Darci Bray | Director – The Dance Authority Omaha, NE
My name is Darci Bray and I began dancing at the age of 3 and have been on the move ever since! I grew up dancing in Kansas City where I had the opportunity to compete locally, regionally and nationally with my home studio. I danced for 4 years on the Varsity Dance Team in High School and was a member of UDA’s teaching staff after my senior year. I attended the University of Nebraska and earned my Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, emphasis in Human Resources, and a minor in Dance. While in college, I taught at a studio in Lincoln and was proud to choreograph multiple award winning dances in my 4 years on staff.
Following college, I ventured out into the corporate retail world and worked as a Store Director for Target stores in Lincoln, Kansas City, and Atlanta. The experience leading large teams and striving for excellence in that environment taught me so much about myself and my leadership style; but also, about how to motivate a group of individuals and achieve exceptional results. I am forever grateful for the internal growth that took place in my seven years with that company – it shaped me into the adult I am today.
As Michael and I continued to grow our family, it became clear that my priority and focus was shifting from my professional career to being a mom. I was fortunate enough to be a stay at home mom to our four children, Brooklyn, Mallori, Cohen, and Presli, for several years. As my girls got involved in the performing arts, I was led to TDA. As our kids grew and all entered school full time, it was obvious that what was missing in my life was the professional satisfaction I had when I worked for Target. With this realization, I became more and more involved in all aspects of The Dance Authority.
I was on staff at TDA for seven years prior to taking over as Owner/Director. I have been an Instructor, Accounting Manager, and the Academy Program Director. As the Owner and Creative Director, I am often busy training staff, in the classroom teaching, or working on all things TDA behind the scenes. In every role, I am very involved in my business. I pride myself on the high standard that has been set for TDA and the team that I am creating to uphold these expectations. You’ll see me around the studio frequently, working with our recreational program and our competition team dancers.
