Today we’d like to introduce you to Constancia “Coach Ceci” Williams.
Hi Constancia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
It started with me being a stay-at-home Mom caring for my three “Handsomes” (my sons). As much as I loved being a Wife and Mother, I still felt unfulfilled and knew the Lord had more purpose for me. Someone I knew told me about a cheer position for a company she felt I’d be a great fit for, so I was like “Okay, why not?” While I loved working with the kids, I wasn’t being valued for my time and effort. Then BOOM, the pandemic hit. After birthing my fourth son, I knew I didn’t want to return.
Parents began reaching out, saying their daughters missed me and asking if I’d start my own team. That encouragement gave me the confidence to pray on it. With the Lord’s guidance and a little push from an excited close friend who posted the super cute flyer I created (but was too nervous to post myself), I took a leap of faith. Four years later, here we are! 😍🤩
I see this as my ministry. With God, my Husband, my Mommy, and the support of other loved ones and some of my RAD dance parents, I’ve been able to create opportunities, experiences, and exposure for these girls. We’ve come SO far, but this is still a journey — OUR journey — and I believe each year we’ll only get better. Just have to trust the process! 💪🏽🤞🏽🙏🏽
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
OMG, smooth is the complete opposite of what this journey has been. It seems like I always have to work a lot harder than the next. Navigating the dance world is not for the weak chile! I had to figure out almost everything on my own, until I finally connected with a seasoned dance director across Houston who didn’t mind helping — and I’ll FOREVER be grateful for her. #WomenEmpowerment
Even after getting started, the challenges haven’t stopped. Working with sooo many personalities can be tough. I’ve struggled with retaining & gaining dancers, carrying most of the responsibilities — choreography, events, networking, parent communication, payments, flyers, social media, websites, and more — all while being mentally and physically present for my girls AND my own family outside of Dance.
On top of that, I’ve faced parents who want so much but don’t want to invest, participate or cooperate, and others who take advantage of my kindness because they know how much I truly love and pour into these dancers. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how blessed we are to have Coach Mini rocking with us for a few years now. 🙂
But through it all, I remain committed & showed up for these girls. Regardless. For every difficult situation, there are supportive parents and girls who remind me why I do this. At the end of the day, the Royal Artistry Dance Team is cultivating inspiration, passion, and inner greatness through outlets of creativity and self expression. 👯♀️💃🏽
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Royal Artistry Dance Team?
The Royal Artistry Dance Team is more than just dance — we have purpose. We provide mentorship, teach life lessons, accountability, responsibility, communication, and sisterhood, while giving our girls a safe space and creative outlet. The R.A.D. Team is active in the community through service, charity events, parades, many performances, and even appearances for leaders like the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee and Mayor Sylvester Turner.
We specialize in several styles of dance, including but not limited to Majorette, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Liturgical and they’re learning some tumbling.
What sets us apart is the genuine care we have for our girls. We love having little celebrations for the girls as well to remind them that they are loved, they matter, they are enough and supported both inside and outside of dance. We don’t just focus on competitions; we also focus on growth, building relationships and giving back. We’re a legitimate team (we actually have an EIN #) with professionally trained coaches. We’re really just in our own lane for real.
**We also provide options like Afterpay and fundraisers to help families with costs. **
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Oooh yes, there’s so much I wish I had known starting out. My biggest advice is to pray over everything — your actions, your words, your desires, and your target audience. Keep your ideas close, because not everyone can be trusted. Remember that your vision is the vision that God gave you, so stick beside it. Everybody else may not understand or agree with it…and that’s okay! Also, if your business is similar to mine, try to go the nonprofit route from the start to hopefully access grants and resources that I haven’t been able to access. I only Most importantly, know your worth and don’t let anyone take advantage of your time. People will pay others what they wouldn’t pay you, so value yourself.
“Be Radiant.✨ Be RAD! 💙💜”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://RoyalArtistryDance.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Royal_Artistry_Dance
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalArtistryDance/
- Other: https://TikTok.com/@ceciandcrew
