Meet Joseph R Cantu | Dance Studio Owner & Artistic Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joseph R Cantu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joseph R, what do you attribute your success to?
It is difficult to isolate the success of J & J Hip Hop aka J & J Hip Hop Dance & Performing Arts Company to just one important factor. However, I can truly place one factor above all the others. My personal faith in God takes precedence over all the other factors that have played a role.

I feel strongly that my faith in God is the strength that propelled me going through the challenging seasons. In business you will face times of doubt, points of feeling like a failure, rough roads financially, and seasons of feeling drought if you will. People all around you will test your character, diligence, and motivation. Without a source of strength beyond one’s self, it can be a common factor of why most businesses don’t survive past the 5 year mark. If you are to reach successes, faith, great standards, strong morals, community, and compassion is needed.

What kept me and my wife Stephanie (Co-Owner of J & J, my backbone and my personal cheerleader.) grounded, was knowing that God is on our side and no matter how well the company grew, our hearts were never about the money or success, but the opportunity to serve and be a light in the broken world. Quality over quantity is a strong point of our business foundation, alongside respecting our personal worth for what we have to offer.

Having your own business requires a strong backbone, diligence, and much faith. It is not for the faint of heart. Since we as humans doubt our own ability often, having God as our hope carried us through every storm we encountered on the journey.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am asked often, “What set’s you apart from other dance companies?”. I kind of cringe at this question, primarily because I have learned to respect and honor everyone’s art form, and expertise. I believe each of us who share our talents with the world are on a constant chopping block for criticism. Saying this, I try not to look at what everyone else is doing. I have always stayed my lane and focus on what I know is inside me to share. I can only describe what that looks like. Coming from a very rough childhood, I wanted to grow up into someone who could help those who may often get overlooked or needed just a little more love in their life. J & J Hip Hop is a home away from home. It is a place where lifelong friendships are made. Where we teach our staff and students to care enough to ask how their peers are doing, and actually wait for a response to care for the answer. We are building strong leaders, tremendous character, to compliment the legendary performing arts skills. I believe almost anyone can dance or repeat a movement. Not many can transform hearts or bring an audience to tears and chills. It takes a genuine individual, who has learned to lay out their heart on a platform and without fear, to share that with the world to inspire. This is what we teach in our studio and hold firm to.
J & J is also very multi cultural. We love that we are a home to all colors of people and from all types of backgrounds. We work with families from all financial situations, and open the door for students who would never be able to afford arts training without our help.
We are proud of the standards, faith, morals, and community at our studio. We have students call our studio when on 2 week breaks, begging us to open up sooner. They want to be there. It is their escape from the worries, pressures, and hardships of the world.

Our studio is a place of warriors. If you walk around, any of our instructors can share their inspiring story and move you to tears. We have helped raise many of these young powerful leaders and instructors inhouse. They have learned to love, and be as compassionate to others as humanly possible. We are building new generation leaders, who turn and build under them more powerful leaders through the performing arts.
Today, our studio is known throughout Colorado as a top cutting edge street dance and inspirational dance company. We have had the great honor of working with the Harlem Globetrotters, Denver Nuggets, Switchbacks, Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, What If Festival, Fox 21 Morning News, Living Local Morning Show, Amazon, and so many more. More recently this past May, we were contracted and humbly hosted the 2022 World of Dance Audition Series for Colorado. We also had our own competition team “Street Legends” receive a Golden Ticket to California to compete and represent Colorado Springs, Colorado, and USA in the 2022 World of Dance Championships. We were competing against teams that were featured on America’s Got Talent, NBC’s Show World of Dance, and celebrity background dancers. Graciously, we placed 13th in the USA and returned to Colorado from California with honor.

With all the above, every season brings new challenges. The way we approach these challenges is with optimism on what can be learned in each season, and who we can impact or inspire through those seasons. We take every moment with gratitude and try to be the best we can be for one another.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I moved to Colorado Springs, from Southern California in 1996. That is actually where I learned street dance and was inspired to pursue dance again. I would however often visit my family who are all mostly in south Texas pretty often. I start my response with this information because I always felt I experienced some of the best food, and activities as a child. When I moved to Colorado Springs, I had a bit of a culture shock. I was used to more variety of food, and theme parks, and always living by the beach. Ultimately, it took me time to get used to Colorado, and just venture out to see what Colorado truly had to offer in the tucked away hidden places of the mountains.

When family, friends or guests are visiting now, I would recommend taking our bikes and ridding by the beautiful creeks, rivers, and reservoirs. Perhaps taking a hike up to Seven Falls and letting them visit Pikes Peak, sitting and gazing at the sights where, “America the Beautiful” was written and show what “Purple mountain majesties” looks like.
If it were warmer, we would go to Cherry Creek Reservoir in Denver. It is the closest to the beach scene I can get here in Colorado so far. It has sandy shores and boating, and the water is actually warm in the summer.
Some of my personal favorite food places I have discovered in Colorado Springs so far is, Whataburger (Originally from South Texas), Fuzzy’s Tacos (Originally from Texas), and the unbeatable Spring Rolls and Peanut Sauce, and Curry from Arharah Thai Restaurant. I picked up a taste for Thai food from California favorite restaurants. So you can see, I live in Colorado but still trying to live like I am in California or Texas. HA HA HA
Other than that, my favorite place in the summer to take the family is Water World and Eliches in Denver.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I think anyone who knows me, can attribute that a greater part of my journey endurance is from my beautiful wife Stephanie Cantu.

My wife and I have been married for nearly 23 years now. My wife is truly my backbone and my support. She cheered me on through some of the toughest moments of my life and reminded me over and over who God created me to be. When times seemed dark, and when I felt like giving up on life itself, she fought to help me see my worth and keep living and loving. I would not have made it this far without her. She has been a key element to my personal growth as an individual, the growth of countless lives, and to the growth of J & J Hip Hop. Her touch on anything in life will always make it 10x better. Stephanie is compassionate, merciful, selfless, and such a great discerner.

The bible describes in Proverbs 31, “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?” My response to this question is… “I did.” I found her, and without her I would not be writing this article. Stephanie Cantu, I love you eternally!

With my wife being my inspiration, I would also not be the man I am today without my amazing and supportive kids! My 4 children LJ, Antonio, Romeo, and my baby girl daughter Trinity. God knew what I needed in my life to survive and blessed me with 4 inspiring kids. They are inspiring dancers, young leaders, musicians, and filled with faith in God! As if this were not enough, God then blessed me with an absolutely wonderful (recently engaged to my son Antonio) soon to be daughter Emily Moore (Cantu) 🙂 Whom is also another amazing supporter and encourager to my life.

We do not get to pick our birthed Children in this life, God blesses them to us as a gift and knows what we need. I needed them all.

Website: www.JandJHipHopDance.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jandjhiphopdance/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JandJHipHop

Youtube: www.youtube.com/jandjhiphopdanceco

Image Credits
Pixie Chick Photography by Veronica Slack @pixiechickphotography