Excelsior Springs, Mo. – A new studio space, dance studio, and photography service in Excelsior Springs is encouraging women to reconnect with themselves through building confidence and community. The Empowerment Studio, founded by local resident Sarah Darling, officially opened its doors for full operations last Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting at 2310 Vintage Court. The studio strives to provide women with a space to move, learn, and celebrate themselves; no judgment, no pressure, and no drive to the city required.
Darling hopes it will become a go-to space for women in the Northland to reconnect with themselves and with one another. “I wanted something local that made women feel beautiful, confident, and supported,” she said. “Not everyone can make the drive to the city. So I decided to bring it here.”
According to Darling, The Empowerment Studio is intentionally designed as a woman-focused zone where judgment gets left at the door. Its programming includes hip-hop and twerk classes, yoga focused on tension release, and low-pressure group fitness like chair classes made for confidence building. Photography sessions are also offered, with the studio’s website listing empowerment portraits and boudoir photography as their current services; local photographers also have the opportunity to rent the studio space for their clients.
In addition to the services offered on the studio’s website, Darling is also planning to launch a series of educational offerings: everything from women’s self-defense to sexual health workshops, with the help of local guest instructors.
“I think there’s a lot of stuff women weren’t taught growing up, especially about our own health,” she said. “So I’m building that in, too. Because empowerment isn’t just about what you look like. It’s what you know, and how you feel when you walk out of the room.”
Darling, a mother of three and an Excelsior Springs resident of seven years, said the idea grew out of both personal need and local demand.
“Women are always putting everyone else first. Jobs, kids, everything,” she said. “I wanted to give them a place to treat themselves without guilt.”
Her background includes more than 15 years behind the camera, starting as a hobbyist photographer and hair stylist. Over the past four to five years, her work has evolved into a more professional passion; shooting lifestyle portraits, offering boudoir sessions, and creating spaces for women to feel seen in authentic ways.
She started booking shoots in Kansas City in other studio spaces, but realized quickly that few options existed for women north of the river, and especially spaces that felt private, affordable, and comfortable. So, she created her own.
The intended feel inside the studio leans more inviting than sterile. It’s filled with natural and studio lighting, full-length mirrors, soft colors, some faux exposed brick, and décor meant to feel comforting instead of commercial. Prices are intentionally affordable, something Darling emphasized throughout the process of building her business.
“I priced it so any mom could come in and feel good without worrying about the bill,” she said. “This is supposed to be accessible.”
While the official grand opening was marked by a ribbon cutting and tour on Tuesday, July 29, the studio has already hosted a handful of soft launch classes, with a full schedule rolling out in the month of August. For pricing, class updates, or more information, visit their website or find The Empowerment Studio on Instagram and Facebook. Darling shared the best way to contact directly for more information is to message their page directly, call 816-999-7967 or email theempowermentp@gmail.com. Darling recommends messaging ahead for private bookings or group classes, and to be ready to have fun with other women of the community!
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