“I’ll never be a dance teacher…just a performer” I said my whole life! When I was 15 I was asked to cover a class, and that was it!

“I’ll never own a studio because then people hate you” I said for 18 years as an instructor/choreographer.  And then I wanted more and was determined to find a way to do it without the vitriol and drama!

There was so much more that I could do as a Studio Owner than I could ever do as an Instructor teaching at 6 different studios.  I wanted a home base.  I was tired of seeing young girls in provocative costumes.  I was tired of being told “NO” for every creative idea that came to mind!

Grand Central has been a BLAST since we opened in 2011 and with each new teacher that arrives with her own creative ideas, it just gets that much more fun!  I love being able to say “YES!”

There is no limit to creativity, genius, brilliance, or anything that creates endorphins!  The kids we teach should know that we are the creators of our own happiness and happiness is never limited!  Also, <don’t put that in your mouth, you don’t know who’s touched it!> we try to do our part to make sure they make it to adulthood as productive members of society!

~Miss Wendi

The Story of GCAPA

Grand Central Academy of Performing Arts was never a childhood dream or even a goal. Until it was.

Wendi Bergstrom opened GCAPA Lake Norman Dance Studio after having spent a lifetime in studios across the country. Miss Wendi had been a student at over 35 studios while her family traversed the United States throughout her childhood. There were many fond memories of activities and events throughout each studio. There were also memories of chaos and disappointment along the way. As a teacher in the B.O.C.E.S. program in New York, in private homes, and in studios up and down the eastern seaboard, Wendi picked up on the many great qualities that studios had to offer as well as many problems that studios created for themselves. This led to a great deal of contemplation about how to best serve her community should the day come when she would open her own studio.

In 2011, Wendi gave birth to Grand Central Academy of Performing Arts, after spending 20 years teaching and swearing to never open her own Dance Studio. She enjoyed being the beloved teacher and choreographer who sewed costumes and built sets at home. It wasn’t until after taking on the job of Dance Team Director that she realized studio ownership was possible. Working with parent concerns, costume ordering, and billing for 6 years, it seemed like the next logical step on this career path. All that was left was to figure out how to stand apart from all the studios she had spent time with before.

One of the primary problems in the studio world includes the oversexualization of children through Lake Norman Dance Studio costumes, music, and choreography, primarily at competition. This was an easy fix. Simply don’t allow it and avoid the competitions where this behavior is rampant. Another important issue was teaching technique and not just choreography. This, too, was an easy fix by setting guidelines for all instructors and making it part of our mission. Other issues included billing methods, customer care, and overall studio organization. With creative systems in place and the use of technology, these issues would all easily be solved and that’s just what Wendi did!