Tugené Davis started her first studio in 1997 as TuSoul.  Not long after, life changed and with it, went the studio.  Several years later her second start at studio ownership came through Testimony Movement Ministries.  Both were just the foundation of Davis Inspiration Studios.

 

By 2018, Tugené and her husband, Jay, had 2 little girls: 3 year old Mycah and 5 month old Ariyah.  Both Jay and Tugené studied the arts through grade school and college at Dillard and Howard University, respectively.  Long before becoming a mother, Tugené started performing at the age of two so their daughters have known nothing but the soul of the arts.   As filmmakers and creatives to the core, their art and parenting philosophy has been for their daughters to show their own interest in the arts before getting them involved. 

 

February, 2018 it happened!  Mycah asked…”Mommy, can I take dance classes?” From there Tugené focused on opening Davis Dance Studio, soon realized the limitations "just dance" would have in developing independent thinking dancers and creativity as a whole.  By 2019 DDS became DIS with an emphasis on arts and life planning to effectively work on changing the starving artist dilemma which is Tugené's life work. The goal was set to teach the world artists don’t need a Plan B but a good plan A! 

 

With one dance class, January 5, 2019, we set off with a vision to open a studio, café and gift shop for the arts by December, 2020.  By the end of 2019 Ariyah was growing into her own saying, “what about Ariyah’s dance class?!” You guessed it! January, 2020 we grew to host 6 dance classes; on track to open our arts space as planned. Until the COVID-19 Pandemic hit that March.

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Although COVID changed the function of all principal activities, the gift shop took off as we maintained our community through virtual dance classes, dancing in the park and our Friendship Days in 2020 and 2021.

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With a focus on self care products, during the pandemic, we became grantees of the FedEx E-commerce Learning Lab, delivered more than 100 self care kits to women in the Pasadena Community and grew awareness of our brand at the Rose Bowl Flea Market. We are focused on developing the whole artist! 

 

Our mission is focused on addressing the problematic issue of artists being unprepared for life’s realities while being a creative. Many artists face homelessness, depression as well as drastic ups and downs socially and financially through the gig lifestyle.  

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We understand why many parents encourage their artists to have a “back up plan” when they leave home.  However, we believe a "Plan B" is encouraged because a concrete Plan A is not in place. "The Davis Plan" is Plan A.

 

As we develop artists, we train with the expectation our artists will fall in love with their craft. As they do, we want to ensure as they learn their craft, they equally learn how flourish through life’s eventualities.

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MISSION                 

To develop an artist's ability to function with artistic viability, practical faith in Christ, financial independence and creative interchangeability in order to solve the “starving artist” dilemma.

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DESCRIPTION         

We are a performing and visual arts center designed to develop well rounded creative thinkers. We provide art and life planning classes, events, tools and resources for artists to learn and execute their craft for their short and long term goals, specializing in dance and film.