Gabriel Stoltz: From rural roots to global stage and international fame

A small-town dance studio in rural Odendaalsrus has blossomed into an international phenomenon, transforming the lives of countless dance students. And the Covid pandemic had much to do with it.

Gabriel Stoltz, owner of Elements of Dance, is celebrating the company’s sixth year in showbiz.  “I had a dream, I had the passion- I just needed the way,” Gabriel explains. “This whole idea was inspired during the Covid pandemic, when the entertainment industry came to a halt and dance competitions were moved online.”

When asked about the challenges of building a brand from a small Goldfields town, Gabriel smiles. “Being an unknown company in the middle of the pandemic, trying to host dance competitions with no sponsors, no venues… it was a mountain we had to climb. But it was worth it. Last year, one of our students won a major competition.”

He continues, “To this day, we do not have sponsors. We host all our events ourselves. We pay for everything ourselves. We no longer actively search for sponsorships. Support is also scarce for unknown brands, so we focused on building relationships, trust, and affiliations. That is how our support grew.”

Speaking on key milestones, Gabriel highlights an important breakthrough: “One of our biggest challenges – and achievements – was becoming internationally affiliated. For dancers to compete internationally at these competitions, they must go through our company. At the moment, we have affiliations with Ireland, Hungary, and Spain. We have branched out into podcasts and conventions, and we are working on a few new ventures as well.”

Another major turning point came through collaboration with renowned dance personality Abby Lee Miller (Dance Moms). “Working with such a big name in the dance world opened many doors for us,” he adds.

(Berig deur Estelle Dansey)