Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace Cantu.
Hi Candace, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been interested in flexibility, dance, and aerial for as long as I can remember. I started more formal training in my 20s, so when I had the chance to purchase an existing aerial arts studio in 2019, I was ready and excited to make the leap. Her studio had half a dozen students, but over the past 6+ years, we’ve got a student mailing list of over 3,000. And I recently opened a dedicated space in our second location in Merrifield. The first space is part of a community space with sublets.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Covid almost killed the business before we had even reached early milestones. I am so grateful for the students and instructors who stuck with me during those many months via Zoom and Patreon for conditioning and flexibility for aerial.
I also found navigating the many steps to open the second location a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience.
I had a great deal of help on the buildout for the second location — getting Chris Lynch to paint a custom mural; David Movafagh went above and beyond as my HVAC contractor; thoughts from my instructors to improve the space; and my investment partner for their patience.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the founder of Aerial Candy (aerial dance at studies in Takoma Park, MD, and Fairfax, VA) and Candescent (a circus based entertainment company).
Most recently, my specialty has been hair-hanging, where I enjoyed performing a 6 week residency at The Ringling in Sarasota, FL, and with performances locally, such as at Atlas Theatre in Washington, DC.
Circus arts are definitely my greatest love.
I get awesome fulfillment from seeing my students achieve things they didn’t know that were capable of. That’s particularly true for my younger students, starting at age 6. That provides tremendous emotional fulfillment.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Growing a community is definitely #1 in any success I’ve been able to achieve.
I can’t thank my instructors and those who’ve given me support and their ideas enough. My students and seeing them share their artistic and performance wins together are a core part of that community.
Pricing:
- We offer drop-in classes, starting at $44.99
- We have class packs (a number of classes) of 3, 6, and 9 classes. Prices vary.
- Memberships (monthly subscription). Prices vary based on the type of membership
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aerialcandyfit.com
- Instagram: @aerial.candy
