy to this day?

[A]

I believe so.

[B]

And how many years have you been in this new dance studio and how has it grown?

[A]

We've been in our new space almost 10 years now.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And so this fall will be our 20th season in business, and we were 10 years in the house and moved out, and so we'll be starting our 10th year.

[B]

Wow. 10 years in that basement.

[A]

It was wild.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It was.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It was definitely not for everybody.

[B]

How many kids do you have?

[A]

So when we took it out of the basement, we'd reached 300 kids coming in and out.

[B]

Your own kids?

[A]

Oh, my own. Well, the dance kids are my children too. I have four of my own personal children.

[B]

Okay. And did they dance?

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yep. We tried not to push it too much for em, but encourage if they were interested.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So each did have classes here and there. My two girls still continue dancing, and now they teach for me, and that's great. As of right now they say they want to help take over the business, but, you know, I don't want to push them into something if they have different dreams.

[B]

I have another confession. I did love the show. Do you think youk can Dance? Right.

[A]

I really love you.

[B]

Amazing to see. You know, there's all kinds of ages on there, but the level of dance is just incredible. Right. What levels do you teach and do you teach people that are, you know, wow, I see something in you. I need to prepare you for, you know, to go to this school or for competitions. Tell, tell me about the range of lessons that you offer and the dancers.

[A]

So we have a good range of abilities in our studio. We start classes as young as 18 months. And so, you know, obviously they're beginners, they're learning all the skills. And then we have, you know, dance companies that perform locally and things like that. We don't actually do competitions. I wanted to keep it an environment that doesn't lend to that competitive, that comparing some of the negativity that can be drawn out by competitions. I know that they're working on eliminating a lot of that, but I feel like it tends to bring out the drama mamas when we have that kind of vibe. So we definitely encourage the kids and try to help them reach their full potential. But once they get to a point where they are looking for a competition type environment, then we know which other studios to point them in the direction of to be able to achieve that.

[B]

Okay, what about older people that are looking to get back into dance as you did? Yeah, because I'm like, okay, if I was looking into taking a class like I did when I was living in Vegas, but then I was like, oh man, I don't want to be stuck in a class with like, you know, the 15 year olds and 18 year old. Not even the 18 year olds, but like the 15 year olds. Right. Do you offer. It's almost like adult swim. Is there like a adult dance class?

[A]

You bet we have adult dance classes. They're usually more popular in the fall. I feel like the spring, the adults tend to get very, very busy. So we'll have the full offering again this coming fall. We'll have like the lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, adult ballet and adult tap. Tap seems to just do really well no matter what, which is kind of fun. Maybe that's the thing adults have always wanted to try and they're finally ready to try it and.

[B]

Yeah, okay. And couples dancing.

[A]

Yes, we, we have.

[B]

That's also when you get to older, you get to Appreciate just, you know, the romanticism about it. And it's. It's beautiful, like that connection that these two get on the dance floor, those competitions. But do you also teach some of that?

[A]

Yes, we have, like, adult ballroom date night, and. And we also have country. Country line dance night or country swing. And those are usually really popular, depending on how busy things are in the community and how crazy things are for the adults. But those are really fun. And we do a Valentine's dinner dance.

[B]

All right.

[A]

That's become a tradition at our studio. And we serve a dinner and they get a ballroom dance lesson and then open dancing and dessert. That's always like Valentine's super fun.

[B]

And, you know, with the age of social media and everyone has to be a TikTok dancer or any of that. Has that changed your lessons where you prepare them to do a choreography for a quick TikTok dance?

[A]

I think I'm not teaching anymore. And so the teachers that are teaching right now, they do. They are aware of what the TikTok trends are, and sometimes they'll do a TikTok trend dance as a reward for their class. You know, they are fun. They're fun to do, but we all are making sure that they're learning choreography.

[B]

It's the, you know, satisfaction you get of memorying or memorizing all your moves. Yeah, right. And if you're a beginner and then you get through your routine, there's got to be a level of, hey, you know. Now then there's the different aspect of it is like, okay, you don't have to do a TikTok and bust out your phone everywhere we go, you know?

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

I mean, unless that's. I mean, there has to be a balance with everything, you know, everything in moderation, even moderation. Because some of them are just so skilled and it's a platform. Right? Yeah. So it's just about, you know, teaching your kids. Right. When's the right moment? You know, stay safe. Don't dance in the middle of the roads. Right. And be aware of others. Right. Respecting others.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

And lastly, what about, like, you know, the elders who need to move around and like old folks homes? Do you do any work with them?

[A]

We have. We've had a. I think it's called Silver sneakers because we have a fitness program. And so the seniors in our community reached out and asked if we would offer them a class. And we offered it until they said, okay, now we're too busy, so we usually will reach out and see if. When they want it and accommodate whatever they're asking for.

[B]

Wow. Well, that's a beautiful journey for you. Came from and what you've become and following your passion to open a studio, getting your family involved where they like it so much that you might be able to hand down the business to them. It sounds like a wonderful journey. Now, how can the viewers find you?

[A]

Www.gaddadanceut gottadanceut.com that's right.

[B]

All right. And you know, if I'm in, if I'm in Utah, I might hit you up for some of those dance lessons.

[A]

Sounds good. You're very welcome to come.

[B]

Get my two left feet into a left and right foot. And you know, I'm half Filipino, so my parents are. My mom and her friends are always like, oh, the lambada.

[A]

Right.

[B]

The forbidden dance. So if I'm going to go into it, I'm going the forbidden dance. Well, thank you so much for joining us. It's been a pleasure talking to you. And is it your first time in South Beach? You got any plans here?

[A]

Second time, and we're just enjoying the beach so much.

[B]

Lovely, lovely. Yeah, it's a beautiful beach. Just watch out for the warnings. There was a high tide. No, no, a riptide warning until Tuesday. Really?

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

Yesterday was quite strong.

[A]

I noticed how windy it is.

[B]

Yeah. So just be on the lookout for that. Never know.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Safety first. I'm sure it's the same with your dances.

[A]

Yes, for sure. I'm not a great swimmer, so I don't plan to go out anywhere near a rip tide. I'll just stay where, like up to my knees.

[B]

Well, I'll be glad that you came into our studios today. And thank you so much for joining us. And thank you for joining us out there.