In this episode of Beyond the 8 Count, Paige and Brianne get honest about favoritism. From the students we naturally connect with to the moments when our own teaching deserves a closer look.

As dance teachers and studio owners, we’ve seen how differently students can experience the same classroom. A teacher might see a dancer earning an opportunity, while a parent sees preferential treatment. And sometimes, favoritism really is happening.

We talk about:

• The difference between connecting with a student and giving them unfair advantages.

• Equal versus equitable treatment—and why every dancer won’t always need the same thing.

• How friendships and personal connections can affect classroom decisions.

• Why casting, corrections, and opportunities can feel personal.

• Taking accountability when our actions leave a dancer feeling overlooked.

We’re asking ourselves these questions, too. Are we giving every dancer a chance to grow? Are we explaining our decisions clearly? And are we willing to listen when someone tells us we’ve missed the mark?

An honest conversation for teachers, dancers, and parents about fairness, connection, and helping every student feel valued, even when their opportunities look different.

In this episode, Paige and Brianne compare two very different paths to studio ownership. Brianne shares how it all began when she was asked to teach a small dance class for her friends’ children at a church building. What started as one simple class eventually grew into the decision to find a rental property, build out the space, and officially open her own dance studio.

Brianne talks about what it took to build a studio from the ground up, including finding a location, attracting dancers, establishing a reputation, covering the financial obligations, and growing the business one step at a time.

Paige shares the challenges she faced on the opposite path: purchasing an already-established studio. She never planned, or even wanted, to own a dance studio, but eventually made the decision to purchase Brianne’s business. While she didn’t have to start from zero, she had to navigate existing expectations, relationships, traditions, financial responsibilities, and the pressure of taking over a studio that already had its own identity.

Together, they reveal that neither path is necessarily easier, they are simply challenging in completely different ways. They share what each experience taught them about leadership, change, financial risk, growth, and the realities of becoming a dance studio owner.