I am an aspiring dance teacher and entrepreneur, mainly focused on Brazilian Zouk, with a strong interest in developing international dance communities and creative projects around social dance. My goal is to progressively gain the confidence and skills needed to become both a teacher and eventually manage my own dance school. I joined the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program to gain practical experience in how a dance school operates, from teaching and event organization to marketing and business management.
I discovered the program through my dance partner Chantal, who had previous experience with it and encouraged me to apply. My host in Tenerife runs a dance school and is actively involved in promoting Latin dances locally and internationally. During my stay, I aimed to deepen my professional experience, expand my network, and better understand how to combine artistic passion, community building, and business sustainability in my future dance career.
During my EYE stay, I assisted my host in daily dance school activities, including attending and later teaching Brazilian Zouk classes, supporting workshops, and helping organize dance events. I observed how the school operates financially and administratively, including student reception, payments, and class management. I also contributed to marketing by creating visual content, promoting events on social media, and helping develop workshops in different cities. Additionally, I collaborated with local teachers through skill exchanges (Zouk, salsa, bachata), which strengthened community connections. My relationship with my host was collaborative and trust-based, combining mentorship, shared projects, and ongoing professional exchange.
This experience brought me many benefits both professionally and personally. I developed teaching, communication, marketing, and event organization skills while gaining a clearer understanding of how a dance school operates on a daily basis. I also built valuable international connections within the dance community that could lead to future collaborations.
On a personal level, this experience significantly increased my confidence. It helped me feel more capable of developing my own dance project and reassured me that, despite my age or stage in my career, I have the legitimacy and ability to pursue this path. It gave me the confidence to take my ambitions seriously and to see entrepreneurship in dance as a realistic and achievable goal.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”
— Henry Ford