The NYC Spark

The concept first originated while I was a young music industry executive in Manhattan. After work, I tried a hip-hop class at a world-renowned studio – an amazing facility, designed for pros to train and refine. I was dancing next to Broadway-bound beauties and aspiring (and actual) backup dancers. The instructor watched themselves in the mirror. It was stressful. I didn’t have fun.

On the corner of 57th & Broadway, I made it my mission to redefine the dance class experience for adults—and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing ever since.

Roots: Music First, Dance Always

Dance has been part of my life since small-town Texas—ever since I could turn a radio dial. I was obsessed with 80s MTV: Madonna, Janet, Paula. I choreographed bedroom routines and hosted slumber-party “recitals.” I even dropped out of tap because I refused to learn someone else’s choreography (or dance to classical piano). Hip-hop and pop were everything. My love of dance came straight from my love of music – I’d tune the dial juuuuust right to pick up the hip-hop station two hours away and record songs to play later.

Drill Team Lessons

High school dance team was formative. I found community and learned fundamentals: how to teach and learn, the meaning of showmanship, how to build choreography, and how to lead through dance. Those lessons still drive DivaDance: welcome people in, set a standard, celebrate progress.

From UT to Jive Records

After graduating from the University of Texas (corporate communication), I moved to New York City for a behind-the-scenes career in music. I joined the marketing team at Jive Records and spent nearly a decade helping build the careers of some of the biggest pop and hip-hop artists – fan growth, video and photoshoot production, global campaigns, and promo tours. Glamour sometimes, grit often – and I loved it.

2003: Renting Rooms & Teaching Adults

I missed dance and a creative outlet. So in 2003, I rented any studio I could and started leading adult dance classes. I’d race from my desk job to teach. One class became many. I added performance opportunities. When demand outpaced me, I found and trained instructors so the experience could scale.

“Can You Bring This to Our City?”

Private parties exploded – especially bachelorettes visiting NYC. After class, groups would ask: “I wish we had this in Denver,” “When are you coming to Kansas City?” That’s when a weekly class started feeling like a bigger idea.

Clients weren’t coming because it was me; they came for the experience – fun, stress-free, inclusive. That formula still guides us.

2016: Franchising & “Slaying Is My Cardio”

In 2016, I left my 15-year music career to scale DivaDance. I needed systems, people, capital, and a tight brand. We launched our first city outside NYC – Austin, Texas – rebranded, and rolled out the “Slaying Is My Cardio” campaign. I brought in my founding partner and COO, Sarah Henn, found a mentor to shape our franchise concept, and kept relentless focus: create a great class and help Boss Babes build businesses.

Momentum: Press, Programs, and a Flagship HQ

Since then, we’ve partnered with amazing women to expand across the country, refined training and systems, launched multi-week programs and music-video opportunities, and built an apparel line. We’ve been featured in USA Today, People, Brides, InStyle, Refinery29, and Telemundo.

Since franchising in 2016, we’ve welcomed 300,000+ enrollments, grown to 50+ cities, built thousands of memberships, and hosted hundreds of private parties. A huge milestone: opening our flagship DivaDance HQ studio in Austin – our first brick-and-mortar home.

We also launched the Community Time podcast in 2020 and our annual Slaycation convention in 2021. The mission hasn’t changed: confidence, community, and joy through choreography.

Be Part of the Story Behind DivaDance

Our goal is for DivaDance to be the first name you think of for adult choreography classes. We know clients have choices. We know many of you teach elsewhere or for yourselves. If we keep building an authentic, values-driven brand with a strong culture – and keep delivering champagne-quality classes – we’ll earn that no. 1 spot.