Princess Howell credits "The Baby-Sitters Club" as one of her first business inspirations.
The 26-year-old says she grew up reading the popular books about middle school girls who run a baby-sitting business. Howell thought the fictional teen entrepreneurs "were some pretty amazing girls."
Today, Howell is the one running her own business.
In April 2009, she opened Royal Expressions Contemporary Ballet in Greensboro, acting as its artistic/creative director. She has been preparing for this moment for a lifetime.
"The day I opened was really exciting after a lot of anticipation," Howell says. "But I thought about how it was possible that no one would show up. But people came and I was able to teach classes. I felt like I had succeeded just having even one person show up. It was the beginning of growth."
Now, this Saturday, she will present the company's first public performance, "Journey to Become." The production is based on her life experiences and the steps she took to get where she is today.
"[It's] me saying to people, 'I told you this is what I was going to do,'" Howell says. "It's about anyone's journey to become whatever it is they want to. People can reflect on their own lives when they watch the things that people go through. I hope that maybe the show will motivate people to do something they have always wanted to do."
The company consists of four dancers and Howell, who will play herself in a portion of the production titled "From the Belly."
"Emotions are so important for me in a piece. I always want to make sure the audience can feel me and I can feel them when I perform," she says. "The company, this piece and my passion for dance is who I am; it's me. It's my formula, getting to this place. Sometimes, you don't know who you are. This shows me what I am capable of."
Howell's business training began in middle school in the form of a makeshift general store, selling everything from slushies and homemade artwork on her family's front porch.
But she began dancing as a freshman at Dudley High School and continued at UNCG, where she majored in dance and small business management. She further honed her skills with two internships working for the Cabarrus Arts Council in Concord and the Richmond Ballet in Virginia, where she saw things come full circle. Sitting in on board meetings, learning about accounting, fundraising and publicity, writing press releases and setting up galleries made for "great hands-on training," Howell says.
Still, even after all of those rich experiences, Howell found herself at a crossroads.
"I had gotten out of college, and I felt like now what?" she says.
Her answer came in the form of a phone call that changed her life. A friend told her about a posting on Craigslist for a gallery in Greensboro -- The Campaign For a Better Greensboro -- that was looking for music, dance and art teachers to fill its space.
CFBG turned out to be the perfect fit for Howell.
"The system they have in place at CFBG makes it easier for artists to get started," she says. "I wanted to keep the quality of the business while being efficient and economical."
Although she has always loved dancing, Howell felt her gift was nurturing other's talent and bringing dance to the community. The company allows her to accomplish both of those things.
"I have really always wanted to be behind the scenes choreographing," she says. "I have always felt like I make the dancers; I am not meant to dance professionally. Our (Royal Expressions Contemporary Ballet's) slogan is 'Experience Dance' in some way or another. Don't limit yourself to just watching it. I want people to look at it and think about it scholastically. I want to energize and motivate people."
Contact Erin McClanahan Rainwater at eringrey718@yahoo.com
