Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Derville-Teer.
Hi Holly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Oregon and fell in love with dance after my first jazz class when I was ten years old. How I feel about dance has never wavered since that first jazz class. It brings me more joy than I can express.
During college I spent my summers with friends in NYC where we would take classes, attend auditions, and waitress to earn enough money to get by. During that time, I was awarded a Lifetime Work Scholarship at Steps on Broadway which gave me the courage to decide on a dance career. After graduating from college with a BA in English and Education, I received a dance contract with Marcello Productions in Puerto Rico which was my first dance contract. I did several other dance contracts and continued to dance at Steps on Broadway when I wasn’t performing.
After several years, my husband and I wanted to start a family and I’d always wanted to teach and run a dance studio, so we moved to Oregon. My first year back, I taught at seven different dance schools. After a year, one of the people I worked for asked me if I wanted to buy her school I owned Chehalem Valley Dance Academy for eleven years and I loved it. However, after eleven years I was exhausted and burned out. I felt like I wasn’t seeing my kids enough and I was not careful with the work-life balance. When one of the teachers working for me asked if she could buy it, I found myself saying yes.
I kept teaching without owning a studio for seven years. During that time I became a free-lance writer for Dance Studio Life Magazine.
In 2016, I was hit with an overwhelming feeling that I was ready to do it all again. With zero students and a lot of prayers, I signed a lease, bought supplies, and walked in the Hillsboro Fourth of July Parade giving out fliers. I officially opened Hillsboro Dance Center a month later! It’s been exciting to be part of creating something from nothing.
August, 2026 is the beginning of HDC’s 11th year and I love it. I find both teaching and being at the helm of HDC rewarding and fulfilling every single day.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Since I burned out to the point I had to sell my first studio, I went into my second studio with a whole different approach.
I have been very careful with the work/life balance and made several changes which have made owning a studio easier including mandatory time off, changes to the way the I structure my studio, and paying attention to how I’m feeling rather than just pushing through.
I’ve also learned how to keep things in perspective.
As soon as we could afford office help, we started hiring office help and that’s made a huge difference too.
I’ve also learned to trust my gut feeling. I’ve been doing this a long time and my immediate reaction is normally the right answer.
It used to keep me up at night when I made mistakes. I finally realized that mistakes are unfortunate but impossible to totally avoid. However, it’s what you do next that really matters.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our studio is known for being positive and supportive. We actively work to create a culture of welcome and support the dancers can feel 24/7. In my elementary school dance years, I did not have that experience so it’s very important to me to create that experience for our dancers. It’s something we guard and reinforce all the time.
One of my favorite things is shepherding personal growth at the same time we are growing dancers. Seeing confidence grow is so incredibly rewarding. I know they are growing a confidence they will have the rest of their life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hillsborodance.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hillsborodance_hdc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HillsboroDance
