Meet Katie Rustowicz | Owner & Founder of Act 1 Talent, COO of LA DanceMagic

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Rustowicz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I don’t believe there is a perfect balance between work and life. You give attention when and where attention is needed. Starting this business was a very personal experience, one I believed in with my entire being. As cliché as it may sound, my blood, sweat and tears quite literally built this business. There is no defined separation because one does not exist without the other. I started this business on my patio and can remember rocking my son to sleep on a road case during load out, more than once. My kids have their own desk in our office and their pictures are the centerpiece of my welcome letter year after year. My work has provided opportunities for my “life” and vice versa. It has always been important to me that my children grow up watching their parents work hard. Sometimes that means late nights at the office building trophies with Dad. Of course as I have grown I’ve gotten better about managing my time, but for me the two are completely intertwined. There is no perfect formula and I find trying to define a clear separation between the two only leads to disappointment. We do our best and just roll with it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I believe every single experience in my life lead me to starting Act 1 Talent. I grew up a competitive dancer in Michigan and my teacher DID NOT PLAY! She demanded a lot from us, if I wasn’t at school I was at the studio, 7 days a week. However, I cannot remember ever being at the studio when she wasn’t, she lead by example. She believed in hard work and always taught us to lead with integrity. I’m forever grateful for the lessons she instilled in me at a young age.

I moved to Los Angeles straight out of high school. I danced, I trained and eventually worked as a dancer. I got to do some really cool jobs, travel and met a lot of great people. For me I loved dancing, but I quickly realized I did not love working in the industry. I found myself more fulfilled working behind the scenes than I ever did on any dance job. In 2006 I started working for a dance convention & competition, LA DanceMagic. At one point I was dancing on a tour for the Radio City Rockettes and still working my job for LA DanceMagic on the side, from across the country. It was around this time that it became very clear to me where I belonged.

Jackie & Dave, owners of LA DanceMagic, took a chance on me and trusted me with a lot of responsibility. My job there has never felt like a job, I truly love it. The chaos, the excitement, the hard work and the feeling of being a part of something bigger than myself. In 2013, I knew I was ready for more and to take a leap on my own. I saw an opportunity in the competition industry to provide something more. As a dance teacher, I attended events and just knew I could offer something different. However, I was not ready to leave LADM, it had become my home. After a long talk with Jackie it was settled, I would start Act 1 Talent and I would stay at LA DanceMagic. It was unconventional and unheard of in our industry, but if anyone could make it work it was us and we did.

Act 1 Talent was created to provide a positive environment for dancers to showcase their hard work. I wanted people to walk into our event and feel a sense of community, not like just a number. These weekends are stressful for the dancers, their families and their teachers. It is our goal to provide them with the best possible opportunity to succeed. Growing up a dancer I am aware of financial commitment as well as the time commitment these families make. This is not lost on me and is why we strive to provide an event that meets the needs of everyone in attendance.

I firmly believe kids get so much more out of attending a competition than just a trophy. They learn to work as a team, the value of hard work, to make a commitment and see it through and most importantly they spend their time doing something positive. Whether they continue with dance after high school or not, I guarantee you they will carry the lessons they learned with them through life. Of course there are scores and placements, but if we focus on what is truly important our hope is they will view these scores as simply a marker of where they are at and not as a definition of who they are.

Getting this far has not been an easy road to say the least. We started with nothing, running the business out of a spare bedroom and on our patio. Financially we had to get creative but we made it work. The sacrifices to make it this far have been huge but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Early on we had a production tech who, no matter what, would always say “it’s going to be great”. Even in the worst of situations we could count on his big smile and one liner. We have adopted this mindset into our culture today. Every event is different and presents a new set of obstacles to overcome. Covid-19 shut us down for most of 2020 and had us scrambling to keep up with the ever changing guidelines in 2021. But through it all we kept moving forward and never lost sight of the bigger picture.

Today my goals are simple. I want to keep building and growing this business, take care of our people and love on my family. Looking into the future if I get to do all of those things I will consider myself pretty lucky.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have always been fascinated by how many different landscapes we get to experience in California. Honestly we are spoiled. You can start your day at the beach and end it in the mountains. A trip to Palm Springs is always a must. A visit to Sequoia or Yosemite is the perfect spot to be reminded of how little our problems really are. Big Bear has always held a special place in my heart and is where we go to escape the hustle and bustle of LA. I think life is about making memories with the people you love, working hard and doing something good along the way.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not be the person I am today without the influence and guidance of my mentors Jackie Sleight & Joe Malone. Their knowledge and experience in the industry is unmeasurable. But it’s their unwavering support and belief in me that I find completely priceless. There is no better feeling than knowing you always have someone in your corner. I also have to thank my first dance teacher for instilling my love of dance and hard work, Debbie Agrusa. Last but certainly not least, my mom and my husband. I would be lost without them.

Website: www.act1talent.com

Instagram: @act1talent

Facebook: facebook.com/danceact1talent

Image Credits
Shutter Storm Media Danielle Bennink