Situated in the very heart of Szczecin, Kimama Dance Studio has been operating since 2010. You can learn various dance styles there: classical, ballroom, modern jazz or belly dance, but the school is most famous for salsa, kizomba and bachata - the dances truly loved by the school owners: Barbara Śledziewska and Ewa Grodzka – Stolarska.

Barbara Śledziewska started learning to dance when she was 8 years old. She spent a dozen or so years learning ballroom dancing, and then she became a ballroom dance teacher – among others, she taught dancing classes to university students. However, as time went by she started looking for new rhythms. This is how she came across salsa which she became completely infatuated with. Kizomba was her next discovery. Her colleague Ewa has also come to love salsa and that love has been continuously growing in strength since 2005. They both were actively promoting salsa in Szczecin for years, they have organised many events and dance workshops. In the end, they decided to set up a studio of their own.

“I graduated from the department of transport and logistics and I worked in several institutions that had nothing to do with dancing.” – says Barbara. “Then I started dreaming about creating a place where I myself would dance with pleasure, where everyone would feel comfortable and could practice, regardless of their skills. At that point I met Ewa and it turned out that her dreams were similar. We inspired and encouraged each other to ultimately set things in motion.”

They began by looking for a suitable location. Their plan was that the studio should be available to everyone, so it had to be in the centre of the city. The right place was found at Tkacka street. Barbara and Ewa also wanted to set up a café where the classes’ participants and their friends could have coffee or tea and spend some time in a relaxed atmosphere. Putting such ambitious plans into practice and adapting the premises to the needs of a dance studio and a café demanded considerable investment of time and effort.

“This is when our friends came in.” – recollects Barbara. “Our architect friends helped us with reconstructing the premises, someone designed the website, someone else helped with the finishing works. Our undertaking would be much harder on us without them, because even with all their support and input the whole project cost at least PLN 100 thousand.”

When the studio was officially opened people quickly began to flock to enrol. An ad placed on the internet, website positioning, leaflets, a number of articles in local press, spreading news among friends – it was enough to attract the interest of Szczecin inhabitants. “It all went very fast and the first dance courses started almost right away. The timing was excellent, there was a great atmosphere around dancing at the time and not that many dance schools around. In the second month of our existence we were working at full steam.” – she says.

However, Kimama owners soon found out that teaching dancing was one thing and running a business yet another. A certain unpleasant incident occurred at the very start. Because of an unfriendly attitude of one of the neighbours and a different interpretation of a provision contained in the documents the studio was forced to suspend its business activity for several months. The issue has been cleared, but the owners of Kimama admit that they still suffer from the financial implications of that occurrence. It has also left a nasty aftertaste.

“It brought us back to earth. I could not believe it was possible that due to one minor mistake all we put our hearts and souls into was hanging by a threat. It was not a scam or a fraud on our part, but when we wanted to set it right we hit a wall of indifference. It overwhelmed us, but at the same time it was a good test for our company. We showed that we could trust and support each other in difficult times – this is very important in business.” – says Barbara.

At first the owners of Kimama conducted classes on their own. Today, depending on the needs, they cooperate with a dozen or so persons – dance teachers but primarily with true enthusiasts. “I always look for people who are really involved, who are truly committed. I am sure that only a person who really loves a specific style can teach it. I myself know various techniques and would be able to teach them, but I do not feel the same about all of them. One must have a true inner fire to kindle it in others. Otherwise, it does not make sense to teach dancing.” – she admits.

Today at least four groups practice different dance styles at the studio every day. The owners organize workshops that are held by teachers from around the world. They take part in dances organized several times a week in Szczecin clubs, they invest in their personal development and attend various workshops and training courses. Barbara will soon graduate from studies in dance teaching. “Working with people makes enormous demands on you, you need to commit. It is a conscious effort and a continuous fight with emotions. You must deal with various characters, weaknesses and failings in people – you cannot teach if you do not feel it. So far, I love it.” – she says.

Unsurprisingly, the other business she is currently starting up is also linked with dancing. It is an online shop called Simisola.pl which sells dance shoes. “During my visits abroad I noticed that dancers had beautiful shoes. We seemed to be falling behind in this sphere and I decided to change it. I have imported to Poland one brand and now I am in the process of promoting it.” – says Barbara. What will be Kimama’s future like? “We want to have more students and at the same time, preserve the current climate which attracts people to us. Privately, I would like good dancers to stay on in Szczecin and be able to work and develop here. I am sorry to say that many of our most talented students have left our city to seek their fortune in other cities or other countries. I would like for them to be able to come back here.” – says Barbara.
 

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