Fast 15: Kat Barlow

Running a successful dance apparel business and raising two young children already keep Kat Barlow on the move.

But she’s recently taken on another labor of love.

She and her husband, Matt, have formed the Northwest Arkansas Arts Foundation to provide scholarships for dance students and rehearsal space for performing arts groups.

“My husband and I were always blessed that we had parents who could put us through dance and music, but we saw a need in the area for more support for the performing arts,” Barlow said.

The couple plans to build a facility with about 40,000-50,000 SF for studios that can be rented by the hour. She’ll also rent part of the space for her store.

They’re eyeing property south of James at the Mill in Johnson, and have partnered with Hight-Jackson Associates and Nabholz Construction to plan the project. They hope to start building by year’s end.

“As far as we know, it’ll be the only facility of its kind in the nation,” she said.

Barlow, originally from Little Rock, started dance lessons around age 3, and in high school worked at a dance apparel store.

When it came time for college, there was no doubt she would attend the University of Arkansas.

“I’m a third-generation Razorback,” Barlow said, “so it wasn’t really an option.”

Since the UA doesn’t have a dance department, Barlow opted for bachelor’s degrees in logistics and management. Her mom worked in logistics, and Barlow said she grew up around the industry so it was a natural fit.

But after her father died in June 2009, Barlow said, her husband suggested she open a dancewear store, since she already knew the business.

She opened the store that October. Two months later, she expanded it from 1,500 SF to 3,000.

Barlow occasionally teaches ballet as a substitute at area studios. She’s also active with the Dance Coalition, although she’s “stepped back a little” since the birth of her second child three months ago.

She credits her dad with instilling in her the desire to give back to her community.

“I was raised to keep a little, spend a little and give a lot,” she said.

— Serenah McKay