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Pam Larsen, owner of Mirror Image Dance Academy, in Grand Chute on Wednesday, July 13, 2005.
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Pam Larsen is in a rather unique position. She has seen her dream brought to reality.
Larsen, owner of Mirror Image Dance Academy and co-owner of the Artistic & Wellness Center in Grand Chute, always wanted a place where busy moms and dads could get a variety of services in one stop
“My dream is coming true,” Larsen says. “The concept of the building is working exactly as I had planned. Many parents are thrilled with the convenience of being able to accomplish many activities at the same time.”
Last September, Larsen moved her dance studio to the new 62,000-square-foot center at the corner of Mayflower Drive and West Wisconsin Avenue. Besides Mirror Image, Livewell Fitness, Tan’R You, Valley Martial Arts, Enterprise Academy, Infinique and the Massage Factory all call the center home. KidStage and American Music Hub are holding classes in Mirror Image studio space while Chiropractic USA is putting the finishing touches on its new home.
A young mom herself, Larsen came up with the idea of the center and got the project going.
"Our main goal is to make things convenient for parents," she says. "This makes it convenient for kids to be in extra curricular activities. You're already parked. To have two things happening at the same time is going to save hours."
Appleton mom De De Krause says she likes the dance academy’s one-way observation rooms so parents can watch what their kids are doing. She also likes that the center has a nursing room, a quiet study area for children to work while their siblings are in a dance class and a play area for those too young to study and not signed up for classes.
Larsen's own 3-year-old Mirror Image Dance Academy was the project's catalyst.
Mirror Image had its roots in studios started in Wisconsin and Indiana by Marinette-born Larsen and her identical twin sister, Lisa Schnabel. Currently, Schnabel owns Mirror Image studios in West Bend and Mequon.
Counting in all three Wisconsin dance studios, "I wouldn't be surprised if we were the largest in the state," says Larsen.
Here, Mirror Image was doubling the number of students it drew each year to its former studios at 726 S. Westland Drive in Grand Chute. "We outgrew this space in the first year and were very fortunate that we were able to expand," she says, grateful for an easygoing landlord who found a way to give her more space.
"But now, seeing that we've been doubling every year and knowing we can't double again here, we had to move or go for it."
In 2004, the dance studio had 625 students. Now, it’s closer to 1,000. The classes increased from 83 to 145.
After deciding to build her own facility, she had the brainstorm that like-businesses should be grouped around it to make things easier for harried moms and dads.
"I called Livewell Fitness and they said yes immediately. That fell together so perfectly. It was a sign that it was the right thing," says Larsen.
Livewell Fitness offers exercise classes for adults. Co-owners Lisa Welko and Shana Conradt liked the center's interrelated concept and signed up.
"We make sure the times of our classes coordinate with the karate and dance classes," says Welko. "We stagger starts after dance classes. Mom can get her child settled and not be late for her class. We want to make it easy."
Parents can also use waiting time productively for visits to other businesses in the center that offer tanning, chiropractic services, massage and skin treatments.
"Basically, this is a strip mall, but it's not typical," says Larsen. "I designed the spaces to fit together like a puzzle. I didn't go to the bank until I had it all worked out. I wanted to show I knew what I was doing."
Not only did she choose businesses for their compatibility, she was also selective in choosing the right people to be tenants at the center.
Larsen used to work for Kelley Roznik, owner of the Enterprise Academy childcare facility that will offer full and drop-in options at the center.
The owners of Livewell Fitness had set up temporarily in one of Mirror Image's studios before they leased their own facility three years ago.
The owner of the 10-bed tanning salon, Tan 'R You, is Larsen's sister Kim Schwoegler.
Larsen's husband Dirk will manage the facility.
When KidStage owner Karen Cain was looking for dance classes for her own children, she heard about the coming complex.
"I called Pam and said, "You need children's drama there, and she said, 'Yes we do.'"
Cain and her husband Mark will move their KidStage business to the facility, renting space from the dance studio after school hours. To date, they'd been providing classes for about 200 local kids in and after school in a number of academic settings. They'll keep some existing on-site classes and consolidate others here.
Overall, Larsen says the project is bigger and better than she originally envisioned it. "I'm almost speechless with how happy I am. The energy is incredible. People ask, ‘How did you do this?' and I have to say, ‘We take it one day at time. We find a way to make it work.’"
Maureen Wallenfang is a reporter for the Post-Crescent, Appleton.
