Some teens sneak out of their homes while growing up to get into trouble, but Onjela Simmons would sneak out to dance.
“Some of my high school classmates would sneak out to go to the clubs, but I just wanted to dance,” Simmons said. “We used to choreograph dance routines and sneak out to find places to practice. We were serious about dance.”
Simmons, 27, is now the owner of her first dance studio.
Thursday was the grand opening of Royal Dance Studios at 117 E. Market St., Suite 202.
Royal Dance Studios is the only minority- and woman-owned business that offers dance and fitness classes in downtown Akron.
Kim Lee of the Minority Business Assistance Center at the Akron Urban League helped Simmons with her business plan and marketing efforts, consulting and offering technical assistance. Downtown Akron Partnership’s Kimberly Beckett helped Simmons with her finances and location.
“The previous tenant was an art gallery, which recently moved out,” Beckett said. “This was the right fit. We don’t always have the right fit available and the timing doesn’t always work out, but it did this time.”
In high school, Simmons and one of her best friends, her cousin India Little, started their own dance group.
“We called it ‘Da Squad.’ We thought that name was so cool in high school,” Simmons recalled. “We were into Michael Jackson and trying to capture some of his moves.”
Both graduated from Buchtel High School.
“We often walked to the Ed Davis Center just to have a place to dance and that was a long walk,” Little said. “We practiced in garages, and in streets. We’d just move out of the way when cars came down the street. We even found an empty room at the University of Akron to practice, until we found out we couldn’t just take over space there, we needed liability insurance. We had been practicing there for two years before they found out we were using the room.”
Simmons said she made a promise to herself that one day she would own a studio so children growing up would have a place to dance.
Before opening Royal Dance Studios, she had been teaching dance classes out of the city-owned Balch Street facility for two years. She taught classes twice a week but wanted to be able to teach more classes.
Her parents said Simmons always had a passion for dance.
She still takes classes to stay up to date.
“She had a good foundation,” said her mother, Kyra Easley. “She started dancing at age 5 at Pam Fubler’s dance studio called the Movement Lab & Rainbow Youth Dance Company.”
The studio, which was in business from 1987 through 2004 on Frederick Boulevard, was the only black-owned studio in Akron at the time.
“Onjela was a natural. She took tap, jazz, ballet and modern dancing. She’s very talented and very driven and this has always been her dream,” her mother said.
“We’re very proud of her. Whenever you reach your goal and your dreams come true, that’s a lot to be thankful for,” said her father, Freddie Simmons, who also an entrepreneur with his wife, Michelle. The couple teach CPR classes.
“It’s always good to own your own business,” he said.
The Royal Dance Studios offer classes in ballet, tap, hip-hop, contemporary and ballroom dancing.
For more information, send and email to onjela@royaldancestudiosllc.com or call 330-906-3641.
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.