Laurie Maffei is one of those people who’s lucky enough to have her dream job.
Maffei, 46, operates the dance studio that she’s always dreamed of since she was a little girl, and despite turbulent times, it’s one of the longest running studios in Slidell, Louisiana.
“I take pride that I have made it in this business for 30 years in a small town that is
heavily saturated with dance studios,” Maffei said.
She said she looked up to her dance teachers when she was little and knew quickly that she wanted to do what they did, so at 14 years old, Maffei created Danceworks.
Today, Maffei’s Danceworks has a wide variety of classes offered such as lyrical, tap, jazz, hip-hop and ballet, and students of all backgrounds rush in excitedly to learn each week. Over the course of her career, Maffei has taught over 1,000 children.
Although Maffei may have effortlessly decided her career path, she still faced obstacles she as she found her footing. One of the biggest issues Maffei said she faced in opening her studio was the fact that in the ‘80s, no internet or social media existed to easily spread the word about her studio. She had to go up and down the lines of the phonebook and call each
listed phone number, which often was a dead end if people said they had no kids
or no little girls Maffei could teach.
She says she got some of her first students by passing out flyers she made with a typewriter around a K-Mart parking lot. That determination and dedication still overflows into Danceworks today.
Twice a week at 9 a.m., Maffei teaches dance at a daycare followed by office work at her house until 2 p.m. Most of her evening classes during the week begin at 4:30, and she’s at the studio until nearly 8 p.m. Although she may want it to, Maffei’s day doesn’t end there.
Once she’s back home, she picks up right where she left off with paperwork. As hectic as
her day may be, Maffei still arrives to work with energy and a positive attitude each day – and the parents at her studio value that.
Norma Loredo, 42, has had her daughter Jocy, 17, enrolled at Danceworks since Jocy was three years old, and one of the main reasons they keep going back is because of the atmosphere Maffei creates.
“We’re always having fun here,” Loredo said. “I love the comradery and the relationships we all have.” As she looked around the room at some of the other moms and their girls, Loredo said she appreciates that at Danceworks, they move as a family.
“You look at all these things and you think, ‘This is exactly where I wanted my girl to grow up,’” Loredo said.
Maffei said the environment she maintains is what makes her studio unique, and much of that environment is bolstered by the relationships she creates. She considers herself close to her teachers and parents; she said she’s even still friends with parents she taught 20 years
ago.
Although 20 years of successful operation is something to be proud of, Maffei remembered that there has also been pain. She said in 2018, the teacher she was closest to opened up a studio behind her back and convinced many of Maffei’s students and teachers to abandon
Danceworks.
“It was devastating at first,” Maffei said, “and I wasn’t sure how I was gonna move forward. It was complete horror.”
Maffei said this was a defining experience that’s made her stronger. She’d been pulling away from her studio since the ex-teacher had been stepping up, so she said this eye-opening
experience reignited her involvement in her studio, which shouldn’t have lapsed in the first place.
Now that she’s reinstated herself, Maffei does not see retirement in her near future. With no children, she said there’s no reason to retire any earlier than she needs to.
“I’ll eventually step back from teaching and bring in fresh talent for that,” Maffei said, “but I still plan on being at my studio for as long as my health allows.”
Maffei may not have children of her own, but those little girls at Danceworks provide her with plenty of love and light. Despite any struggles Maffei might face while running her business, the highlights of doing what she does outweighs the troubles, she said.
“The excitement and love from those little girls brighten my day and make it worth it,” Maffei said.
She said she’s always loved children and being around children, and she loves seeing them make progress and accomplish their goals. Helping them to grow not only as dancers
but also as young ladies is what brings her fulfillment, Maffei said.
“I’ve always said that even if I won the lottery, I’d still do this job.”
