Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittney Batson.
Brittney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Right out of college, I moved to Texas and jumped into my first Zumba class. I quickly discovered my love for moving to music and working out at the same time. Little did I know this would be the beginning of my pursuit of an unforgettable dance journey as an adult. I found myself attending as many classes as I could each week for hours out of the day. After teaching students at work, I would eagerly head to Zumba, heels, hip-hop, and chair class to grow as a dancer because of the confidence and energetic feeling I would have after class. Going to the dance studio and meeting amazing women became the highlight of my week.
Along my journey, I fell in love with hip-hop and the versatility of the genre. I knew in my heart; it was now or never if I truly wanted to pursue dance. I decided to pursue a background in hip-hop and develop my foundations through various training programs in Houston. I loved attending class and learning from amazing choreographers, taking private lessons from my teachers, and pushing myself to become the best dancer possible.
Years of training left me as a better dancer, but I felt defeated that I had not reached all of my goals. I started to feel like dance was becoming a space for me to critique and push to be like other dancers instead of staying true to myself. I started to desire a dance space that could see “me.” So, I decided to step out on my own and host my first class. This became an opportunity to create a dance space I had always wanted and needed. It was the push for me to understand how to choreograph, teach, and host a class for the first time. Perseverance and dedication led me to host my first class. I realized that choreographing would become another opportunity for me to express my creativity, dance, be my complete self, and live out my dream. This would become the next phase of my dance career. I started teaching my classes on random occurrences and inviting my friends to come years before My Heels On Dance became a small dance company in Houston.
I remember walking on Post Oak before the pandemic, looking at a vacant building, and telling myself “I am going to open a dance studio one day”. I kept walking and kept that dream in my heart over these past years while I continued to train in my free time and educate myself as much as possible.
I learned how to work my full-time teaching job during the day, leave to take dance classes and make it to practice at night, and plan on starting my business until I fell asleep in bed. There have been countless hours, tears, and smiles spent preparing to do what I get to do today. I have learned that God gives us all talents and gifts. We have the opportunity to cultivate them and use them to help impact those around us. It is a blessing to be able to use the talent God has given me. There is a feeling of fulfillment in my purpose that carries me, and I find gratitude and celebrate the small wins along this journey.
My Heels On Dance Company is a space where I can use my gifts in so many ways to impact the women in Houston. I can provide a dance experience that is memorable and impactful. We opened our doors very softly in September 2022 and our mission has been the same “Confidence, Consistency, and Community.” These core values come from what I believe it takes to be a strong and successful woman in this world. My Heels On Dance is a space that will always help remind and sometimes even teach women what these words mean through dance.
We believe in providing a welcoming environment for women to learn to dance and build confidence through the power of heels dance, technique, and encouragement. Every class is like the first one when we open our doors and teach. I want every client to feel excited to attend class and learn from professional choreographers for one hour. More than anything, I want to create a dance space that is encouraging, welcoming, and fun for women to desire to step into each week.
It has been nothing less than a pleasure to hear the stories of amazing women all around Houston and hear about their experiences. Little did I know, My Heels On Dance has served women that are brand new to Houston and looking for something fun to do, women that struggle with anxiety, desire to make new friends, feel alone, and need a safe place to help them feel comfortable and express themselves, or the women that love to push and reach new goals. Whatever the reason is, My Heels On Dance is a dance company that allows women from various walks of life to learn to embrace their feminine selves through the power of music and choreography each week.
Dance has been a powerful tool for me along my journey in Houston. Having a dance space has allowed me to engage in something fun throughout the week, build my confidence as a woman, help me relax, and grow as a dancer. My Heels On Dance is a company created with the same intention in mind for women in Houston.
Our classes are for women that desire to get away from a long week, learn to become more comfortable with their bodies, and understand the technique behind becoming a better dancer. My Heels On Dance hosts adult dance classes in hip hop, beginner heels dance, dance fitness, Latin heels, chair dance, and private adult dance classes for parties. We hope to see you in one of our classes and welcome you into a one-of-a-kind studio experience. “Ready, Set, Heels On.”
