Christine Stoesser

Marla Silva, owner/operator of danceology in Liberty Village, is a firm believer that learning how to dance is a sure way to improve self-confidence. Silva, 37, oozes confidence herself in her movements, her manner of speaking and the way she tells her story. So how did Silva single-handedly come to own her own 2,000 square foot dance studio in one of the most up-and-coming neighbourhoods in Toronto?

“I was determined, and determination gets you everywhere,” says Silva emphatically. Born into a Portuguese family in Toronto, Silva was always interested in fitness and movement. “My parents didn’t believe dancing could be a career,” she says nonchalantly. “But I proved them wrong.”

She was a natural; by the age of 17 she was working as a go-go dancer, by 18 she was teaching ballroom dancing. She never relied on anyone for help—in fact she never went to dance school or business school. Silva danced to her own beat, and it seems to have worked out just fine. There’s that confidence thing again.

Silva go-go danced for 15 years, teaching aerobics and working as a fitness model on the side. She founded a business, Pretty Girl Productions, which booked dancers for private parties and events. Then she decided the time was right to open her own studio.

What Can You Expect at danceology?

“I went to the bank 40 days in a row to get the loan before they gave it to me,” Silva recalls. She found the perfect studio space in the Liberty Market Building and set to work making it her own. danceology opened its doors in 2004 and immediately found its pulse in the busy young-professional Liberty Village scene.

Currently, danceology offers top-quality dance classes to adults every single day. Silva has staffed her studio with 6 full-time teachers and 10 part-time instructors teaching over 20 different dancing styles including the foxtrot, salsa dance, and swing. The classes span all levels of dancing ability—from beginner to competitive. Classes are organized beforehand to ensure every participant has a partner of the opposite sex. The studio is the only of its kind in Toronto to offer students a membership; for only $69 a month, a member can dance every day. Silva supports charitable causes in the community as well, such as Dancing with Parkinson’s.

So, Are Men Taking Dance Classes?

“We get a lot of men,” says Silva of her beginner classes. Silva finds nothing sexier in a man than his ability to move on the dance floor, and she loves awakening the intrinsic desire to step with rhythm in her male students. “Men don’t understand that if you can dance you instantly [step up your sex appeal.] Business is good—Silva says shows like ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’ have turned many people on to dancing, a great achievement in the laziest age of human history. She is passionate about expressing the joy of movement and planting this seed in her students. Dancing, staying fit, making a living doing something you love, it all seems like a no-brainer for Silva: “How much more fun could you possibly have,” she says, “while staying in shape, than dancing?”