Helmet Fire

Helmet Fire. Blank Page. So Many Thoughts — Nothing to Say.

Ever find yourself in that position?

Man… I sure do.

Operating a business can be tough. Some days, it feels like you’re clear, focused, and moving forward. Other days, it feels like your helmet is on fire—your mind racing, your heart heavy, staring at a blank page with a thousand thoughts and no idea how to put them into words.

I’ll be honest. There are moments when it’s hard to keep my eye on the prize. When things don’t go the way you planned, when the train feels like it’s coming off the tracks, there’s that quiet voice that says, “Just pull the plug. Check out.”

But I know that wouldn’t be the right move.

Truthfully, my comfort zone has always been simple: on the dance floor, up on the bandstand, or cruising the lake. That’s where my head is clear. That’s where I feel grounded.

And yet—here I am.
Here we are.

Andrea and I have been given this platform, this opportunity to communicate with and serve so many people who live and breathe the same world we do. And when I stop long enough to really think about that, it’s nothing short of an honor.

So here I am, trying to navigate what that responsibility really means.

I want to be fully transparent. Some of the building blocks that this company and platform were originally built on… I don’t fully support. And that’s not easy to admit. But no company is perfect. No system is perfect. No model gets everything right.

There are days I feel confused. Days I question things. Days I wonder, Who am I to say this should change, or that should be done differently?

And maybe that’s the point.

All we can truly do is share what we believe in—with honesty and humility—and hope that some of it resonates. Maybe not all of it. Maybe not for everyone. And that’s okay. We don’t all have to agree. Especially in the dance world, where so much of what we do is rooted in personal experience, emotion, and feeling.

That’s often where the confusion sets in for me—but it’s also where the beauty lives.

When I say this work is a true passion for Andrea and me, I mean it with every part of who we are. Dance is all we’ve ever known. It’s what shaped us. It’s what continues to challenge us. It’s what we want to be a part of for as long as we’re able.

And maybe that’s why the tough days feel extra tough.

I know many of you can relate.

I grew up believing that what we knew—what was passed down to us—was the way. The only way. But I fully understand that this can’t possibly be true for everyone. Our experiences are different. Our paths are different.

What hasn’t changed is this:
Our hearts are genuine.
Our intentions are real.
Our approach is rooted deeply in authenticity, integrity, humility, and transparency.

To be honest, those are things I didn’t always experience growing up. Maybe egos got in the way?? And maybe that’s exactly why they matter so much now.

I’m not even sure why I felt the need to write this—or share it with all of you. But transparency is one of our core values, and sometimes that means showing up without all the answers.

We don’t claim to know everything. We never will.
What we do know is that we believe deeply in continuing to build a strong, healthy, supportive dance community—for dancers, for teachers, and for the generations coming next.

We’re learning.
We’re listening.
We’re doing our best to move forward with care.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for walking this path with us—even when it’s messy, confusing, or uncertain.

With luv
Ryan