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I have learned nothing in life is easy, but with God, all things are possible. Starting My Heels On Dance presented many obstacles along the way. I had to learn how to start a business from the ground up with limited resources. This took a lot of my time in the start-up phase. Educating myself was key to moving forward with my business plan, but it took countless hours, failures, and re-tries. However, I was determined to not give up and understand that anything worth having is going to be hard work.
I had to learn to navigate my full-time job, second job, dance, and My Heels On Dance. Working multiple jobs requires sacrifice. I had to learn to sacrifice time and sleep. Starting a business requires a lot of work and consistent dedication to see it through. I had, and still have many early mornings and late nights working on behind-the-scenes projects to keep My Heels On Dance going in a positive direction.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about My Heels On Dance Company?
Last year in September, I took a huge leap of faith to pursue what I love more than anything, dance! I felt a huge pull to finally open my own dance studio to empower women to become more confident in themselves through dance.
Little did I know I would receive feedback from our wonderful community of women.
“I just want to tell you that this experience made me feel happy and fun. Haven’t felt it in a while” -Rena
“You finish the class empowered and ready to learn more!” -Vanessa
“My Heels On made a huge impression on me the first time I came to class. When I walked in, I immediately felt welcomed. The environment/atmosphere of My Heels On is truly incredible. I loved being in a space with women of all skill levels who were there to enjoy being part of a community, dance the night away, and most importantly have fun! I will never forget when we were about to do the choreography we learned, and Brittney said, “Now look to the person next to you and say: “You got this girl!” It is the most positive, uplifting, and encouraging dance environment I have ever experienced!”
-Racheal
My Heels On Dance Company strives to provide a welcoming, energetic, and professional dance environment for women that desire to become more confident, step out of their comfort zones, and learn to dance. We do this by standing by our mission of “Confidence, Consistency, and Community.” Every class is created with our client in mind from the moment we open to the end of class. Whether it is your first dance class or you have been dancing for years, there is a class that will always boost your confidence and challenges you to grow as well due to the versatility of our classes. Dance should be fun, and we believe in packaging it all up in one by providing a fun and energetic dance environment along with flirty choreography for women to enjoy and embrace their most feminine side.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lessons I have learned…
1. Always keep God first in your goals, dreams, business, and life. He will always direct you and guide you to the places and people you need. I continuously remind myself to spend time in God’s presence and trust His words and vision for my life, even when it may not seem possible.
2. Staying true to myself has become very important along my journey. I have learned that it is impossible to please every person that comes through the door. We all come from different backgrounds and have different expectations, wants, and needs. Trying to please everyone can lead to burnout, internal disappointment, and sometimes you even doubting yourself and your dream. In all honesty, that is why putting God first and honoring His calling in my life is so important. It keeps me focused, grounded, and consistent.
3. Always celebrate your wins no matter how small. I have always been a goal-driven person. Right out of college, I set a huge goal to pay off all of my debt, save, and invest. I did, but immediately after, I set another goal. I realized that sometimes we get so caught up in setting goals and reaching them that we miss the actual reality of just being in the dream. My favorite player of all time Kobe Bryant, said it best, “Those times when you get up early and you work hard; those times when you stay up late and you work hard; those times when you don’t feel like working, you’re too tired, you don’t want to push yourself, but you do it anyway; that is actually the dream. That’s the dream.”
Pricing:
- Drop-In Class- $15
- Two Weeks Unlimited – $39
- 2 Class Pack – $25
- 4 Class Pack- $49
- 6 Class Pack – $69
Contact Info:
- Website: www.myheelson.com
- Instagram: myheelsondance
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/myheelsondance
- Youtube: My Heels On Dance
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/my-heels-on-dance-houston
Image Credits
Danny Gonzalez
