About this episode

Will Tijerina shares his unique journey from military veteran to dance studio owner, discussing how life experiences shape performing arts education.

Will Tijerina had no dance background when he became co-owner of Dance 360 Orlando. What he did have: military discipline, corporate logistics experience, and a belief that performing arts build leaders. Robin met Will at a certified coaches training through More Than Just Great Dancing and this conversation picks up right where that left off. On this show, we talk a lot about how performing arts training prepares students for the world. This time, we flip the script and explore how the world prepared Will for the performing arts. They dig into what it really takes to grow a studio, why you have to stop putting out every fire yourself, and how the lessons we teach on the stage show up everywhere else in life. If you've ever told a nervous student that their butterflies are just rocket fuel waiting to launch… this episode is for you! Let’s Connect on Socials: EMC Performing Arts Studio on Facebook EMC Performing Arts Studio on Instagram In The Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts on Facebook In The Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts on Instagram Interested in Classes at EMC? Learn More About Us Here

People in this episode

Host: Robin Snyder-Wiencek

Guest: Will Tijerina

Topics covered

• performing arts
• leadership
• dance education
• military discipline
• studio management

Keywords

• dance studio
• performing arts
• leadership training
• military discipline
• student development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dance 360 Orlando, More Than Just Great Dancing

More episodes of In The Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts

• Ep 69: Inside EMC: Understanding the Rungs of the Ladder · July 21, 2026 · 23 min
• Ep 68: Beyond the Stage: Building a Sustainable Dance Career with Ian Howe · July 14, 2026 · 46 min
• Ep 67 - Why We Don't Compete and Why Our Dancers Thrive · July 7, 2026 · 33 min
• Ep 65: The EMC Way (Part 2) · June 23, 2026 · 26 min
• Ep 64: From First Solo to Full Circle: Meghann Potter's Journey Through Dance, Injury, and Coming Home · June 16, 2026 · 42 min

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