Milwaukee’s local dance community may have a low profile, but through movement, its dancers rejoice, create and bond. So, when Salute Society Studio in Bronzeville announced its closure on Instagram last December, the reaction was swift and intense.
“Milwaukee is losing a gem of a space, and thankful is an understatement for everything you have done over the years,” one comment read.
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As a welcoming spot for both newcomers and seasoned dancers, Salute Society had gained a strong following and stronger reputation. It offered a wide variety of classes, including instruction in K-pop, jazz fusion, bachata, hip hop and reggaeton dance.
It gave many local dancers an opportunity to teach their first class. And appearances by guest teachers, such as well-known choreographer Peter Pinnock, were common.
Tony Carter, who opened the studio in 2018, had been subsidizing its operations without business loans or other investors. In late 2023, burnt out and losing money, he made the decision to turn the studio into a creative night lounge.
But the outpouring of comments offering gratitude and support gave him pause – including a late-night call from Historic King Drive BID executive director Raynetta “Ray” Hill encouraging him to continue with the dance studio.
“He was able to reach a diverse crowd throughout the state,” Hill says of Carter. “We saw him almost as a destination, because he was able to capture an audience that may not have been coming for coffee or tea or dinner – they were literally coming to dance.”
With so much encouragement from Hill and the dance community, Carter decided to bring Salute Society Studio back after a three-month break.
At Hill’s suggestion, Carter applied for the Brew City Match grant program, which works to reinvigorate local disinvested commercial corridors by training and funding business owners. In January, he was accepted. “They have you work with different people to help with finance and business plans and everything,” Carter says.
The studio reopened in April, and Carter says he hopes to start making a profit this summer.
When the program deems that business practices have improved, it may offer a chunk of grant money.
In the meantime, Carter keeps churning out ideas for growth and innovation. He plans to build out a creative lounge in the building’s basement, and he’s hired a coordinator to develop fitness classes. “I don’t want to be just a dance studio,” Carter says. “I want to be for all the arts.” For now, Salute Society is keeping step for its dancers.
