Businesswoman Margene Conde doesn't have to deal with the problem of running a successful business at the expense of her family.
That's because she has full support from her husband and three children in operating Miss Margene's Creative Classroom. Rather than run the business and leave her children, they have been part of the pre-school, creative dance and musical theater instruction she provides.Her husband, Kevin, is the company manager, and her oldest daughter, Tiffany, helps with dance instruction. Son Timothy and youngest daughter Tracee participate in the dance and theater parts of the business.
In the past few days, Conde opened a new studio at 3538 Market St.
Conde feels her children haven't suffered because of the business, mainly because they love to perform and must budget their time for school studies and their performances. She said several school student-body officers are her students, an indication that keeping busy with cultural pursuits enhances self-esteem, an important factor in children staying out of trouble.
"It takes plenty of hours to make this successful, but helping the children fill their lives with good things makes it all worthwhile," she said.
She has 65 enrolled in her pre-school program for 3- to 5-year-olds. She said it isn't day care but an educational experience for boys and girls to stimulate their thinking, develop their social skills and give them a feeling of self-worth. She also has dance classes for the pre-schoolers that help them develop hand/eye coordination.
She has had a high of 400 students enrolled in dancing but averages between 250 and 300. The dancers have performed in many functions and in many locations, including the annual "Nutcracker" at Granger High School.
Another aspect of Conde's business is the musical theater that involves 70 children who sing and dance. The Creative Generation Musical Theater has performed at many functions, went to Washington, D.C., for celebration of the U.S. Constitution bicentennial and also performed in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Sea World and Disneyworld.
Conde started teaching dancing at 17 when she taught at the old Lincoln Junior High School for the Salt Lake School District community education program. She attended the University of Utah on an Elizabeth R. Hayes dance scholarship and graduated with a degree in modern dance and child development.
She taught dance at several schools for Granite School District and built the program to 600 students. At the same time, she ran a pre-school in her home and turned people away because she could handle only 15 children.
In 1983, she opened a studio at 2520 W. 4700 South and when her lease expired went to the West Jordan area for two years. It has been a struggle getting her new studio opened, but Conde figures it's worth it because of the progress the students make.